Kamnitz Gorge, River canyon in Hřensko, Czech Republic
Kamnitz Gorge is a narrow sandstone canyon in the village of Hřensko, in the northwest of the Czech Republic, shaped by the Kamenice River over a long period of time. Vertical rock walls rise on both sides of the water, and the path leads through sections where the sky is barely visible above.
In the 1800s, walkways and boat routes were built to open the gorge to visitors for the first time. Before that, the valley was almost impossible to enter because of its narrow and rocky structure.
The gorge has been a popular day-trip destination since the 1800s, and visitors still ride small wooden boats through the narrow rock passages just as they did back then. The boatmen use long poles to push the boats forward, since the river is too narrow to row in the tightest sections.
The gorge is divided into two sections, each entered from a separate starting point. In both sections, parts of the route are covered by boat only, so wear sturdy shoes with good grip since the riverside paths can be wet and slippery.
At one point, the gap between the rock walls is so narrow that passengers in the boat can stretch out their arms and touch both sides at the same time. The water in these tunnel sections is so shallow that the boatmen can push off the riverbed with their feet.
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