Without the flight of birds, without great forests and free-flowing streams, without the sight of clouds by day and stars by night, we become impoverished in everything that makes us human.”

Thomas Berry

In this year's small Máchov pilgrimage, we will again connect, as last year, two key places of the poet Karel Hynek Mácha's work - the pensive, magical landscape of the rocky labyrinths of eastern Kokořínsko (Liběchov-Houska) and western Kokořínsko (Vlhošť) with the open landscape of the lonely rocky peaks of the western part of the České středohoří Mountains. Mácha went to Kokořínsko in 1831 and his poetic work is connected with it (Cigs, May); he was drawn to the landscape of the České středohoří Mountains at the end of his life and tragically ended his life here in Litoměřice in 1836. In the Kokořín part of the pilgrimage, on the first day we will walk the section from Království to Vidimi and further through Střezivojické and Dobřeňské dol to Ovčácké vrch. On the third day we will visit the remarkable Baroque Calvary behind Helfenburk Castle with a beautiful view of Úštěk and the extraordinary Sedlo mountain. The route from Úštěk to Sedlo and from there via Kalich, Trojhora and Dlouhý vrch to Litoměřice is very nice. The photos in the invitation are from our trip last year. If you can't go on the entire journey (92 km), you can walk any part of it with us, or you can join us anywhere.

“It is the country that is truly intelligent, not the lonely humanity.”

David Abram

Friday 28. 4.: Liběchov – Maří Magdaléna – Starý zámek – Vidim – Dobřeň – Houska (24 km)

We will meet in Liběchov at Náměstí Václava Levého by the castle, from where we will set off at 8 a.m. We will follow the blue tourist trail to the rock sculptures in the Nad Hubenovem forest – Caves of Mary Magdalene, Harfenice and Had – which are attributed to the sculptor Václav Levý. From here we will descend to Stupid and we will continue past the neo-Romanesque chateau Slavin following the green tourist trail to Kingdom. Here at the intersection we turn right following the blue sign and around Old castle we will head to the settlement of Vidim; here we will descend along the green path to Střezivojický mine and we will reach the village of Dobřeň. From Dobřeň we will continue along the road towards Střezivojice and after about half a kilometer we will turn off following the blue sign to Dobřeňský mine, which we will pass through to the crossroads below Ovčácký hill; here we turn onto the green road, which will lead us to Konrádov. From there we will continue through Petrified Castle at a crossroads Under Druclik and then follow the red trail along the well-known path to Houska. Along the way we will visit Luňák's Chapel, we will enjoy the view of Bezděz and refresh our tired bodies in the Na konci sil pub. We will visit the beech forest above the Housc Castle and, if the night is clear, we will observe the stars. We will sleep under the Śrík or in the Hostince pod Houskou and talk about Navajo spiritual ecology.  

"I, I am the spirit within the earth. The feet of the earth are my feet. The strength of the earth is my strength. The thoughts of the earth are my thoughts. The voice of the earth is my voice. The father of the earth is also my father... It is all in beauty, it is all in beauty."

From a Navajo prayer to the Spirits of the Earth

Saturday 29.4.: Houska – Bořejov – Velký Beškovský vrch – Dubá – Vlhošť (22 km)

The next day we will set off from Houska along the blue tourist trail to the crossroads at Smrkový hřeben and from there along the yellow trail to Bořejov to the Baroque church of St. James the Greater with a modern altarpiece of the pilgrim St. James by Aleš Krejč. From Bořejov, from where there is a beautiful view of Bezděz and Houska, we will set off to explore Bořejovký vrch (429 m above sea level) and then continue along the blue trail through Kočičí hřbety to Velký Beškovský kopec (474 m above sea level). From there we will continue to Panská Ves and through Nedamov to Dubá, where we will have lunch. After lunch we will set off along the blue trail to Dubová hora (397 m above sea level) and from there to Pavličky. From Pavličky we will follow the blue trail to a hill with the remains of a medieval rock castle Stork (386 m above sea level) with the so-called With a Čap stick – there is a beautiful view of the Velký Čapský dol from here. We will continue along the green path to the crossroads below the hill Goose (448 m above sea level) and further to the Vlhošťský důl crossroads, from where we will follow the blue trail to Little Vlhošť (440 m above sea level) at whose foot we spend the night.

Sunday 30.4.: Vlhošť – Helfenburk – Kalvárie – Úštěk – Sedlo (20 km)

In the morning we will follow the yellow tourist trail Velky Vlhošť (613 m above sea level), the highest peak of the Kokořínsko Protected Landscape Area; this mighty neovolcanic massif is formed by a sinter and its slopes and summit are protected as a nature reserve - the peregrine falcon lives here. From Vlhoště we will continue along the blue trail and then along the yellow trail through the village of Skalka to Hradek with a remarkable monumental castle ruin Helfenburg, which KH Mácha captured in two of his drawings. From Helfenburg we will follow the yellow path, but immediately below the castle we will turn through the forest across Hradec Králové Mine to Ostrý, from where we climb the slope to a uniquely situated Baroque pilgrimage site on the hill Calvary, which is attributed to the architect Octavián Broggio; there is a beautiful view of the Úštěcko basin with the mighty mountain Seat on the horizon.

From Kalvarija we descend to the ancient Úštěk, which is a conservation area. We have lunch here and walk through this remarkable historical town. Then we follow the red and then the green trail to the beautifully shaped basalt hill. Seat (726.5 m above sea level), which is the highest mountain in the eastern part of the Bohemian Central Mountains. We spend the night under its peak at the foot of the Malý sedlo.

Monday 1.5.: Sedlo – Kalich – Trojhra – Bílé stráně – Litoměřice – Radobýl (26 km)

From Sedlo we will continue on the green route on the last day. Little Saddle and the Judgement Stone to an impressive hill Calyx (535 m above sea level), where the ruins of one of Jan Žižka's medieval castles are located. From Chalice we will take the green path through Trojhoru  (451 m above sea level) and from there over Sand Hill to the ridge of Dlouhý vrch (655 m above sea level) to Skalica and from there on the red trail through White slopes until Litoměřice. We will pass through Litoměřice and follow the yellow trail to the top Radobyl (399 m above sea level), where we will end our journey. Here we will remember the life story of Karel Hynek Mácha and enjoy a unique view of the central panorama of the Bohemian Central Mountains with the dominants of Milešovka and Kletečná. From Litoměřice we will return to Prague by bus.

"I believe that a lot of good would come from a change in attitude if tourists became pilgrims again."

Rupert Sheldrake

CONNECTIONS

Prague – Liběchov / Friday, April 28: BUS from the bus station at the Prague Holešovice train station: departure from Prague at 6:40 (bus no. 3) – arrival in Liběchov at 7:24 or at 7:25 (bus no. 3) – arrival in Liběchov at 8:09

Úštěk – Prague / Sunday, April 30: TRAIN (main station) departure from Úštěk at 11:11 (via Louny) – arrival in Prague hl.n. 13:02 departure from Úštěk at 13:11 (via Louny) – arrival in Prague hl.n. 15:02

Litoměřice – Prague / Monday, May 1: TRAIN-BUS: departure from Litoměřice at 18:30 – arrival in Stará Boleslav at 19:25; walk (2 min) to the Brandýs n. L. – St. Boleslav railway station: departure from there by bus at 19:34 – arrival in Prague-Černý Most at 20:06.

Contact and further information

• Jiří Zemánek, email: sarvanga@centrum.cz, mobile: 777 117 466
• Tomáš Hrůza, email: tomashruza@gmail.com, mobile: 775 052 607

DON'T FORGET to bring blister plasters. The best brand is "COSMOS"!