Devil heads i Tjeckien - och två andra kusliga vandringar

Writer: Helena Bergström

Devil heads in the Czech Republic are a very special sight, found in the Bohemian forests. Nearby, we can recommend two more hikes to "spooky" places. We also have tips on camping and towns nearby!

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Devil heads in the Czech Republic

The Devil Heads in the Czech Republic are an attraction in the form of two huge carved heads. Nearby are other sculptures and reliefs carved in sandstone. Visiting these sites also offers a great nature experience!

Devil heads in the Czech Republic are located in the town of Želízy, about 50 minutes north of the capital Prague.

Hike to Devil heads

We set the GPS to "Devil heads" (Čertovy hlavy in Czech) and parked in the small village of Želízy nearby. From here, we used Google Maps to walk to the site, and when we entered the forest, it also turned out that we could follow blue markings. The hike is not long at all, but you have to expect an uphill walk.

Once there, we got to see the very special heads. The nine metre high figures were created by sculptor Václav Levý in 1841-1846. They are apparently the second largest carved heads in the world, after the 18 metre high granite busts at Mount Rushmore in the US, and have been called "the scariest place in the Czech Republic". Now maybe we didn't think it was so scary to visit this place in glorious summer weather, but definitely special!

We then continued on foot to the next attraction, Klácelka, which is within walking distance of the Devil Heads. The distance between them is only 600 metres, but be prepared for both steep downhill and uphill.

Hike to Klácelka

The hike to the Klácelka cave system offers beautiful scenery full of intriguing shapes.

Fotsatt vandring från Devil heads i Tjeckien

When you arrive at the Klácelka cave system, you will see something very special. This is an artificial cave, also created by sculptor Václav Levý in the 1840s. It was named in honour of the theologian, philosopher and writer František Klácel.

The sculptures and reliefs depict Czech heroes and fairy tale characters. These include soldiers from a mythological army, leaders of the Hussites and figures from a fable written by Klácel.

Walking around here is an exciting adventure, even though the inside of the cave was closed to visitors. To find your way here, set your GPS to 'Klácelka', and you can also use the blue markers.

Harpist cave with rock reliefs

Another exciting, and slightly eerie, hike nearby is the one that takes you to the Harpist Cave with rock reliefs (Skalní reliéfy a jeskyně Harfenice in Czech). To get here, we moved the motorhome a short distance closer, and then walked through the forest, which took about half an hour on level ground.

Also created by sculptor Václav Levy, this site is just as fascinating as the other two. It is named after one of the figures, a girl with a harp. Other features include a series of large heads and a cave with sphinx heads on the portal.

The rock formations, which seem to be 'thrown' here and there in nature, are fascinating in themselves. Walking around and looking for figures makes it even more exciting.

It was more fun and enjoyable than scary really, but some figures are certainly a bit scary in their execution!

Video from "Devil heads"

Visit to the town of Mělník

After our hikes at Devil Heads, and the sites around it, we made a visit to the nearby town of Mělník. We strolled around for a while in the town, which felt nice with nice houses and a relaxed atmosphere.

We also checked out the view of the Elbe River, and realised that wine is grown on the hillsides here.

There are catacombs under Mělník, including a deep well from the 13th century. We joined a guided tour, which started from the city's tourist office. The tour, which is only half an hour long, was indeed in Czech, but we each got an audio guide in English and could also ask questions to the guide. A very interesting tour!

In the evening we had dinner at the restaurant Dobrý Kanec - Hostinec. Here we had a relatively simple, but very good dinner. For Peter it was grilled chicken and for Helena halloumi with the restaurant's own chutney.

Where can you camp with a motorhome or caravan?

There are several different campsites to choose from in the area. We stayed at camping Kokořín, which we liked, especially because of the peace and quiet and the beautiful nature.

More things to see and do near Devil Heads

So, what else is there to do in the area around Devil Heads? Well, nearby you can visit the beautiful Kokořín Castle and the exciting Houska Castle. You are also relatively close to the cities of Litoměřice, Prague and Liberec.

READ MORE: Houska Castle in the Czech Republic - over the gateway to hell
READ MORE: Litomerice in the Czech Republic - castles and camping with Swedes
READ MORE: What to do in Prague - 30 tips for sights and experiences
READ MORE: Liberec, Czech Republic - 7 things to see and do

Had you heard about Devil Heads in the Czech Republic?

Had you heard about Devil Heads in the Czech Republic before? Do you like this kind of sights and hikes?

Facts about Devil Heads in the Czech Republic

Location: Želízy
Region: Bohemia (Bohemia)
Country: Czech Republic
Find here: Set 'Devil Heads' on your GPS (on Google Maps: 'Devil's Head'). Park nearby and walk the last bit. You can follow the GPS or blue markers on the ground.

9 Comments

Add yours →

Nils-Åke Hansson says:

What a lot there is around to look at. I can almost believe that it was there that Lars Vilks got the idea to create in the wilderness.
Glad to see you are still doing well

03 July 2022 - 8:17

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  These were at least earlier, considering that they were created in the 1899s 😜 Great to see art in unexpected places!
  
  04 July 2022 - 16:15
  
Annar Aas says:

You take us to one special place after another. Thank you for that. Don't miss a single story🥰.

03 July 2022 - 9:19

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  How nice that you follow our journey and read our stories! 😀 Wishing you a great week!
  
  04 July 2022 - 16:15
  
JoY says:

They were special places, maybe not so scary in a scary way but they don't look so friendly. Haven't heard of these places.
Have a nice evening

03 July 2022 - 17:53

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  No not super scary, but definitely a bit special! 😜
  
  04 July 2022 - 16:16
  
BP says:

Put it this way - I wouldn't want to sleep near the sculptures and suddenly wake up in the middle of the night staring at "Devil Heads" or any other of the creations;-)

03 July 2022 - 19:48

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Haha, no, not me either! 😜
  
  04 July 2022 - 16:17
  
Lena - gott för själen says:

Cool place! Fascinating work to get those faces. Absolutely incredible!

Hug Lena

06 October 2022 - 12:33

Devil heads in the Czech Republic - and two other spooky hikes

Writer: Helena Bergström

Devil heads in the Czech Republic

Hike to Devil heads

Hike to Klácelka

Harpist cave with rock reliefs

Video from "Devil heads"

Visit to the town of Mělník

Where can you camp with a motorhome or caravan?

More things to see and do near Devil Heads

Had you heard about Devil Heads in the Czech Republic?

Facts about Devil Heads in the Czech Republic

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9 Comments

Nils-Åke Hansson says:

Helena says:

Annar Aas says:

Helena says:

JoY says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Lena - gott för själen says:

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