Rovensko pod Troskami acquired the status of a town as early as in 1407 when it was founded near an older hamlet at Tyn. In the Middle Ages, iron ore was excavated and processed there. In the Middle Ages, Rovensko was known as the places where precious stones were cut. A legend says that the first cutters came from Italy during the reign of Charles IV and taught the locals how to cut stones. Precious stones from the surroundings were used for the decoration of the chapel of the St. Cross and St. Catherine in Karlstejn and in the St. Wenceslas Chapel of the St. Vitus cathedral in the Prague Castle. At the beginning of the 17th century, the local parish priest Simon Tadeas Budek searched for precious stones and he managed to obtain special privileges from the emperor Rudolf II himself.

There is an Empire townhall in the square dating from 1803, which was adapted in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1904. In the part called Na Tyne there is an originally Gothic Church of St Wenceslas which was reconstructed in the second half of the 16th century. It has Gothic vaulting, Renaissance baptismal font from 1575 and a Baroque altar painting representing St Wenceslas by V. V. Rainer. The best known sight in Rovensko is the wooden belfry dating from 1629 with ?Rebellious bells? turned with their hearts upwards. The bells called St Wenceslas, St John the Baptist and St George are put into motion by men stepping on a pole fixed to the base of the bells.

Our recommended trip starts at the Rovensko square. Follow the blue trail in the direction of Borek pod Troskami. Turn right from the main road, cross the Vaclavsky brook and ascend between houses to the edge of the town. Follow the blue trail along a path, cross a meadow and enter a forest where you are sure to notice the sign of the nature reserve. Walk through a smallish interesting rock terrain which is called Borecke skaly - the Rocks of Borek. The sandstone plateau near the hill called Bor is topped by a 20-50 m high rock face.

The blue trail will lead you to the Viewpoint of Svatopluk Cech where there is one of the most beautiful views of Trosky. The poet Svatopluk Cech stayed frequently in Rovensko pod Troskami and loved wandering in its surroundings. He also wrote a poem about Trosky which he outlined as a dialogue between the Virgin and the Hag towers. In the Rovensko park, there is a memorial to Svatopluk Cech by S. Sucharda from 1913.

Continue from the viewpoint along paths between rocks to Borek pod Troskami and walk a bit along the main road. Turn left at the cross-roads near the railway station and walk along the secondary road, following the blue trail up to Trosky. Behind Rokytnice, the trail start to ascend steeply across a meadow, a forest and orchards. The trail will lead you to the gate of the Trosky castle.

The castle was built onto the naked towers of a basalt volcanic rock by Cenek of Vartenberk in 1380-90. It was deserted during the Thirty Years War. The higher tower is called Virgin (59 m), the lower one is called Hag (49 m). One of the legends which explains the names of the towers, dates back to the beginning of the 15th century when the castle was the property of the lords of Bergov. The castle is said to have been the seat of an old Bergov lady who professed the Hussite faith, and of her grand-daugther, who was a Catholic. The legend says that the old Bergov lady used to live in the lower tower and her grand-daugther in the higher tower. They could not stand each other and often had loud arguments which could be heard in the hamlets and villages below the castle. People then started to call the towers Hag and Virgin. Now it is possible to climb the viewpoint tower from the 19th century and when the stairs are completed, you can ascend the Hag tower too. The Trosky castle provides a breathtaking view from the middle of the Bohemian Paradise. The ruins of the Trosky castle are a state castle, an entrance fee has to be paid here and the tour is guided.

Descend from the castle gate along the green trail. Walking down meadows and alternately forests, you reach Dlouha Ves. Behind the hamlet, cross the small Libunka river which has kept in these places its original meanders and bank vegetation. The green trail will lead you across a meadow to the main road. Walk along it a bit till the cross-roads. Here you have to cross the main road. Follow the green trail along a secondary road back to Rovensko.