Pravčická brána, Natural sandstone arch in Bohemian Switzerland National Park, Czech Republic
Pravčická brána is a sandstone arch 26.5 m long, 16 m high and 8 m wide at its narrowest, with an arch as thin as 2.5 m. It is not one block but two rocks leaning against each other, and sensors monitor their movement. A stone staircase and viewing platform stand in the lower right of the opening.
The arch is first recorded as "Das Große Tor" in border documents of 1410 and 1451. From 1817 Prince Edmund von Clary-Aldringen had a bark hut built at the arch, and in 1882 the Falkennest hotel opened beside it. Since 1982 walking on the arch itself has been banned after new cracks were found.
The name Prebischtor comes from the nearby Prebischgrund and rock formations such as the Prebischkegel, recorded in border descriptions from the 16th and 17th centuries; it passed to the gate around 1800. The Czech name Pravčická brána was fixed in 1924 as a translation of the German. The nearby hotel is called Sokolí hnízdo, Falcon's Nest.
The site can be reached via a marked hiking trail from Hřensko village, and the path is well signposted through the forest. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for muddy or uneven ground, especially after rain.
At its narrowest point the rock is only a few meters thick, showing how finely natural erosion has whittled away the material. This extreme thinness reveals how fragile such formations can be.
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