Čertova stěna – Discover the Wild Landscape of the Vltava
Čertova stěna (Devil’s Wall) rises above the once-famous Devil’s Rapids of the Vltava River between Loučovice and Vyšší Brod. The protected area of Čertova stěna has been combined with Luč to form the Čertova stěna – Luč National Nature Reserve.
It is a rugged cliff composed of chaotically piled granite boulders – a “stone sea” towering above the deep Vltava valley. Stands of pine and birch, often with twisted shapes, grow among the rocks. A 30-metre block called the Devil’s Pulpit offers a magnificent view of the romantic Vltava channel. The formation inspired Bedřich Smetana, who set Eliška Krásnohorská’s libretto to music in his opera The Devil’s Wall.
Below the cliff the Vltava flows through a boulder-strewn bed known as the Devil’s Rapids, filled with huge stones carved by erosion into “giant’s kettles”.
Access: car park on the Vyšší Brod – Loučovice road; a marked hiking and cycling trail with information panels runs on the opposite bank. About 1 km west, the summit of Luč rises with more massive rock formations, and a nearby outcrop gives sweeping views of the valley, the Devil’s Wall and part of Lake Lipno.
