Access roads to the Vratenska hora for walkers:
1. From Skramous
Skramous train station is on the CD trail 076 Melnik - Mseno - Mlada Boleslav. From the train station follow the blue trail.
On your way you will pass:
-wayside cross
-historical linden
-windmill
-chateau offering accommodation services
-old brewery
Interesting views from the lookout:
-Housecke hills
-Vratenska mountain
-Maly and Velky Bezdez (Small and Big Bezdez)
Trail length - 8 km
2. From Duba
From the bus station in the Duba town, follow the blue trail.
On the way:
-bathing pool
-caravan site by a pond
-Panska Ves observatory
-rock lookout
-Sindeluv Dul
-Houska chateau
- Fucikovsky saddle-back
Trail length - 15 km
3. From Raj
From the Raj restaurant (local bus station), follow the red trail known as Machova cesta to the Lipovy vrch crossroads, then follow the blue trail.
On the way:
-Machova cesta
-Psovky Laka stream pool
-Krasna rokle
-stables with Hucul ponies
-camp with Native America tents
-Drnclik hill
-Lipovy vrch crossroads
-Na Fucikovskem houses
Trail length - 6.5 km
Access roads for tourists on bikes and in cars:
1. From Melnik
Follow Road 273 to Mseno, farther to Lobec. On the first crossroad behind Mseno turn left to Libovice. At the end of the village turn left and stop at the parking lot under the lookout.
2. From Duba
Follow the road going to Mseno, behind the Raj crossroads turn left in the direction of Pribohy. At the end of a steep hill turn left to get to Libovice. At the end of the village turn left and stop at the parking lot under the lookout.
3. From Mlada Boleslav
Follow Road 259 through Katusice to Skalsko. From Skalsko pass through Doubravice to Nosalov, then to Libovice, and at the end of the village take first road on the right and stop at the parking lot under the lookout.
Open throughout the year.
May - September: daily from 9:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m.
On weekends only in the winter.
|
 |
Vratenska hora (Vratenska Mountain) (508 m above sea level)is located six kilometers to the north-east of Mseno, and seventeen kilometers to the north-east from Melnik. In terms of geomorphology it is part of the Polomeny mountain range, which is the most extensive geological area of the Dokeska hills. The Housecka upland is the northern part of the Polomeny mountain range (with the Vlhost mountain (614 m above sea level) being the highest mountain), where you can find the Vratenska hora. It is the highest point of the Melnik region. It developed in the Tertiary, as a result of volcanic activities, but as a non-volcanic body made up by trachyte that was gradually created from the coat of the Mesozoic sandstone. It is located in the Kokorinsko Protected Natural Zone, in its eastern section. The Vratenska hora is part of the mountain zone, and as such it harbors some mountain plants. Botanists have found seven dozens of outstanding plants at the Vratenska hora area. There are also two villages - Nosalov and Libovice. In Nosalov (380 m above sea level) you can admire a set of unique timbered farmer buildings with galleries and gates in French Imperial style from the beginning of the 19th century. Both villages are unique also for their small-leaf lindens - in Libovice there is a linden over 300 years old, and both historical trees in Nosalov are only a hundred years their juniors. The view from the lookout is fascinating. Also in the surrounding areas you can find many interesting places: Municipality Lobec of and its chateau, tomb of Eduard Storch, author of Mammoth Hunters, and the native village of Karel Sabina, librettist of the Bartered Bride. You can also visit the Houska chateau and Chodske rocks by Bezdedice, where the borders between the forests of Northern Bohemia and Luzice were protected by the Chod tribe - like in the Sumava region. Beautiful architecture can be found also in the surrounding villages as Zdar, Viska (folk baroque), or Vratno (gates to farmer houses in Baroque and Classicist style).
The idea to build a lookout on the Vratenska hora was born in 1922 when the Association of the Kokorinsko Region Municipalities ("SOK") was established, and the lookout was one of its first projects. Therefore the SOK Foundation was founded. Another inspiration might have been a former wooden lookout that was swept down in a storm in 1916.
It was not a classical lookout, but a tower for fire hose drying built here by the Mseno firefighters. The project was launched only after the Vratno village donated the plot of land, and the Eurotel and RadioMobil comMr.ies agreed with the SOK's proposal that the telecommunication tower can be used as a lookout. The budget was CZK 10.8 million, and the special triangular structure was produced by the Austrian comMr.y Blazek Eckel, and installed right after the initial ceremony on July 6, 1999. The structure is 42 m high, with 127 stairs going up to the lookout platform. The structure was approved for use on September 24, 1999.
MEMORIAL BOARD
The Vratenska hora lookout (508 m above sea level) was built in 1999 on the basis of decision of the Association of the Kokorinsko Region Municipalities, and the idea of JUDr. Milos Balcar, LMUNICIPALITY OF mayor, who donated the cornerstone from the LMunicipality of house. The lookout was open on October 28, 1999 and replaced former wooden lookout destroyed in storm in 1916.
The following persons and organizations contributed to the collection:
- Mr. Diblik, MNP editor, Kruh
- City of Mseno
- City of Prague, DUBEC Municipality
- Association of the Kokorinsko Region Municipalities
- Municipality of VRATNO donated the plot of land
- Municipality of LOBEC
- Municipality of NOSALOV
- Municipality of Chorusice
- Municipality of Kadlin
- Municipality of Kanina
- Municipality of Lhotka
- Municipality of Nebuzely
- Municipality of Repin
- Municipality of Stranka
- Ms. Helclova Drahomira
- Mr. Svoboda, Podebrady
- Mr. Cinka, Praha
- Mr. JUDr Milos Balcar
- Mr. Marecek, Skramous
- Ms. Luņakova, Praha 8
- Ms. Zemanova, Praha 10
- Mr. Luņak Jiri, Lobec cp. 49
- Mr. Bruna Vaclav
- Mr. Bartos Jiri, Neratovice
- the family of J. a Z. Saskovi, Dolni Brezany
- Ms. Birnbaumova, Lobec cp. 11
- Municipal Council, Melnik
- CEZ, a.s. Melnik
- Ing. Jaromir simonek
- Kralupol Kralupy
- Czech Tourists Club
Thanks go to all the donators. We apologize to all the donators not mentioned in this list, as their names were not given on bank statements. Our thanks go also to the Senator Jaroslav Horak, and President of the Melnik Regional Authority, Mgr. Miroslav Neumann, for their understanding and assistance in collecting the funds. Na Vratenske hore, October 28, 1999
|
