Stráž pod Ralskem – Culture, Water and Cycling

Stráž pod Ralskem combines historic townscapes with unusual insights into industrial history and active experiences on the water and by bike. If you would like to combine different interests with your family, you can choose between culture, exercise and discovery.

Historical Traces in the Town

Vartenberk Castle lies on the northern edge of Stráž pod Ralskem. The Markvartici built it in the 13th century. The Chapel of Saint John of Nepomuk was built in 1722. The Holy Sepulchre was erected on Zámecký vrch. The time separating the construction of the castle and the chapel offers a view of several periods in the town’s history.

The Church of St. Sigismund adds a longer time span: its first written record dates from 1363, before it was rebuilt in the Baroque style between 1772 and 1779. On the elongated market square, the plague column erected in 1682 is a defining feature. A statue of the Virgin Mary and the four saints John of Nepomuk, Florian, Sebastian and Procopius were added in 1726. The church therefore brings together a medieval record and a Baroque alteration.

The town museum broadens the view to include more recent history. Its building was constructed in 1912 as a German school. The Mining Exhibition presents the history of uranium ore mining in the Česká Lípa area, particularly around Stráž pod Ralskem. The outdoor area displays mining and railway technology. The exhibition thus places a different emphasis from the churches and the plague column: it focuses on the industrial past and its technology. For your cultural planning, the town’s tourist information centre sells tickets and admission tickets for Vartenberk Castle.

Water, Wheels and Cycling

The Vehicle Hall in Stráž pod Ralskem is a covered park for BMX, skateboarding, inline skating and scooters. The Vehicle Hall brings these four forms of movement together under one roof. There is an 830 m water ski lift on the Horka Reservoir. The 830 m length of the water ski lift gives the activity at Horka Reservoir a specific scale for planning your day. Stráž pod Ralskem also has Přetejk boat rental. Přetejk adds boat rental to the range of activities in Stráž pod Ralskem.

Cycling Route 15 along the Ploučnice begins at the reservoir in Stráž pod Ralskem and runs from the source of the Ploučnice at the foot of Ještěd to the river’s confluence with the Elbe near Děčín. BIKE SPORT offers bicycle and scooter rental as well as bicycle servicing in Stráž pod Ralskem. The starting point, route and services provide guidance if you are planning cycling as a separate part of your trip. The start at the reservoir provides a clear local starting point for a cycling tour; the route to Děčín also indicates the route’s greater geographical reach.

Further Places for Planning Your Trip

For more travel ideas, you can also include Okna, Kamenický Šenov, Zahrádky, Holany, Blíževedly, Volfartice, Prachen and Provodín in your search.

For the higher-level travel overview: Česká Lípa District.