Surroundings of Vila Marcelka
„In the silence of the forest, under the open sky, one discovers how little is truly needed for happiness.“
Broumov Monastery
📍 2 km · 5 min by carA baroque gem of the Broumov region with rich history — an impressive monastery library, the Church of St Adalbert, a copy of the Turin Shroud and extensive gardens invite you to stroll among frescoes and historical collections. The monastery was founded by Benedictine monks back in the 14th century on the site of an older fortress, which King Přemysl Otakar I granted to the order together with the whole Broumov estate. Its present grand baroque appearance was given to it at the start of the 18th century by architects Kryštof and Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer. The precious monastery library holds over 17,000 volumes, and the refectory houses a unique copy of the Turin Shroud, discovered only in 1999. The abbot's wing today houses the Museum of the Broumov Region.
Our tip: It is best to book guided tours in advance, especially at weekends in high season.
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Hiking in the Broumov area
trails right from the doorThe Broumov region is one of the most beautiful hiking destinations in the Czech Republic — a dense trail network and rich mushroom-picking grounds right outside Vila Marcelka's door.
Short walks take you to nearby viewpoints, while longer routes link neighbouring rock towns and lookout towers. In autumn, the forests around Broumov are also great for mushroom picking.
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Ostaš rock town
15 km · 20 min by carThe table mountain above Police nad Metují hides a rock labyrinth of sandstone towers and wide views.
The summit plateau has been protected as a national nature reserve since 1956 and once served as a refuge for the people of Police during wartime. Ostaš is also a popular climbing area with more than 500 routes.
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Cycling in the Broumov area
routes across the Broumov regionA dense network of marked cycling routes of all levels — from a leisurely ride through the basin to more demanding terrain towards the Broumov Walls.
The highest point of the Broumov Walls, Božanovský Špičák (773 m), offers a panoramic view of the whole region. Cycling buses make it easy to complete full-day loops.
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Cemetery Church of Our Lady
in BroumovThe oldest surviving wooden sacred building in the Czech Republic stands in the middle of the Broumov cemetery. The timber-framed structure of massive oak beams, built without a single nail, dates from 1449, when the church was rebuilt after being burned down by the Hussites.
According to legend, the church on this site was founded by a pagan noblewoman who converted to Christianity. Since 2008 it has been protected as a national cultural monument, and since 2009 its interior with painted ceilings has been open to the public.
Čáp Lookout Tower
25 km · 30 min by carOn the highest point of the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks (786 m above sea level) stands a 13-metre lookout tower with a timber frame and two viewing levels, built in 2014. From the covered viewing platform you can see Adršpach, Teplice nad Metují, Ostaš, the Broumov Walls and even the distant Krkonoše Mountains.
The tower replaced an older triangulation tower from the First Republic era and is freely accessible after an easy climb along a green-marked trail from Bischofstein chateau.
Rock Climbing
sandstone rock citiesThe sandstone rock cities of the Broumov region and nearby Adršpach are among the most sought-after climbing areas in the Czech Republic. Rock towers, pinnacles and mushroom-shaped rocks offer hundreds of routes for beginners and experienced climbers alike — though local climbing rules must be observed to protect the fragile sandstone and nesting birds in the surrounding rocks.
The climbing tradition in Adršpach goes back to 1923, when the first ascents were made here; names of rock towers used to this day, such as Král (King), Cimbuří (Battlement) or Milenci (Lovers), date from that era. Climbing is permitted only when the rock is dry, without magnesium chalk, and with respect for the nesting season.
Quiet accommodation in Broumov within reach of the rocks
Don't want to jostle with crowds of tourists and are you looking for quiet accommodation in the Broumov region? Vila Marcelka in Broumov offers three cosy rooms and a great location for exploring the whole region. From our place you can easily set off not only to the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, but also to the Broumov Walls, to Ostaš, to Broumov Monastery or to the Polish Table Mountains.
Each room has a fridge and free Wi‑Fi. Guests can use the garden, free parking right by the house and a lockable garage for bicycles.
Discover the beauty of the Broumov region and after your trip treat yourself to a comfortable rest in a quiet setting away from crowded tourist centres.
Adršpach-Teplice Rocks
📍 18 km · 20 min by carA vast rock labyrinth of imposing sandstone towers, deep gorges and quiet pools, it is one of the most beautiful natural sceneries in the Czech Republic. Marked circuits lead past viewpoints, hidden corners and a boat trip on the Rock Lake, so hikers and families with children alike will enjoy the trip. The area of more than 1,800 hectares has been protected as a national nature reserve since 1933, and the rock towers reach heights of up to 90 metres. The Adršpach and Teplice rocks are linked by a trail through the Wolf Gorge (Vlčí rokle). The best-known formations include the pair called the Lovers, and the area also attracts climbers — the first ascents here were made back in the 1920s.
Our tip: In high season, check the current entry and parking arrangements before you set off — in summer the car parks are often full by mid-morning.
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Skiing at Janovičky
3 km · 5 min by carThe nearest skiing is at the Janovičky ski resort near Broumov — just a few minutes from Vila Marcelka, with a lift and a groomed slope suitable for families with children and less experienced skiers. In winter, the whole Broumov region also turns into a quiet haven for cross-country skiers.
A network of regularly groomed cross-country trails covers dozens of kilometres, linking the areas around Machov, Teplice nad Metují and Police nad Metují as far as the Polish village of Karłów below the Table Mountains. Machov also has a small ski resort with a 600-metre button lift and a groomed slope, ideal for beginners and families with children. The current state of the trails can always be checked on the regional winter maintenance map.
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Hejšovina – highest peak of the Table Mountains
across the border in PolandVelká Hejšovina (919 m) is the highest peak of the Table Mountains on the Polish side of the border, visible from the Broumov Walls.
Over 600 stone steps lead up to the summit plateau, passing rock formations like the Hen and the Camel, and the Pekélko crevice.
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The Broumov Group of Churches
baroque churches nearbyThese baroque churches, built between 1719 and 1743 to designs by Kryštof and Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer for the Broumov abbot Otmar Zinke, form a uniquely coherent ensemble scattered across the whole Broumov region. Since July 2022 the group, together with the Hvězda chapel, has been protected as a national cultural monument, and in summer the "Treasures of the Broumov Region" festival brings the churches to life.
You'll find the churches in Broumov (St Wenceslas), Božanov, Otovice, Ruprechtice, Šonov, Heřmánkovice, Vernéřovice, Vižňov, Bezděkov nad Metují and Hlavňov. The older church in Martínkovice (1690–1693) is the only one not designed by the Dientzenhofers but by builder Martin Allio. It's said the architects deliberately oriented the church entrances so that they would be visible from Broumov Monastery. The interiors are usually open only during services or summer tours, which makes a visit all the more rewarding.
Hvězda (The Star) – chapel and lodge on the Broumov Walls
on the ridge of the Broumov WallsThe baroque Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows from 1733 stands on a rock cleft bridged by a footway right on the ridge of the Broumov Walls, next to the historic Hvězda cottage from 1856. From here you get one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the Broumov basin and the surrounding Czech and Polish mountains, visible far into the distance.
The place got its name back in 1670, when Abbot Tomáš Sartorius had a gilded star placed on a wooden cross here, which pilgrims used to find their way across the ridge. Sixty years later, on a design by Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, a chapel with a five-pointed star ground plan rose here — surprisingly circular inside, though, with a painted starry ceiling. The chapel also has a 40-metre-long rock terrace, from which you can see as far as Poland on a clear day.
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Wambierzyce pilgrimage basilica
22 km · 30 min by carA picturesque Polish village with the Basilica of the Visitation of Our Lady, nicknamed "the Silesian Jerusalem" — around the church, with its grand exterior staircase, over sixty Stations of the Cross chapels have been scattered since the 17th century, imitating the holy sites of Jerusalem. The pilgrimage site also boasts a unique mechanical nativity scene with moving figures.
Since the 13th century, a legend has been attached to the place about a miraculous statuette of Our Lady found on a tree; the church acquired its present baroque form at the start of the 18th century. Around the village stretches a calvary with dozens of chapels and stations, forming a faithful topographical copy of Jerusalem — hence the nickname "the Silesian Jerusalem". The basilica also displays a 19th-century mechanical nativity scene with dozens of carved moving figures.
The Turin Shroud Copy
in Broumov MonasteryIn the refectory of Broumov Monastery is kept a precious painted copy of the Turin Shroud — the cloth traditionally believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, bearing the imprint of his body. The copy, inscribed "Extractum ab originali" (extracted from the original), was discovered by researchers in the monastery church only in 1999.
The Turin Shroud itself is kept in the cathedral in Turin, Italy, and is one of the most studied and most controversial religious relics in the world — scholars still argue over its age and the origin of the mysterious imprint of a human figure. In the baroque period it was customary to make painted copies of the shroud, which were ritually touched to the original and then taken as precious devotional objects to churches across Europe. The Broumov copy is thus evidence of how closely pilgrimage art was bound up with the life of the monastery.
Broumov Walls
📍 5 km · 10 min by carThe sandstone ridge of the Broumov Walls stretches north of town and offers some of the finest views in the region — on a clear day, you can even make out the distant outline of the Krkonoše (Giant) Mountains from some of the rocks. Marked trails lead to viewpoints such as Hvězda and Supí hnízdo, opening up views over the whole Broumov basin and surrounding hills. The ridge is part of the Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area and ranks among the largest sandstone rock cities in the Czech Republic.
Our tip: Visibility of the Krkonoše is usually best after rain or on clear autumn and winter days.
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The Devil's Bible (Codex Gigas)
in Broumov until 1594The largest surviving medieval manuscript in the world, wrapped in a legend about a monk said to have written it overnight with the devil's help, was kept at Broumov Monastery for more than a century. In 1594 Emperor Rudolf II had it taken to Prague, from where the Swedish army carried it off to Stockholm at the end of the Thirty Years' War. It remains there to this day.
The manuscript, weighing over 75 kilograms, was created in the early 13th century at the monastery of Podlažice and earned its nickname "the Devil's Bible" thanks to a full-page illumination of the devil inside the book. By way of Sedlec and Břevnov it reached the Benedictines of Broumov, whose library held it from roughly the late 15th century until 1594. Rudolf II then added it to his collections, and in 1648 Swedish troops took it from Prague Castle as war booty. Today the Codex Gigas is kept in the National Library of Sweden and is one of the most prized items in its collections.
Centrum Walzel
10 km · 15 min by carA former textile mill called Walzlovka, built in 1852 in nearby Meziměstí, underwent a sensitive renovation and today serves as a leisure centre — bowling, shooting range, climbing and bouldering wall, fitness and a salt cave. A great tip for a rainy day or an evening at the Švejk restaurant.
The firm of Josef Walzel and Sons founded the mill in the mid-19th century, but production ceased during the Second World War and the building fell into decay for decades. New life came only in 2013, when the industrial monument was turned into a multi-purpose centre — besides sports and leisure facilities you'll also find conference and wedding spaces, a grocery shop and a wine shop. Many original details, such as sandstone staircases or the wooden roof structure, have been carefully preserved.
Książ Castle
55 km · 1 h by carThe third-largest castle in Poland rises above the Pełcznica valley near Wałbrzych. Legends of Princess Daisy and a gold train surround the estate.
During WWII an extensive tunnel complex was dug here as part of Project Riese. A legend of a gold train hidden in the tunnels persists to this day.
Find out more →Back to peace and quiet after your trip
Whether you head for the rocks, the monastery or across the border to Poland, in the evening you can come back to a quiet villa on the edge of Broumov, away from crowds and noise.
Three rooms, a garden, parking right by the house and a lockable bike garage. You can see available dates straight away in the booking form.