Hike to Ještěd with a stop at Červený kamen

I won’t lie, North Bohemia with its iconic Jested is a very frequent destination of our trips. And not only because we have a family cottage in Frýdlantský výběžek. We go to the Ještěd area several times a year, whether for skiing, shorter or longer trips. And I have just one such “in-between” for you today.

This is our favourite route from the Výpřež car park with two main stops – at the top of Ještěd and at the Červený kámen lookout. But first things first. Our journey will start at the paid parking lot Výpřež (you pay 50 CZK for a car for the whole day), from where we will go along the red ridge towards Ještěd. The first part is steeper with a possible rest at the crossroads Nad Výpřeží. The next 500 metres or so towards the summit are a bit more challenging. Especially in winter, when the path is frozen, which does not guarantee a pleasant hike.

But the hike is definitely worth it. After overcoming the worst of it, it is only a few dozen steps to the cable car to Ještěd, from where it is really only a short walk to the top. The summit itself probably doesn’t need to be introduced in detail, I’ll just mention the possibility of refreshments in the restaurant.

Ještěd

Liberec

Ještěd, one of the icons of Liberec, the Liberec Region and indeed of North Bohemia, probably needs no introduction. It is not only the peak itself that is well known, but especially the iconic hotel and transmitter, which was built between 1966 and 1973. Its author is the architect Karel Hubáček.

The top of Ještěd can be reached in several ways – by car, on foot along several hiking trails, by cable car operated by Czech Railways or on skis within the adjacent ski resort, which is also being expanded by a new ski slope called Nová Skalka at the end of 2020. Ještěd thus offers activities for virtually everyone, both in summer and winter. It is rightly one of the most popular places in the Czech Republic.

We can recommend the route from the Výpřež car park, where the bus also goes, along the red ridge to the top of Ještěd. The route up takes more than an hour and a bit and is really worth it, especially in winter.

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After climbing the peak with an altitude of 1012 metres, the second part of today’s trip awaits us. Here we have a choice of two routes to the next and actually last stop – the Red Stone. We can either take the same route back to the Nad Výpřeží crossroads or we can take a noticeably longer route along the blue trail through Ještědka, around the Tetřevi Rocks and then along the Ještěd Terrace nature trail.

Whichever path you take, the goal is common. The Red Stone is accessible via the red (what else :)) hiking trail, a roughly 100 meter “detour” from the main road. The terrain to the viewpoint itself is quite challenging, especially in winter, but the views of the surroundings and the previously visited Ještěd are worth it.

Červený kámen (Red Stone)

Světlá pod Ještědem

Červený kámen (Red Stone) is one of the rock viewpoints in the vicinity of Ještěd. The length of Červený kámen is about 250 metres and in several places it is really coloured red, which is caused by the presence of iron oxides. The view from the lookout offers a magnificent view of the surroundings of Liberec and the surrounding highlands, but also with a bit of luck (which we did not have at the time of our visit) of Ještěd, which is another must-see when visiting the area.

There are several paths leading to Červený kámen, we recommend the one from the parking lot Výpřež, from where it takes about 1 hour along the red trail. Červený kámen is also a part of our tip for a half-day trip on the blog.

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After a stop at Červený kamen, where it is possible to have a small snack in good weather, it is only a return to the start. It is best to take the Ještěd Terraces nature trail, with a stop at the rock and the Kamenná vrata lookout.

The whole route, if after climbing Ještěd, we return back the same way to the Nad Výpreží crossroads, from where we then cut to the Red Stone, is less than 6 km long and should be completed in about 2 hours. The elevation on the route is 258 metres. So, when will you start?