Velká Svinčice

Velká Svinčice is a modest hill rising to 448 metres above sea level, located about 1 km northwest of the village of Horní Lochov in the Jičín District of the Hradec Králové Region, Czech Republic. The hill sits within the Český ráj (Bohemian Paradise) Protected Landscape Area and forms part of the Prachovské skály Nature Reserve — a wider area best known for its dramatic sandstone rock formations, into which Velká Svinčice's geology is closely tied.

Why does this hill matter to geologists?

Velká Svinčice, together with the neighbouring Malá Svinčice, is the remnant of two small Tertiary volcanic bodies. Both are built from basanite and nephelinite — alkaline volcanic rocks — along with associated breccias that pushed up through much older Upper Cretaceous quartz sandstones interbedded with calcareous sediments. This combination of young volcanic rock intruding into far older sandstone is a relatively unusual and noteworthy geological pairing within the wider Bohemian Paradise region.

Why is the name misleading?

"Velká" means "great" or "large" in Czech, distinguishing it from the neighbouring "Malá" (small) Svinčice. Historically, the name made sense: Velká Svinčice once reached 451 metres, standing 2 metres taller than its neighbour. Decades of quarrying on its summit and southern slope, combined with more precise modern elevation surveys, have since reversed the picture. Today Velká Svinčice measures 448 metres, a full metre lower than Malá Svinčice at 449 metres — leaving the "great" hill smaller than the "small" one that gave it its name.

What remains of the old quarry?

The summit and southern slope bear the scars of a former basanite quarry once operated by the Šlik noble family. Quarrying continued here until 1954, with the dark grey basanite extracted for road construction and maintenance in the surrounding area. After the quarry closed, the remains of building foundations from the old operation survived on site, and the exposed rock face — where the volcanic vein meets the surrounding sandstone — still serves today as an accessible geological outcrop.

How do you get to Velká Svinčice?

The hill lies off the main tourist trails of the Bohemian Paradise, a short distance from Horní Lochov. It makes a worthwhile stop for visitors seeking a quieter alternative to the region's more crowded attractions, particularly anyone with an interest in field geology — the exposed volcanic rock set within a sandstone landscape is a distinctive combination for this part of the country.

Frequently asked questions

How tall is Velká Svinčice? 448 metres above sea level. It historically stood at 451 metres, but quarrying and more precise surveying lowered the recorded elevation.

Is Velká Svinčice actually bigger than Malá Svinčice? No — despite its name, the neighbouring Malá Svinčice is now the taller of the two, at 449 metres.

What rock is the hill made of? Tertiary basanite and nephelinite, which intruded through older Upper Cretaceous quartz sandstones.

Can you visit the old quarry? Yes, the former quarry site on the summit and southern slope is accessible, with visible remains of old foundations and a rock outcrop.

Which region is Velká Svinčice in? The Jičín District of the Hradec Králové Region, within the Český ráj Protected Landscape Area and the Prachovské skály Nature Reserve.