What would Bohemian Switzerland be without Jiří Rak…

Anyone who knows Jiří knows that, even though he’s from Prague, he loves Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland and knows it inside and out, as if he’d always been from there. In addition to Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland, he also loves maps, train schedules, transportation, German, history, and wandering through the countryside. All of this has paid off through Jiří’s work and activities in the region, the intensity of which will ease up a bit in the coming years, which is why we’d like to share the following brief reflection.

Jiří began exploring the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the local wild landscape, full of historic, mysterious trails, as early as his childhood—first with his father, then on his own. And even when he wasn’t physically there, he roamed the region symbolically through old and new maps, which he is highly skilled at reading. A several-week stay at the Jetřichovice sanatorium also played a significant role in his relationship with the region; doctors had prescribed the stay there for Jiří, who was a thin child at the time. And Jiří not only gained strength there, but also developed a deep connection to the character of the local landscape.

If we skip over the years of communism (and Jiří’s adolescence) and move forward to the period when Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland was beginning to build its reputation as an emerging tourist region—a process spearheaded by the non-profit organization Bohemian Switzerland— Jiří first came into contact with the organization sometime around 2004, when he participated in a photography contest for the best nature and landscape photos of Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland. Jiří probably didn’t even notice at the time that the contest was intended for children.

This boundless passion also caught the attention of Marek Mráz, then director of the Regional Development Agency (OPS), who began communicating with Jiří and consulting with him on the future development of the region and tourism. As Jiří kept coming up with a steady stream of new and original ideas for the region’s future development and for fostering cooperation within it, and as his incredibly detailed knowledge of the region—as well as his flawless command of German—became increasingly apparent, it was clear that we had to bring this man here to the region permanently.

And so it came to pass in 2005, when Jiří joined Český Švýcarsko, o.p.s. And things began to happen. A collaboration with Germany—previously hard to imagine—took off, particularly with the Saxon Switzerland Tourism Association, culminating in the establishment of the now widely recognized cross-border tourist destination of Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland, featuring a single shared logo and graphic design. It was Jiří’s idea to use a mirror-reversed version of the Saxon Switzerland logo for the Bohemian Switzerland region as well.

As a knowledgeable and witty guide, he led hundreds of Czech tourists through the enchanting landscapes of Saxon Switzerland and many Saxon cities, including Dresden, just as he had guided hundreds of German tourists through the Czech Republic. If anyone has made a significant contribution to Czech-German understanding and the rapprochement between these two nations, it was Jiří.

With Jiří’s arrival, tourist transportation was added to the OPS’s agenda. Thanks to his vision and drive, new tourist routes began to be established through various projects, including a route through the national park that connected key attractions in the region, and tourist rail service was introduced on the Rumburk–Krásná Lípa–Panský–Mikulášovice line. To this day, many local lines and connections—trains, buses, boats…—operate throughout Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland and even across the border, thanks solely to Jiří’s efforts; it is also thanks to him that we have, for example, cross-border timetables and the National Park Railway project.

Jiří also conceived and championed many newly marked hiking trails. He contributed to numerous awards that the region and the company have received, such as Best Tourism Product (e.g., “By Tram to the Rocks,” one of many products conceived by Jiří), Best Information Center, and the title of “Excellent Destination.” In 2008, he helped establish the Destination Fund for the development of sustainable tourism in the region, which to this day brings together dozens of members, from local governments to entrepreneurs. Who else but Jiří, as one of the region’s greatest experts, familiar with every stone here, could have been the co-author of the book “The Most Beautiful Views of Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland”? And we could go on…

In August 2020, the town of Krásná Lípa honored Jiří Rak as a prominent figure on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Krásná Lípa’s elevation to city status. That same year, Senator Zbyněk Linhart also recognized Jiří Rak for his contribution to the sustainable development of the Bohemian Switzerland region, noting that “Thanks largely to his activities over the past 15 years in the fields of tourism, tourist transportation, and cross-border cooperation with Saxon partners, Bohemian Switzerland is one of the best-functioning and highest-rated tourist regions in the Czech Republic.”

At the end of February, Jiří will be stepping down from his full-time role with the Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland region. We’re not saying goodbye for good. We’ll still see each other here, which we’re very happy about, just not as often, and that’s something we’ll all have to come to terms with.

Jiří, thank you for everything. And we believe that one day, many streets, train stations, lookout points, and trails in the Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland region will bear your name. For “Jiří Rak Station” or “Jiří Rak Ridge Trail” will be just a small token of our gratitude for what you have done for the region and what we believe you will continue to do.

You can also listen to the amazing Jiří and his stories on the “Outlines of Bohemian Switzerland” podcast.