Mladoboleslavsko

TURNOV – THE HEART OF THE BOHEMIAN PARADISE

The town of Turnov lies on the middle reaches of the Jizera River in the picturesque Bohemian Paradise region. It was founded in the mid-13th century by Jaroslav and Havel of Markvartice. Turnov became famous for working precious stones and jewel crafting, especially jewellery set with Czech garnets. You can find out more about this tradition in the Museum of The Bohemian Paradise or in the Granát Customer Centre. Some of the most important heritage sites around Turnov include the chateau of Hrubý Rohozec, Turnov Synagogue, Valdštejn Castle and Dlaskův statek farmstead in Dolánky u Turnova. Its location makes Turnov the ideal starting point for trips to the Bohemian Paradise.

Bohemian Paradise

The Bohemian Paradise was declared a Protected Landscape Area in 1955, the first in the country. The main reason for making this a protected area was the extraordinary diversity of the local landscape, with its characteristic rock towns and flora and fauna communities. In 2005 the Bohemian Paradise was included in the European Geoparks Network, forming the Bohemian Paradise Geopark. Ten years later it became part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks network.

It is the beauty of its natural scenery and the romance of its historical heritage sites that make the Bohemian Paradise so special. Unique sandstone rock towns, valleys, Tertiary volcanoes with views far and wide, forests, meadows and ponds, not to mention romantic castles, chateaus, and picturesque folk architecture – the Bohemian Paradise is all this and more!

Dolánky

The village of Dolánky, on the Greenway Jizera biking trail, is a popular place for walkers, cyclists, canoeists and rafters. Its principal attraction is the Dlaskův statek farmstead, which is a fine example of the traditional 18th-century folk architecture of the Pojizeří region. The farmstead consists of an enclosure with three gates, a residential section with farm sheds next to it, and a timbered barn. The original owners were the Dlasks, a family of farmers, one of whom, the Bible scholar Josef Dlask, penned some lengthy memoirs.

From the Dlaskův statek farmstead you can see the Bohemian Paradise House of Nature – the visitor centre for the Protected Landscape Area with its interactive exhibitions on the nature in the area.

The Chateau Nature Trail to Hrubý Rohozec runs through Dolánky, and you can also set off from there along the Josef Pekař Nature Trail, which is devoted to the life story of this prominent historian.

Vrchhůra

You are standing on one of the highest points in the cadastre of Turnov (317 m a.s.l.). The group of Baroque sculptures depicting the Calvary, which dates to around 1799, portrays the Virgin Mary holding the dead Christ in her arms against a cross, together with St. Peter and St. John the Evangelist.

The nearby observatory was opened in 1974 and now offers the general public the chance to observe the heavens, and also organises various educational programmes.

Stebenka Valley

The stream running through the valley here is the Stebenka, a tributary of the Jizera River. Its main source rises near the village of Koberovy and it joins the Jizera in Turnov. The Struhy ski resort is situated on the northern slope of the valley. Joining the Turnov Biking Circuit here are cycling routes that take you to places such as the Klokočské skály rocks, the Dubecko lookout tower and Kozákov, the highest mountain in the Bohemian Paradise.

Nudvojovice

The village of Nudvojovice became part of the town of Turnov in 1923. Although it might seem to be a fairly unimportant area now, there’s no doubt that it is one of the original villages that once led to the establishment of the town of Turnov. This is proven by the Church of St. John the Baptist, nowadays the oldest building to have been preserved in the town. The church is surrounded by a cemetery with several remarkably large commemorative trees, which given the place a particular genius loci. Besides the church, there is also another cultural monument in Nudvojovice, the two-storey Classicist granary, which is part of the courtyard right next to the church. A number of important archaeological finds have been discovered in Nudvojovice, evidence that the area was settled by man as far back as in prehistoric times.

Other places of interest on the Turnov Biking Circuit include the Late Gothic Church of St. James the Elder in Přepeře and the unique tower reservoir in Ohrazenice. In Nudvojovice the Turnov Biking Circuit intersects with long-distance cycling trail 14 (Hrádek nad Nisou – Hradec Králové), which passes the nearby Neo-Gothic Sychrov Chateau.