Podkost: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Podkost lies below Kost Castle. The “Okolo Sobotky z Libošovic” route is 10.6 kilometres long and described as moderately difficult. It continues through Podkost to Kost Castle and into the Plakánek Valley. It runs mainly along forest and field paths, with a smaller section on third-class roads.

Hiking between Podkost, Kost Castle and Plakánek

The circular route from Kost Castle starts and ends in Podkost. It follows red- and green-marked hiking trails and is 20 kilometres long and moderately difficult; there are several steep ascents and descents along the way.

Nature in the Plakánek Valley

The Plakánek Valley lies near Kost Castle, between sandstone rocks and coniferous forests, by the Obora pond. In the valley, an educational trail runs between the sandstone rocks and along the Klenice; information panels explain the local history, geology and natural processes.

The Údolí Plakánek protected area protects caves that are inaccessible to the public and the rare fern Vláskatec tajemný (Trichomanes speciosum). The Údolí Plakánek Natura 2000 site covers areas in the cadastral territory of Podkost and overlaps with the nature reserve of the same name. In 2020, a section of the hiking trail in the Plakánek Valley was stabilised at a heavily waterlogged spot with a boardwalk.

History and Kost Castle

According to surviving accounts, the village of Podkost below Kost Castle was founded in 1636. Historic craft buildings in Podkost served to supply Kost Castle and its brewery. A former cooperage has been preserved in House No. 8.

Kost Castle, at the address Podkost 1, stands on a massive sandstone spur in a wooded valley and is considered the best-preserved Gothic castle in Bohemia. The White Tower of Kost Castle has an irregular trapezoidal ground plan, allowing all four edges to be seen simultaneously from a particular vantage point.

Guided Tours at Kost Castle

Kost Castle offers visitors guided tours along four different circuits: one about the Kinský family, one about the mystery of the medieval torture chamber, a combined tour of the Kinský family and the torture chamber, and a shortened route for visitors with little time.

Other Places

Other places: Hubálov, Vřesník, Mladějov, Rašín, Kozojedy, Miletin, Údrnice, Ostružno

To the higher-level travel overview: Jičín District.