Trip to the rock reliefs near the village of Želízy

Autumn trip to the sandstone reliefs of Harfenice

Starting point

Small parking lot in the village of Želízy, in the local district of Malý Hubenov. Parking is free of charge.
 

Description of the hike

The original plan was to walk through all the rock formations around the village of Želízy. Unfortunately, bad weather cut the trip short, so I had to leave the rock formations of Čertova hlava (Devil's Head) for next time.

From a small parking lot, I set off along the blue tourist trail. Behind the last houses, it continues through the Dolní Liběchovka Wetlands nature reserve. The trail runs along a small river and is flat throughout, so the journey went quickly. The sun was still shining in places, so the colorful autumn was in full display. I reached the village of Tuadly. Among other things, there is a beautiful rural bell tower from 1829.

Behind the village, the trail begins to climb slightly. It is also the only climb on the route. Thanks to this, I got out of the leafy valley into a classic landscape of sandstone rocks - a mixed forest dominated by pine trees. Here, a wide forest path leads on. Following it, I reached the first rock relief, carved by the sculptor Václav Levý - Had. Here, the path also turns left, and I continued on to the rock relief Sfinga and, most importantly, to the rock reliefs of heads. Here, I almost felt like I was at some ancient temple in Asia. From the last reliefs, I continued for a while along the wide forest path. Soon, however, I turned onto a forest trail and, following the yellow tourist trail, I quickly began to return to the village of Želízy. The rain was approaching inexorably. The path leads slightly downhill, so I got to the car in time and finally escaped the rain.
 

Difficulty

A very easy and undemanding trip, ideal for families with children. The elevation gain along the route is minimal. The entire route follows forest trails or wide paths.
 

Water availability

There is a pub in the village of Tupadly, but I don't know its opening hours. There are no other refreshment options along the route. Therefore, it is a good idea to bring some fluids with you.
 

Sleeping options

There are many accommodation options in the vicinity of the Kokořínsko Protected Landscape Area. We stayed in the village of Liběchov.
 

Mountain peaks

The route does not lead over any peaks nor does it offer views of the surrounding area.
 

Danger

This is a very easy and safe trip. The only danger I encountered was slipping on mud, as the PR Mokřady dolní Liběchovky trail was very muddy after heavy rains. Otherwise, the route is problem-free.
 

Food

There is a pub in the village of Tupadly, but I don't know if they serve food, as I haven't been there. However, the route isn't long, so a small snack will suffice.
 

Attractions

The rock reliefs around the village of Želízy were created by sculptor Václav Levý. His original profession was chef, among other things at Liběchov Castle. He devoted himself to sculpture in his spare time. Thanks to his talent, he caught the attention of landowner Antonín Veith, who sent him to the academy in Munich. There he studied sculpture under Professor Ludwig Schwanthaler. After returning to Liběchov, he continued to devote himself to sculpture in the local countryside. This was followed by a successful period in Rome, where he created many sculptures. After returning to Bohemia, he worked in Prague, where Josef Myslbek was among his students. He also died prematurely in Prague in 1870.