Bozkov: Pilgrimage, Caves and Hiking Trails

Bozkov offers a variety of themes for a trip: pilgrimage and church history, examples of folk architecture, dolomite caves and marked trails. When choosing a destination for your trip, these themes can help you decide what mix you are looking for. Chapels and the church represent religious history; in the Vošmenda Valley, nature and traditional building styles come together, while the caves and trails draw attention to the landscape and outdoor activities.

Pilgrimage and Local History

The Sejkorská Chapel became a place of pilgrimage. When travelling from Semily, it is the first Bozkov landmark you come to. Bozkov itself is also one of the oldest places of pilgrimage in Bohemia and Moravia. The Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary has its own historical significance: its foundation stone was laid and consecrated on 23 September 1690, and the church was built in 1693. The 49-metre-high tower is open to the public. This makes it possible to consider the town’s pilgrimage tradition and the church’s architectural history as two connected but distinct aspects.

Other places of remembrance point to specific lives and traditions. A plaque on house number 100 commemorates the birthplace of Josef Alois Kouble, a priest, writer and Czech National Revivalist. The U Matičky Chapel was built in 1900 at a site where a spring had flowed since time immemorial; the spring was believed to have healing powers. A statue of the Virgin Mary was moved there from the disused cemetery chapel. At Dřevěnka, the focus is on its protected status: the building was added to the list of cultural monuments in 2011.

Vošmenda, Caves and Landscape

In the valley of the Vošmenda stream, natural beauty and examples of folk architecture come together. These include a former mill and residential houses that have retained their original character. The examples give the valley more than one point of interest: the mill reflects its former use, while the houses show the preserved form of traditional building styles. So those interested in the landscape will also find a connection to the town’s architectural history here.

The Bozkov Dolomite Caves add an underground landscape to these themes. They were declared a national natural monument in 1999. The Jezerní Dome contains the largest underground lake in the Czech Republic. The caves are open to the public as part of guided tours. A guided tour is therefore the appropriate way to visit if you are considering including the caves in your trip.

Hiking and Cycling

For hikers, the Palackého Trail is a specific point of reference: it is 20.5 kilometres long and runs from Tanvald to Podspálov. From the trail, visitors can take a blue-marked turnoff to the Bozkov Dolomite Caves, then continue to Bozkov and return to the trail via a green-marked route. This route sequence leads from the trail to the caves, on to the town and back to the main trail. In addition, marked hiking trails run from Bozkov to Semily, Vysoké nad Jizerou, Bohuňovsko and Jesenný.

There is also a named point of reference for finding your way by bicycle: Cycle Route 1074 passes through Bozkov on its way from Semily to Vysoké nad Jizerou. The hiking trails and cycle route can be distinguished by the information given for each. The Palackého Trail is described by its length and endpoints; for Cycle Route 1074, the route number, its course through Bozkov and its two endpoints are the key details. If you want to plan your trip around a specific route, you can compare these features without treating the different routes as the same.

Discover more destinations: Syřenov, Roztoky U Jilemnice, Benecko, Vítkovice V Krkonoších, Žernov U Semil, Klokočí U Turnova, Turnov, Loučky

For the broader travel overview: Okres Semily.