A section of the accessible gorge.
We’d booked two nights in Hrensko for the hike into the Kamenice gorge, incorporating two boat sections where the sheer cliff made a footpath impossible. To our dismay, the start was cordoned off with the explanation that bark beetle infestation was killing the trees in the National Park and the trail was too dangerous. Only a short section from Mezni Mustek to the start of the second boat section was open. We took a trail through woodland to the bridge at Mezni Mustek, passing scenes of felled and dying trees and got a flavour of the gorge from the ten minute walk to the boat terminal.
We didn’t wait for the boat to return from its trip, it seemed pointless if we couldn’t alight and continue. We returned to the bridge and steeply up to Mezna and paused for a half litre of refreshing Czech beer before the walk back to Hresno, initially along a track then the road. Bio restaurant StrandGut is the only food outlet serving vegetarian so we had to trudge there again along the road. We opted for the self service salad bar this time, a fine selection but expensive at 35 euro each including dessert so we weren’t too pleased when the grumpy staff member told us tips weren’t included and didn’t leave one.