Rules for visiting the National Park
Rules for visiting the National Park
The point of all national parks is protecting last spots of wildlife from expansive behaviour of humans, or rectifying damages done to natures by humans in the past. It would be selfish to insist on free access to all parts to the nature. You can help by keeping a few basic rules. It depends very much on how you are going to get to the national park:
How do I get to the National Park?
On foot
By bike
On a horse
By vehicle
With climbing rope
With a GPS
With a dog
With a sleeping bag and a tent
With a cigarette and matches
With a drone
Important notice:
Rules for visiting the national park are based on protection conditions set by laws: Law nr. 114/1992, and Law nr. 161/1999, and by the Visiting Rules of the National Park Bohemian Switzerland.
Unabridged regulations are to be found here.
How do I know I am in the National Park?
Borders of the National Park are on access trails marked with green boards with the national emblem and writing “Národní park České Švýcarsko”, beyond the trails it is marked by a blue stripe (see photo).
First zone borders of the National Park are on access trails marked with smaller green boards with writing “1. zóna národního parku”, beyond the trails it is marked by a red stripe. Looking in direction from the 2nd to the 1st zone, this mark is doubled (see photo).
On foot
In whole territory of the national park, except the first zone, temporarily protected areas and places surrounded by a fence, the access is free even beyond marked trails. Tourists can only move within marked trails in the first zone of the national park. They are red, blue, green, and yellow marked tourist trails and nature trails marked by Klub českých turistů (Czech Tourists Club), or trails marked by administration of the national park (see photo).
By bike
Cycling in the national parks in the Czech Republic is explicitly forbidden by law. To comply with cyclists’ wishes, there are marked cycle tracks in total length of 55 km in the national park. This network is interconnected with cycle tracks in the surroundings of the national park. To see how cycle tracks in the national park are marked, click here.
On a horse
For fans of horse riding there are similar rules as for the cyclists: they can only move within marked trails, so called hipotrails, whose total length is 37 km. To see how hipotrails are mark, click here.
By vehicle
Going by vehicle is in the territory of the national park only permitted on roads and local routes (e.g. route Hřensko – Vysoká Lípa). Entering the route from information centre Saula to recreation objects Na Tokání is only permitted with valid permit to entry. Parking vehicles is permitted on car parks in towns, or on smaller parking spaces on borders on the national park.
With a climbing rope
Climbing is only possible at assigned rock towers and massifs. Complete list with stating seasons when climbing is possible, is here. Accessing several climbing objects in the first zone is explicitly permitted on marked climbing trails. To see how these trails are marked, click here.
With a GPS
If you indulge in geocaching, there are the same rules for you as for any visitor of the national park. In the territory of the second and third zone you can move on foot almost unlimitedly. However, in the first zone walk explicitly on marked trails.
With a dog
It is not permitted to walk your pets without a leash. They often have hidden hunting instincts and they can be dangerous both for wild animals, and for other visitors.
With a sleeping bag and a tent
Camping and overnighting in the national park is only permitted on places intended for it. Such a place is only the campsite Mezní Louka, which is a great base for making trips to local nature.
With a cigarette and matches
Making a fire and smoking in the national park is strictly prohibited. Fire poses one of the biggest threats for forests of Bohemian Switzerland. Almost 90% of all forest wildfires are started by irresponsible visitors.
With a drone
Using drones, other unmanned aerial vehicles, and model planes is prohibited by the law on whole territory of the national park, with exception to built-up areas and buildable lands. This measure prevents drones from disturbing animals, especially birds, but it also ensures peace for visitors of the national park. This ban is displayed on information boards placed on all marked tourist trails entering the national park.
