Just across the Polish border, a few kilometres into the Czech Republic, there is a place that looks like it was designed by someone who had read too many fantasy novels. Sandstone towers rise 80 metres from the forest floor. Narrow gorges cut between walls of rock, sometimes narrowing to 50 centimetres — wide enough to squeeze through sideways, no more. A turquoise lake appears without warning at the entrance. A 16-metre waterfall crashes into a rocky basin. The whole landscape has a quality of having been assembled rather than eroded, as if nature got carried away with a single material and kept going until it ran out of ideas.
Adršpach Rock Town is one of the most extraordinary natural destinations in Central Europe, and one of the most accessible from the Polish side of the border. From Wroclaw it is roughly 100 kilometres — a day trip that rewards the effort considerably.
What You Are Looking At
The rocks of Adršpach began forming approximately 90 million years ago, when this entire region lay at the bottom of a shallow sea. Sand accumulated on the seabed, compressed over millions of years into sandstone, and was then exposed when the sea retreated. Wind, water, and frost did the rest — cutting into the rock along natural fractures, carving gorges, shaping towers, rounding edges. The process is still ongoing; the rock formations are technically alive in the geological sense, still being shaped by the elements.
What visitors walk through today is classified as part of the Broumov Protected Landscape Area and is shared with the nearby Teplice Rocks, which together form the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks nature reserve. The two rock towns are different in character — Adršpach is denser, more dramatic, with higher towers and tighter passages; Teplice is broader and lighter in feel. Between them runs the Vlčí rokle, Wolf Gorge, which makes it possible to walk from one to the other in a single day.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited in 1790 and was reportedly moved enough to write about the place. Parts of The Chronicles of Narnia were filmed here — which, once you’re inside the rock labyrinth, makes complete sense.
The Trails
The Green Trail — Main Rock Town Circuit (3.5 km, 2–3 hours)
This is the route almost everyone walks and the one that justifies the journey. The green trail begins at the entrance gate, leads through the main rock formations, passes the most famous named rocks, and loops back to the start. It involves wooden walkways, footbridges across gorges, steep staircases (around 850 steps in total across the route, concentrated in the Nová Partie section), and several passages through narrow gaps in the rock.
The highlights along the green trail include:
The Lovers (Milenci) — the tallest rock formation at Adršpach, standing 81.4 metres. Two towers leaning slightly toward each other, the name apparent the moment you see them.
The Mayor and Mayoress (Starosta a Starostová) — a pair of formations side by side, the Mayor broad and imposing, the Mayoress beside him slightly slimmer and more elegant.
Sugar Loaf (Cukrová homole) — a cone-shaped tower with an unusual inverted profile, standing on a narrower base than its top. By some estimates around 40,000 kilograms of rock balancing in a configuration that feels like it should have fallen over centuries ago.
Mouse Hole (Mysia Díra) — the narrowest passage on the main route, 50 centimetres across. You turn sideways and squeeze through. Children find this delightful; larger adults find it more engaging.
The Great Waterfall (Velký Vodopád) — 16 metres high, crashing into a rocky pool. In winter, when temperatures drop enough, it freezes into an extraordinary column of ice.
The Rock Lake — deeper in the route, a former sand quarry now filled with clear water. In summer, flat-bottomed boats carry visitors across the lake surface with the rock towers rising from the shoreline all around. The boat ride is optional and adds a completely different perspective on the formations — looking up from water level rather than passing between the rocks on foot.
The green trail is well-maintained and navigable for most visitors with reasonable fitness. The staircases are steep in places and the passages can be muddy after rain. Walking poles are useful on the descent; good grip on your footwear is essential.
The Blue Trail — Lake Circuit (1.5 km, 30–40 minutes)
The blue trail is a flat loop around Piskovna Lake near the entrance — the first body of water you see when entering the rock town. The path is wide and even, with no significant elevation changes, and offers views of the rock formations from the lakeside. It is accessible for families with children, older visitors, and anyone who wants the atmosphere without the physical demands of the main green route.
The blue trail works well as a warm-up before the green route, or as the main walk for visitors who prefer a shorter outing.
Adršpach to Teplice via Wolf Gorge — Full Day Route (approximately 10 km total)
For visitors who want a full day in the rocks, the Wolf Gorge (Vlčí rokle) trail connects Adršpach to the Teplice Rocks about 3.5 kilometres away. This option is open to tourists during the summer season; in winter and early spring it remains accessible but is not maintained and can be genuinely hazardous.
Walking the connection requires planning the return: the town of Teplice nad Metují, at the Teplice Rocks exit, has a train station from which you can return to Adršpach or continue onward. The full day combining both rock towns gives a thorough experience of the wider landscape — the two areas complement each other rather than repeat.
Getting There from Poland
From Wroclaw (approximately 100 km, 1.5–2 hours by car)
Wroclaw is the most natural Polish starting point for Adršpach. The drive crosses the border near Kudowa-Zdrój and continues through the Broumov region. Google Maps and standard navigation handle the route without complications. Parking at the entrance is paid and fills quickly on summer weekends; arriving before 9 AM is strongly recommended.
By train
The Adršpach train station sits directly at the entrance to the Rock Town — you step off the train and walk through the gate. This is the most stress-free option if you prefer not to drive. From the Polish side, the most practical approach is a train to Wroclaw followed by a connection via Kłodzko and Kudowa-Zdrój or through Náchod on the Czech side. Journey time varies; check current timetables on the Czech rail planner (idos.cz) or the Polish PKP.
By organised day trip
Several tour operators run day trips to Adršpach from Wroclaw. Poland Travel Tours, one of the established tour operators, includes Adršpach in their day trip programme — offering guided transport from Wroclaw with the full day at the Rock Town built in. For visitors who prefer to have logistics handled, particularly for a first visit, this is a practical option.
Tickets and Opening Hours
Entry to Adršpach requires a timed entry pass. The number of visitors per time slot is limited, and during summer weekends and Czech public holidays slots fill in advance. Book online before you travel — arriving without a reservation risks being turned away, particularly between June and September.
The official booking system is at adrspasskeskaly.cz. Tickets are sold for specific entry windows.
Opening hours (approximate — always verify on the official website before visiting):
- Daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with the last entry at 4:30 PM
Dogs are permitted on a lead throughout the Rock Town. A separate ticket is required for dogs.
Admission prices are in Czech Crowns (CZK). At time of writing, adult tickets are in the range of 180–220 CZK depending on season; children, seniors, and disabled visitors at reduced rates. Prices are subject to change — check the official site.
Parking at the main entrance is also subject to reservation during peak season and is charged separately.
How to Prepare
Footwear: The single most important thing. The trails involve wet wood, damp stone, steep staircases, and narrow muddy passages. Hiking boots or trail shoes with solid grip are essential. Trainers on wet wooden walkways are a genuine slip hazard.
Layers: The temperature inside the narrow gorges is noticeably lower than in the open — the rocks shade the passages even in summer and the air is cool and damp. A light jacket is sensible regardless of the weather outside the park.
Water and food: There is a small restaurant and café at the entrance, but nothing inside the Rock Town itself. Bring water for the trail, and a snack if you are planning the longer route to Teplice.
Camera: The light inside the gorges is unusual — diffuse, directional, changing rapidly as you move between open sky and enclosed passages. Early morning light is particularly good on the lake.
Time: Allow a minimum of half a day. The green trail alone takes 2–3 hours at a comfortable pace with stops. If you are combining with Teplice via Wolf Gorge, allow 6–7 hours. Add travel time from Wroclaw and this is a full day.
Strollers: Not compatible with the green trail beyond the lake section. The passages are too narrow and the staircases too steep. A carrier or baby backpack works; a pushchair does not.
Rules of the Reserve
Adršpach is a protected natural reserve and the rules are enforced:
- Stay on marked trails at all times — leaving the paths is prohibited
- Swimming in the lakes is not permitted
- Smoking is prohibited within the Rock Town
- Drones are strictly forbidden — the entire area is a no-fly zone
- Dogs must remain on leads throughout
When to Go
Spring (April–May): The forest is at its freshest, waterfalls are full from snowmelt, crowds are lighter than summer. Cold mornings warm through the day. Good choice for photography.
Summer (June–August): The Rock Town is at its busiest. Weekends see full car parks and long entry queues without reservations. Weekday mornings are significantly quieter. The boat rides on the lake are in operation.
Autumn (September–October): Arguably the best season. Beech forests turn gold and red, the rock towers glow in low-angle light, the crowds thin noticeably after school terms resume. The atmosphere in the gorges — misty, atmospheric, occasionally very quiet — becomes something close to magical.
Winter (November–March): The Rock Town is open year-round. The Great Waterfall freezes. Snow settles in the gorges and on the rock surfaces. Visitor numbers drop substantially. The experience is completely different — quiet, cold, austere — and entirely worth considering for those who want Adršpach without the summer crowds. Microspikes or crampons are advisable on icy trails.
The most reliable advice: go early, whatever the season. The Rock Town opens at 8 AM and most visitors arrive after 10. The two hours before the tour buses arrive are consistently the best time to be inside the labyrinth.
