ŠUMAVA, UPPER PALATINATE FOREST AND BAVARIAN BORDER REGION by Plzeňský kraj

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Š U M AVA, U P P E R PA L AT I N AT E F O R E S T A N D B AVA R I A N B O R D E R R E G I O N TOURIST GUIDE

CONTENTS Introduction 1 Tachov and surroundings 2 Northernmost part of the Upper Palatinate Forest

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3 To the Northern Upper Palatinate Forest

4 Borderland nature trail

5 Upper Bavarian Forest

6 Extinct villages

7 Čerchov

8 Koráb Mountain Range

9 Main horse trail

10 Mountain Ridge

11 Šumava Lakes

12 Velký Javor

13 Around Hartmanice

14 Prášily – Modrava

15 Along the Vydra

16 Navigating the Vydra and Otava

17 Šumava Plains

18 Sušice – Stachy

19 To the bogs

20 From Strážný via the German Šumava (Bavarian Forest)

21 Vimperk – Lenora

22 Golden Road

23 Strážný – Zadní Zvonková

24 Sailing the South Bohemian Sea

INTRODUCTION The Šumava, one of the largest mountain ranges in the Czech Republic (140 km wide and km long), straddle the Pilsen and South Bohemian Regions at the borders with Germany and Austria. Known in German as the Böhmerwald, it continues on the Bavarian side and is sometimes called the Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest). Protected landscape areas protect most of the Šumava, and it is home to the nation‘s largest national park. A key feature of the Šumava is the way they blend nearly untouched natural areas with those transformed by humans over countless generations into a valuable cultural landscape. Thanks to this, the Šumava make for a highly attractive area for tourists who flock here each year. Besides natural wonders and the recreation and sports possibilities, the region offers numerous historical, architectural and technical monuments. Similar in nature is the Upper Palatinate Forest, which flows from southwestern Bohemia into eastern Bavaria, where it is called the Oberpfälzer Wald. However, this land of wide, shallow valleys and flat-topped hills rarely reaching 1,000 m, does differ from the Šumava in many aspects. The once rather remote land of forests, meadows, fields and villages alternating in harmony has opened up in recent decades to those seeking uncommon discoveries. Here you will enjoy true romantic journeys through the open, peaceful landscape. You can now get to know both mountain massifs well from all sides. Public transport and well-marked hiking paths enable you to easily visit no less interesting places on the German side of the border. In this guide, we have included 24 carefully selected hiking routes covering this remarkable territory in the widest possible scope – from the Tachov Area to the Lipno Reservoir in South Bohemia. Excursions are designed to generally contain all the most interesting points of the Šumava, the Upper Palatinate Forest and the Bavarian borderlands. They also feature the true attractions of this picturesque region. Our goal was to offer a representative group not only in terms of inspiring excursion destinations, but also based on various types of tourism. Besides traditional hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing routes, we thus provide examples of local possibilities for boaters, horseback riders or physically disabled citizens. Each trip contains basic information about its character and a detailed description of the journey. It features presentations of tourist attractions found along each way. A comprehensive map provides reliable orientation, with attractive photography illustrating the specific atmosphere of individual localities. So come and enjoy this mountainous region that now knows no boundaries. The diverse composition of interesting places guarantees that the Šumava, the Upper Palatinate Forest and the adjacent Bavarian borderland offer something for everyone.

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TACHOV AND SURROUNDINGS

Ruins of the castle PĹ&#x2122;imda

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Broumov – Halže – Tachov – Svatá Kateřina – Diana – Přimda Start: Broumov Destination: Přimda Length: 45 km Characteristics of route: route of medium length almost completely along the road

The northern Upper Palatinate Forest and its foothills around Tachov make up a harmonic landscape, combining pristine nature, rich history of local noble seats and people, and interesting architectural monuments. The Tachov area beauty is gradually presented along cycle route no. 36, which you leave only at the very end to see the most important castle. Your ride along the edge of the Upper Palatinate Forest starts in Broumov on the hill above Hamerský Stream. Iron and copper ore were once mined here. The small mid-18th century chateau was once the administrative seat of the iron works and mining office. At the edge of the village stands the run down Jánský chateau from Village museum in Halže the start of the 19th century. The route then leads on harden forest paths to Prostřední Žďár and along the road to Halže. The local Church of SS John and Paul in late-Baroque style with hewn stone tower was consecrated in 1801. You can visit the recently opened Village Museum with several period machines and other exhibits sharing the history of local agriculture. After another section of road, you arrive at Světce, a part of Tachov. The local monumental riding hall, built at the impulse of Prince Windischgrätz in 1861, is now rather famous. The unique structure is gradually being reconstructed, and combines elements of industrial architecture with the impression of aristocratic splendor. Certainly you then must not miss stopping in Tachov (see below), where you can combine rest and refreshment along with a tour of the once royal city founded by Přemysl Otakar II. The road ride continues to Velký Rapotín and Maršovy Chody on to the extinct village Pořejov. A reminder of this settlement is the maintained 18th-century Jewish cemetery just off the road. Further to the south through Žebráky, an old Chod village with large oval village green, the route leads to Hošťka. Admire the originally Baroque Church of St. Margret, given its late-19th century appearance after a fire. Along Kateřinský Stream, you will then ride under the D5 motorway and on to Svatá Kateřina. The village features the towering Church of St. Catherine in Baroque style from 1792. Cycle route no. 36 heads through deep forests to the remote settlement Diana. The Kolowrat family had an old hunting lodge built here in the mid-18th century. J. B. Santini authored the design of this elongated structure with distinctive middle section and cupola. It has

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an English park lying adjacent and a nearby sprawling reserve protecting primeval tree stands and a peat bog along Kateřinský Stream. Through the forest on the hardened route no. 2239 and consequently no. 2238, you will ride along the final section to Přimda. If you want to shorten the ride from Svatá Kateřina, you can go straight on cycle route no. 2238. This way, you ride through Milíře, where on the hill Tomášek stands a 30 m high steel lookout tower with view of Rozvadov and surInterior of riding hall in Světce roundings. Přimda features eyecatching ruins of a castle built in the first half of the 12th century. They stand on a tall, conic hill with outstanding view, predetermining the castle’s strategic worth. The middle parts are remnants of a great residential tower. Standing on the square is the Romanesque Church of St. George, where Jindřich Šimon Baar once worked as a pastor. The eastern slope of Přimda has a downhill ski run.

TACHOV Preserved 14th-century walls with towers form a unique monument. There is also a remarkable Classicist-appearing chateau from the late 18th century, today home to the municipal authority and a school. Inside the former Franciscan monastery, you can visit the Chod Forest Museum, focusing on nature and history of the Tachov district. Also shaping the square’s lovely silhouette is the tower of the Church of the Assumption, once a 14thcentury Gothic cathedral. The presently NeoGothic church has a presbytery with sculptures of Czech saints by Jan Brokof from 1692. www.tachov-mesto.cz

Tachov, Republic Square

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NORTHERNMOST PART OF THE UPPER PALATINATE FOREST

Bohušův Hill Lookout Tower

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Chodová Planá – Planá – Halže – Bärnau – Tirschenreuth Start: Chodová Planá Destination: Tirschenreuth Length: 45 km Characteristics of route: medium-length route mostly along roads, rather steep climb only to a saddle on the border under the mountain Studenecký vrch

This route takes you through the extreme tip of the Upper Palatinate Forest Protected Landscape Area and neighboring Northern Upper Palatinate Forest. The landscape seems made for cycling, with many signs of traditional means of livelihood, craftsmanship and technical skills of the local population. The linking cycle route network and medieval open-air museum project indicate clear efforts of the two border regions to develop friendly relations, as they share great prospects for prudent tourism. The short prologue to the journey about 2 km long leads from Chodová Planá along a nice cycle route beside the road to Plané. This old town is absolutely worth a visit, attractive for instance for its many monuments and the Mining Museum. Continue along cycle route no. 2138 towards Tachov, and in Nahý Újezdec head right on route no. 2169. Alternating along hardened paths and district roads through Březí and Ctiboř, you will reach Halže, a large village on a small rise. After around 4 km, you will see the settlement Branka with recreation facilities. On the river Mže, you will see Olšový pond where you can swim, and a guesthouse and restaurant are available. The Branka nature trail for cyclists (15 km) leads around the town, whose initial part leads you through forested terrain to the Pavlův Studenec border crossing. You may continue to the same destination however by cycle route no. 2169 on the road leading to Bavaria’s Bärnau. This Northern Upper Palatinate Forest town (www.baernau.de) is famed for pearl button production, of which you can learn more at the museum. Various events honor the town’s close bond with the legacy of Jan Hus, who was warmly received here on his way to the Council of Constance. A major

Historical park in Bärnau

Planá Mining Museum

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attraction is the historical park built in cooperation with the city of Tachov. Using original materials and techniques based on local archaeological finds, it has reconstructed a medieval settlement from the 8th to 13th century. Visitors to this unique environment walk through an early Slav settlement, a later castle on a hill with church and high Middle Age village representing building advancements (www.historicky-park.cz). The journey may continue to the district seat - along the marked cycle route before Wendern and Honnersreuth you arrive at Liebenstein. Follow the cycle path here built along the route of the former local railway (Bärnau – Wiesau). Your journey’s destination – Tirschenreuth – is a regional fishing center, so unsurprisingly, it has a museum mapping more than a 1,000 years of pond management and fishing in the region (see www.stadt-tirschenreuth.de).

CHODOVÁ PLANÁ This 14th-century town gets its name from the Chod people, guardians of the provincial border. Here stands the Baroque Church of St. John the Baptist from the mid-18th century, and you will see the remarkable Neo-Baroque chateau from 1906 with sprawling English park within which lies an old Jewish cemetery. A distinct feature is its 16th-century brewery, among the oldest in western Bohemia. You Beer spa can find out much more about its history in the brewery museum, but the Planá brewing tradition still thrives, as you can taste for yourself. In the summer, the nearby pond Regent attracts many for its nice conditions for enjoying the water, like swimming or yachting. www.chodovaplana.cz

PLANÁ The city is mainly famous for the Šlik family, who moved their mint here from Jáchymov. Silver mining took off here at the turn of the 16th century; see the Mining Museum exhibit for yourself in the underground Ondřej Šlik Tunnel. Notable local monuments include the complex of chateau buildings, medieval and Baroque houses on the square and the Church of the Assumption, receiving a Baroque appearance in the mid18th century. Standing at the old outskirts of town is the RomanesqueGothic Church of SS Peter and Paul with unique 13-century frescoes and rare Romanesque portal with arched frieze. Since its reconstruction, it has hosted social and cultural events. www.muplana.cz

Church of the Assumption

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TO THE NORTHERN UPPER PALATINATE FOREST

Church of St. John of Nepomuk in Lesnรก

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Lesná – Podkovák – Ostrůvek – Křížový kámen – Silberhütte – Flossenbürg Start: Lesná Destination: Flossenbürg Length: 20 km Characteristics of route: pleasant forest route with ascent to saddle at the border

If the Upper Palatinate Forest is still a relatively unknown area for most Czech tourists, its German side must be completely uncharted territory to them and probably you too. The German side of the mountain massive is called the Upper Palatinate Forest (Oberpfalzer Wald), and offers visitors the chance to enhance their experience from this relatively remote corner of Central Europe. Thin settlement and weak tourist infrastructure remain its great advantage, enabling you to encounter untouched, mostly forested nature. The journey leads up the border ridge and on to the Northern Upper Palatinate Forest Nature Park. Podkovák Nature Reserve

The route starts on the very edge of the Upper Palatinate Forest Protected Landscape Area in the village Lesná, a medieval village lying on a smaller trade route to Waldheim. You continue along the green hiking route that initially continues together with the marked Lesná Nature Trail. After almost 2 km, you can head right along a route for around 4 km to the nature reserve Podkovák with its own short nature trail. A typical raised bog spreads out at the source of the Lesní Stream. A boardwalk leads out over it to peat bog lakes and a lookout point. After returning along the green route, you will pass the reserve Farské bažiny, protecting the same type of bog. After another 2 km, you will arrive at the former glassmaking settlement Ostrůvek, where the Windischgrätz family built a hunting lodge with bare stone façade in the latter-19th century. It was surrounded by an English park and system of round fishponds. Nearby stands the wooden

Hunting chateau Ostrůvek

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chapel and former gamekeeper’s lodge. From here, the green route leads to the former castle called Starý zámek. It was most likely just a checkpoint, so only scant traces remain (carved rock with trench and mound), accessible along a hilltop branch. You will continue to the crossroads, where the glassmaking hamlet of Zlatý Potok once stood. The rest spot will certainly be a welcome site. The green route leads up to the border crossing Křížový kámen (Kreuzstein), where a frustrum-shaped boulder with a cross has been preserved, marking the Bavarian-Bohemian border. Just before it, you head along the edge of the reserve by the same name with flooded mountain spruce forest upon peat. The marked route on the German side first takes you to Silberhütte. A comfortable cross-country ski resort operates here with many maintained trails and a 2 km training circuit with artificial lighting. You can get here on cross-country skis from the Czech side the same way as on foot. The last section of the route leads for about 6 km around Hildweinsreuthm and through Sankt Ötzen to Flossenbürg with massive castle complex.

LESNÁ This town is first mentioned in the mid-14th century. The main monument here is the Baroque chateau from 1787, today housing the municipal authority. The Church of St. Nicholas with 1774 Baroque redesign served as the family tomb of the Schirdings, the domain owners. The Orthodox Church now uses it. Another Baroque monument is the mid-18th century statue of St. John of Nepomuk standing by a pond. Several memorial linden trees over 200 years old grow here. www.obeclesna.cz

Chateau in Lesná

FLOSSENBÜRG

Castle Flossenbürg

The conspicuously dominant feature here are castle ruins atop a cone-shaped hill. The castle was built in the first half of the 12th century to protect trade routes to Bohemia. The oldest parts are the residential tower (donjon) and remains of the palace, gate, artillery bastions and adjacent walls. A Nazi concentration camp here during WWII took the lives of around 30,000 prisoners. Today, a memorial here remembers the sad history of the Holocaust. www.flossenbuerg.de

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BORDERLAND NATURE TRAIL

Lookout tower at village of Milíř (Rozvadov), 35 m high, opened in 2001

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Rozvadov – Hraničky – Nové Domky – Rozvadov Start and destination: Rozvadov Length: 12 km Characteristics of route: easy walking route without difficult ascents, along road and hardened path

Rozvadov is widely known as the most important Czech-German border crossing. An international trade route has led along here for ages, and its customs office opened in 1613. Its stature increased upon completion of the D5 Motorway from Prague and Pilsen. Rozvadov also symbolized the fruitless desire of Czechoslovaks to visit and explore the world beyond the Iron Curtain that gripped the nation so tightly. An interesting nature trail with 11 stops can give you a feel for the atmosphere of those days. Besides history, it also features the local picturesque landscape. Your hike starts in central Rozvadov (www.rozvadov.cz), first heading southwest along a slight rise, where the former village Zirk originally stood. Iron ore was mined and worked nearby. Behind the village on the left you can see the regulation station for the transit gas pipeline built in the 1970s. Tillyho šance (Tilly’s Chance) is an interesting landmark from the Thirty Years War. The remains of a fortified camp spread out over the Nad Rašelinami hilltop; other fortifications lie on the opposite hill Březový vrch, from where long mounds and trenches stretch. The fortified system played a role in 1621, when Marshall Tilly fought here against the forces of General Mansfeld encamped in nearby Waidhaus. Shortly thereafter, you arrive at the old border crossing. A customs house from 1934 stands here, closed with the opening of the new motorway. Today, the Museum of the Iron Curtain resides here. Its in-depth exhibits explicitly document four decades of our nation’s isolation. Your journey continues on the red hiking route along a hardened forest path against the current of the stream Hraniční. After Iron Curtain Museum in Rozvadov over 3 km, you will see an iron cross marking the place where Arnoštin hammer mill once stood. It was built in the early-19th century along with a pond and mill race. It was named after Countess Ernestine of the domain owners, the Kolowrats. The next stop is in a pretty valley at the site of the former hamlet Hraničky with hammer mill tradition. Abandoned after 1945, its only reminders are the linden trees on the former village green and a monument to WWI victims. Here the route leads back to Rozvadov. It goes up the hill Jezevčí vrch, at whose foot lies the village Nové Domky. The Hubert Guesthouse is one of its original wooden buildings. The monument here marks the place where Czechoslovak and German foreign ministers symbolically “cut” the Iron Curtain in December, 1989. The abandoned Church of the Visitation with

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Chateau Diana

cemetery stands outside the village, built by the Kolowrats in the first half of the 19th century. The route then leads along the road to Rozvadov. Here stands the notable Church of St. Wenceslas, finished in 1825. It was no longer a house of worship after WWII, and is now in poor shape. You can get to know the area around Rozvadov upon other nature trails that begin here. The Vista Trail (15 km, 13 stops) will take you to Milíř Hill with steel lookout tower. The Kolowrat Trail (20 km, 18 stops) introduces the history of the Kolowrat domain, the local forested land and monuments such as the small chateau Diana.

SVATÁ KATEŘINA This old town’s history apparently goes back to the 12th century. The Kolowrats had St. Catherine’s Church rebuilt in Baroque style in the late 18th century. It is comprised of a spacious one-nave sanctuary and prismatic tower with onion dome. Its period interior furnishing features a floor with embedded Baroque tombstones of imperial duty collectors from Rozvadov. The local Benedictine

Church of St. Catherine

provostship was laid to waste in the Hussite Wars. On the way to Diana, buildings still stand of the former noble court from the mid-18th century – a log cabin for officials and a grange.

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UPPER BAVARIAN FOREST

Bavaria Bohemia Center in Schรถnsee

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Bělá nad Radbuzou – Schönsee – Silbersee – Waldmünchen Start: Bělá nad Radbuzou Destination: Waldmünchen Length: 45 km Characteristics of route: medium-length route along roads and hardened paths, second part mostly through valleys

In the mid-Upper Palatinate Forest lies the town of Bělá nad Radbuzou. A substantial part of its surroundings were within the closed border zone, which on the contrary enabled Mother Nature to flourish here. The once forgotten area now offers attractive cycling routes through forests. You can take one for example to the pretty nature park Upper Bavarian Forest on the German side of the mountains offering all kinds of recreation. The park forms the entire Cham District, it is 1,738 km2 in size and forested by nearly half. In Bělá nad Radbuzou, the Přimda Chods had a magistrate’s office, and glassmaking developed here by the 17th century. An important monument is the stone bridge over Radbuza River from 1723-24, adorned with Baroque statues of saints. There is another noteworthy

Stone bridge in Bělá nad Radbuzou

Remains of the church in Pleš

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Classicist bridge over Bezděkovský Stream. The Church of Our Lady of Delours was redesigned and enlarged in 1827. Your journey begins on cycle route no. 37, which leads along hardened forest paths through Nový Dvůr. Before Karlova Huť, you ride just outside the Dlouhý vrch reserve with beech tree stands on a steep rocky hillside. At the road, go right onto cycle route no. 2230 leading through a plateau under the mountain Velký zvon (862 m ASL). At the spot of the extinct village Pleš stands a guesthouse where you can stay in utterly remote solitude. Beyond the border, follow the signs Bavarian-Bohemian Friendship Trail (Bayerisch-Böhmischer Freundschaftsweg, BBF), connecting Nabburg and Horšovský Týn over 97 km. The Bavaria Bohemia Center in Schönsee also supports strong cross-border relations and cooperation of partner regions. It is located in a modernized former brewery, where various cultural and social events are held for the general public. The cycle route then leads you eastward through Weiding and Stadlern back towards the border to Schwarzach. On the Czech side, this village continued as Švarcava, but was terminated after WWII. But before that, at Waldhäuser you can ascend to the top of Ebene (894 m ASL) with free-standing lookout tower since 1983. The route takes you through the Bayerische Schwarzach stream valley - the Czech border town of Černice (Schwarzachtal-Radweg). The route alternates between terrain and road. After around 15 km you arrive at the lake Silbersee. The natural reservoir near Treffelstein is great for swimming, fishing, yachting and other water activities, with a camp nearby for pitching a tent. A trail around the lake was recently created with information boards on water conditions and local flora and fauna. In Biberbach, the cycle route now marked C40 veers to the Schwarzach valley, and together with C38, it takes you to Waldmünchen, the final stop.

WALDMÜNCHEN Today’s pleasant resort near the Czech border was allegedly founded in the year 910. You can learn of the provincial borderland history at the Borderland and Trenck Museum (Grenzland- und Trenckmuseum), open since 2001. You can also learn of Baron Franz von der Trenck, who besieged Waldmünchen in 1742 as a pandur unit commander in the War of Austrian Succession. A key monument is the mid-16th century city tower, originally an observation post and fire watch tower. A fantastic view awaits you atop it The Borderland and Trenck Museum 11 stories high, and the 6th floor has a periodfurnished watchman’s guardhouse. The town has a water park too, offering visitors plenty of water attractions to enjoy. It features a white water canal, 60 m water slide, saltwater pool with massage jets, children’s pool, solarium, etc. www.waldmuenchen.de

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EXTINCT VILLAGES

Ruins of the castle Starý Herštejn

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Rybník – Závist – Starý Herštejn – Pivoň – Poběžovice Start: Rybník Destination: Poběžovice Length: 17 km Characteristics of route: moderately difficult route up to the castle ruins and back down to town

The border area of the Upper Palatinate Forest found itself trapped behind the Iron Curtain after 1948. This resulted in the termination of dozens of settled localities and expulsion of the locals. Only traces of various structures or cemeteries remain of former villages, colonies and solitary cabins. A nature trail shares the disguised history of the area, mapping and describing the extinct village. You will recognize former settlements by the signs with the Czech and German name of the village. On this journey usually divided into three days, you can visit certain locations in its middle section (Železná Ruda – Všeruby). The route begins in the village Rybník, where a glassworks opened in 1560. Much of the village and the church were destroyed after 1950 upon forming the military zone, and cabins were eventually built. Fine conditions exist here to develop

Above the town of Rybník

Monastery in Pivoň

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tourism; you can find lodging in the resort or on an ecofarm. You first take the red route alternative along road and forest or meadows to the village Závist, lying directly on the drainage boundaries of the North and Black Seas. The dividing line interestingly runs along the top of the roof of house no. 17. Water from the north roof side runs into the Radbuza, whose source is about 1.5 km away. After ascending to the Liščí domky crossroads on the side of Lysá Mountain, you shortly link up with the green route, but only to the former settlement Herštejnské Chalupy with obscure remains of masonry and a spring. The red-marked Baar Route rises again up to Starý Herštejn (877 m ASL). Castle ruins with remains of a bergfrit tower lies upon its elongated rocky peak. The site was founded in the 13th century and razed around 1510. The route leads down a spur to the Vranovské sedlo crossroads, go left along the green route and a sharp forest descent through Vranov eventually puts you on the road to the village of Pivoň. Here stands a former Augustinian monastery, terminated during the Josephenian reforms only to later become a Coudenhove-Calergi family residence. The convent decayed after 1945, but is now being rebuilt thanks to the efforts of the Aurelius civic association. Tours may be arranged. The green route continues southeastward towards the former village Skláře. Founded in the 16th century by a glassworks, it also suffered a cruel fate after WWII. Another ascent takes you to where the village Valtířov once stood, mentioned in 1115 in a copy of the founder’s deed of the Kladruby monastery. Only plain building foundations, a well and memorial cross still remain. The blue hiking route starts here, along which you continue to the hardened road alternating with forest and meadow sections. In a small saddle, you reach the former hamlet Vyhlídka, whose location is marked by a new recreation cabin. The path quickly descends to Šitboř, a part of Poběžovice. The dominant feature here is the torso of the decayed Church of St. Nicholas from the turn of the 14th century, one of the region’s oldest Gothic structures. Mulberry trees uncommon for our climate grow on the village green. Taking the blue route, you wind up in the town of Poběžovice, once called Rošperk.

POBĚŽOVICE The original castle was rebuilt into a Baroque chateau in the late-18th century and given a Neo-Gothic appearance in 1863. Today it is undergoing reconstruction, but you can see some interiors in summer - several restored rooms with frescoes, Renaissance hall, castle and chateau chapel as well as the tower. The Church of the Assumption from the 15th century was later given a Baroque appearance. Bedřich Smetana Chateau in Poběžovice was a guest of the Thuns here in the mid-19th century. Countess Mitsuko lived here as of 1896 after marrying the chateau owner, the AustroHungarian diplomat and ambassador to Japan, Heinrich Coudenhove-Kalergi. www.pobezovice.cz

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ČERCHOV

Kurz Tower in Čerchov

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Klenčí pod Čerchovem – Čerchov – Pec – Babylon – Trhanov Start: Klenčí pod Čerchovem Destination: Chodov Length: 17 km Characteristics of route: moderately difficult hike with demanding mountain ascent

You won’t find many areas in Bohemia that have retained their traditional atmosphere like the Chod Area. The hilly terrain is a mixture of forests, fields and pastures, dotted with quaint little villages. Locals speak with a strong yet understandable dialect. Women dress in folk costumes, mostly on Sundays,, and restaurants offer local cuisine. The area’s most famous native son is Jindřich Šimon Baar, who faithfully captured in his work the essence of life here in “Chodsko”. And who wouldn’t know of Kozina, the brave warrior for Chod privileges, and the treacherous Lomikar? Your hike starts in Klenčí pod Čerchovem, which is certainly worth thorough exploration (see below). You take the nature trail with green sign, named after J. Š. Baar. After less than 3 km, you will ascend to a place called Výhledy. At the road linking

View from Výhledy of the Domažlice Area

Lumberjack chapel in Pec

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Domažlice with the Lísková border crossing stands an impressive monument to Baar. Famous sculptor Ladislav Šaloun created it in 1933, and in the spirit of what it stands for, its location offers lovely views of the Chod landscape. The blue route leads you to Capartice, and continues farther along the red route through the forests around 4 km at the Horizontálka crossroads under Čerchov. The trek up to the top along the blue route requires a strong effort; the last section alone rises 200m. The reward? Reaching the top of the highest peak in the Upper Palatinate Forest - up to 1,041 m ASL. A 19 m high lookout tower has stood up on Čerchov since 1905. It was closed for decades however when the army took over these lands. A 30 m high radar tower joined it in the 1970s, which, along with other military buildings, forms a unique mountain top silhouette. The mountain is surrounded by the thick forests of the Čerchovské hvozdy Nature Reserve, through which you return along the blue route. It leads you to the village Pec, surrounded by forests that were once its main source of income. You can thus see here the original lumberjack Chapel of St. Procopius from the early 20th century, or visit the Lumberjack Museum, mapping the village’s history. It’s no surprise that the village holds the Lumberjack Celebration each year in early July. Through the woods along the green hiking route, you will reach the state road and the village Babylon with recreation complex. This resort village has a large pond with beaches, with plenty of types of lodging from hotels to a camp. The yellow hiking route leads you to Trhanov. It has a chateau, originally a Baroque summer residence that Wolf Maxmilián Lammingen, called Lomikar, had built in 1676-77. The now Empire-style chateau is a reminder of the late-17th century fight of the Chods with local nobility, as is the adjacent Linden tree alley called Lomikarov. Josef Thomayer was born here, a notable Prague physician and litterateur. He had a Neo-Renaissance almshouse built in town in 1908, designed by Antonín Wiehl. From Trhanov, you can return to Klenčí by train.

KLENČÍ POD ČERCHOVEM This town lies along the old trade route to Bavaria, thus giving you the ideal chance to really get to know the region It was an original privileged Chod village elevated to the status of a city in 1680. Klenčí is famous for its production of lace, embroidery and ceramics. On the square stands the parish Church of St. Martin, built in 1737-45. Lammingen of Albenreuth, loathed by the Chod people, lies buried within. In house no. J. Š. Baar Museum 140 resides the Jindřich Šimon Baar Museum, sharing the life story and works of this famous writer, but also featuring other figures relating to Klenčí. In addition, it has an exhibit presenting the Chod Area and its history. Behind the village by the road to Chodov lies a pretty cemetery with graves of J. Š. Baar, Jindřich Jindřich and Jan Vrba, and preserved tombs adorned with Chod ceramics. www.klenci.cz

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KORﾃ。 MOUNTAIN RANGE

Lookout tower on Korﾃ｡b

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Kdyně – (Kout na Šumavě) – Kanice – Koráb – Nový Herštejn – Kdyně Start and destination: Kdyně Length: 48 km Characteristics of route: relatively long route gradually ascending Koráb Mountain

The Koráb Mountain Range is like a bolt connecting the Šumava and the Upper Palatinate Forest. As opposed to the famous mountains, it remains a practically unknown geomorphological formation, but it is no less attractive. Its beauty is intertwined with history, as evidenced by ruins of many great castles scattered over its peaks. This time, a modern lookout tower offers visitors the chance to see this region from a different perspective. The trip starts in Kdyně on the square, where you can tour the key monuments. Follow cycle route no. 3, at first along a gravel road. The first transit point is Starý Dvůr, where a memorial oak grows. Along cycle route no. 2193 passing a pond, you will arrive at Nový Dvůr. Both villages are a part of the community Kout na Šumavě, where you can break off a bit from the planned route. The oldest structure here is a 16th-century fortress, later rebuilt into a small, simple Baroque chateau. Nearby stands the Church of St. George from the early 18th century. North of the town is an interesting garden house called Klobouk with wooden cupola on four stone pillars. People who know why come to enjoy the tasty beer from the Kout brewery. After returning to the correct route, an 8 km road section leads to Kanice. Besides the two-story Baroque chateau, you can also see here folk architecture structures and the Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk from 1765. A side road leads through Všepadly as you continue along cycle route no. 2192 to Černíkov. Around 1 km farther, you’ll see the Úžlebec swimming center with refreshments. Continue on the road to Úsilov, and beyond the saw mill and farm buildings you will head along a concrete path. Above Nevděk, go right through the forest along cycle route no. 2193 and later along the blue route. From the

„The Hat“ in Kout na Šumavě

Ruins of the castle Nový Herštejn

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U Sloupku crossroads, a supply road runs to the top of Koráb, the highest point of the route at an elevation of 772 m ASL. It has an inviting steel lookout tower built in 1990-92, designed by architect Jaroslav Egert. It is also a broadcasting tower, and above the stair tube at 30 m, there is a triangular observation gondola. You can see Kdyně and surroundings from here. On the horizon you’ll see the blue zone of the Šumava and Upper Palatinate Forest. Continue on the road along cycle route no. 2193. You arrive at the Vejpřahy crossroads; taking the red route to the right, you can take Rýzmberk a forest path to the castle ruin Nový Herštejn with massive residential tower. Built in the 13th century, it saw many twists of fate and was abandoned by the first half of the 16th century. Only remnants of the wall remain with the donjon. In 1933, the hill with ruins covered by a beech forest was declared a national nature reserve. Take the forested cycle route no. 2193 to Podzámčí. The ride along the green route takes you to the forested hilltop with Rýzmberk castle ruin. It was founded in 1279 by order of Přemysl Otakar II to guard the provincial route through the Všeruby pass. Its remains were modified in the mid-19th century, where the entire original large tower was removed and replace by a new rectangular lookout tower and wooden restaurant. Various cultural events are held in the amphitheater below. From Podzámčí, cycle route no. 3 leads you back to Kdyně.

KDYNĚ The square here has an exquisite early-17th century town hall rebuilt around 1800. Original textile mill buildings still stand behind an Empire entrance gate. The largest monument is the originally Gothic Church of St. Nicholas from the 14th century, with 18th-century Baroque restoration. A synagogue has been preserved on Masaryk street, finished in 1863 in Neo-Romanesque style. Today the small museum here shares the city’s history, and you can enjoy yourselves in the new water park. www.kdyne.cz

Church of St. Nicholas

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MAIN HORSE TRAIL

Touring by horseback along a Ĺ umava trail

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Stojanovice – Městiště – Bystřice nad Úhlavou – Pocinovice – Chodská Lhota – Všeruby Start: Javorník Destination: Všeruby Length: 71 km Characteristics of route: main horseback riding trail with moderate technical difficulty and reliable facilities

Getting to know the Šumava on bike is quite the norm and popular with many tourists. Lately however, another way is emerging for visitors to discover the magic of the mountains - on horseback. The number of marked horse trail in the Šumava is rising, enabling you to experience the corners to where no road or bike trail leads. The Pilsen Region features an ecological form of travel - horseback riding along part of the Šumava horse trail, 80 km long from end to end. This horse trail takes riders through stunning Šumava nature near historical, cultural and natural monuments. It is marked out mainly in open terrain on very few hardened surfaces. Essential facilities for horseback riders built along the trail include circular corrals, awnings with furniture for resting and a tying post. Wooden stands with information boards and a map of landmarks for easier orientation are provided at open parts of the horse trail. Near the trail are plenty of options for lodging and refreshments for riders and horses alike at farms and horse stations. Your trip can begin in Stojanovice, where a farm with its own herd and stables offers short or all-day horse rental. The next section of the trail leads you to Městiště, and through Hodousice to Bystřice nad Úhlavou. The ranch here (U Mlýna) is ready to accommodate both horse and rider. Another horse station (“Stáj“) with a robust list of services and restaurant lies in Pocinovice. Based on how far you want to ride, you can choose to interrupt the ride and take up lodging in Chodská Lhota at a farmstead (Pošumavské zemědělství). Another fine option is stopping over in Brnířov at

View from Stojanovice

Herd of horses near Čeletice

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its local ranch (Jestřáb). Besides your accommodation, they will also see to the horses and provide riders with training. From here, you can continue to the nearby border crossing Všeruby, where the trail ends.

MĚSTIŠTĚ In this hamlet under Prenet Mountain, there is a mid-19th century hammer mill built out of logs, in operation until 1975. There were around 20 such water hammer mills around here. In nearby Datelov, a razed wooden chapel was rebuilt in the 1990s.

POCINOVICE Near Kdyně is one of the largest of the eleven Chod villages, charged with guarding Bohemia’s border. In return for their service, Bohemia’s kings bestowed upon them special freedoms and privileges. Part of the village around the spacious village green is a declared monument zone, where original farmsteads still stand. Here stands the Church of St. Anne from the early-19th century. Northeast of the town, the green hiking route rises up a long hill along Stations of the Cross. The pilgrimage place Dobrá Voda holds the Chapel of Our Lady of Delours and a smaller chapel from 1908 above an allegedly miraculous natural spring. www.pocinovice.cz

CHODSKÁ LHOTA Another privileged Chod village dates back to the first half of the 14th century. The late-19th century Neo-Gothic Chapel of St. Wenceslas stands on the village green. www.chodskalhota.cz

VŠERUBY This town at the German border in the Všeruby Pass is from the 15th century, when an important trade route led along here to Regensberg. Here stands the Church of St. Michael the Archangel from 1628-50, rebuilt after a mid-19th century fire. A memorial plaque hangs in front of the church remembering a stay here by writer Božena Němcová. A part of Všeruby is the nearby settlement Hájek, where rising above it on a hill is the pilgrimage Church of St. Anne of Tannenberg. This impressive church from 1712-17 stands as one of the Pilsen Region’s great Baroque structures. Late July sees the traditional celebration of St. Anne of Tannenberg Feast Day. http://vseruby.info Church of St. Anne of Tannenberg

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MOUNTAIN RIDGE

Železná Ruda, Church of Our Lady of Succour of Hvězda

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Železná Ruda – Pancíř – Můstek – Prenet – Zelená Lhota / Hojsova Stráž Common map with route 11 on page 43 Start: Železná Ruda Destination: Hojsova Stráž Length: 18 km Characteristics of route: rather long route with long initial ascent

The area around Železná Ruda is an ideal place to embark on many types of excursions of varying difficulty. This journey offers plenty of milestones to overcome when climbing to the top of Pancíř, a famous Šumava mountain. The next kilometers on this ridge-line trail offer lovely views as you conquer other pretty mountain tops. The route begins in Železná Ruda by the Baroque Church of Our Lady with distinctive onion dome, built in 1729-32. It also has an unusual six-pointed star ground plan. You will be taking the blue hiking route that leads first to the hill Belveder. A mountain hotel stands here, where a few years back, the Železná Ruda brewing tradition got a new start. The local sports complex offers not only downhill ski slopes, but also various summer activities including the rope center or go-cart slalom course. The path rises further to the Hofmanky crossroads, where a cable car transfer station is also found. If someone were to need a rest, it is possible to reach the top of Pancíř by this means. Those feeling energetic can take a final climb along the blue route. Pancíř reaches an elevation of 1,214 m ASL, and a chalet stands on top with a 1923 lookout tower. The tower has a 15 m high lookout platform, lending a view of the western Šumava with the highest mountain Velký Javor on the German side. A road leads here from Špičácké sedlo, making Pancíř one of the tallest Šumava mountains also accessible by bicycle. From Pancíř, the red route leads you along a pleasant hike around the mountain Habr (1,203 m ASL) to nearby Můstek. All the way, stunning views open up of the entire Královský hvozd (Royal Forest) with dominating Ostrý double peak, and

Cottage on Pancíř

Chalet on Prenet

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of the Úhlava river valley with dam. Můstek rises to 1,234 m ASL, making it the ridge’s highest point. A classic chalet with lookout tower stood up here until 1995, when fire reduced it to its foundations. Around a 6 km comfortable section follows, offering distant panoramas and leading you over Prenet (also Velký Prenet, 1,070 m ASL) to the saddle of Malý Prenet. On the right you will pass the reserve Městišťské rokle, which holds a natural spring, peat bog, Jelenka stream basin, ravine forests and a complex of meadows and pasture with scattered vegetation. Under Malý Prenet (1,006 m ASL), you can visit the mountain chalet with restaurant, and recreation center lies just behind it, a former royal courtyard. The adjacent 14th-century Chapel of St. Cunegundes was reconstructed in the 17th-century. Though under repair again, the chapel remains a testament to the former settlement lost upon the expulsion of the German population. From Malý Prenet, you near the end of your journey along the green route to Zelená Lhota, enjoying various vistas along the way. Above the village on a knoll, admire the notable 18th-century Church of St. Wolfgang. However, you can leave the saddle by taking the green route in the opposite direction. Descending more rapidly, you’ll arrive at Hojsova Stráž with a train station, so you can ride comfortably back to Železná Ruda.

HOJSOVA STRÁŽ This popular mountain recreation center, today a part of Železná Ruda, lies just under 900 m ASL. The village dating back to the 16th century has an iron ore-mining history. The royal magistrate’s office resided here, managing local farmsteads and settlements. The clear dominant feature is the Church of the Immaculate Conception with shingled roof built in 1824-26. It was formed by reconstructing the original chapel, of which the altar from 1762 remains. By the church stands the Baroque parish with shingled roof and covered porch. Hojsova Stráž offers the ideal conditions for year-round hiking and sports activities. It lies at the crossroads of hiking and cycling routes, and well-maintained cross-country ski trails abound. The area also features three ski lifts. www.hojsovka.sumava.net

Hojsova Stráž, view from the east

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ŠUMAVA LAKES Železná Ruda – Devil‘s Lake – Black Lake – Špičák Start and destination: Železná Ruda Length: 15 km Characteristics of route: easy route with one moderately difficult ascent

The Šumava represents the nation’s only true lake area. The Czech side has five such Quaternaryperiod lakes formed by glacial melting. All lie between 1,000-1,100 m ASL, and their enchanting atmosphere, somewhat uncommon in our country, grabs the attention of most visitors to the Šumava. Your trip to the two largest lakes starts in Železná Ruda, the region’s natural center with easy transportation access (road and train connection to bigger cities) and many types of lodging. The green hiking route leads you to the lower cable car station in the ski complex Špičák, obviously most popular in winter. This center offers the best skiing conditions in the Czech Šumava. Besides several downhill slopes for skiers and snowboarders, cross-country skiers also find plenty to offer (www.bilastopa.cz). Continue from the Špičák Sports Complex along the red hiking route up to Špičácké sedlo, and from there across the parking lot along the yellow route to Černé jezero (Black Lake). On the way, you’ll cross a 19th-century railway tunnel with impressive length of over 1.7 km. Slightly rising through the forest, the path opens up to the reinforced dike of Black Lake, the Šumava’s largest (18.4 ha). It is also the deepest at 40 m. The lake lies under the mountain Jezerní hora (1,343 m ASL), enclosed by a high cirque wall over 300 m high. Near the lake, our first pumped

Black Lake

Bike park on Špičák

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storage hydroelectricity plant was built in 1929-30, today a popular technical monument. The red hiking route then takes you up to the elevation point of the Watershed. As the name implies, the main European watershed runs through here, forming the boundary of the Elbe basin and North Sea drainage area. Devil’s Lake on the other side of Jezerní hora belongs to the Danube basin and Black Sea drainage area. It is the second largest lake in the Šumava (10.3 ha), and is no less popular with tourists. It is surrounded by many legends mostly relating to the origin of its name. Continue along the red route and finally the blue route around the monument to painter Adolf Kašpar, then head down back to Železná Ruda.

ŽELEZNÁ RUDA This key resort town was originally a mining village along the trade route to Bavaria. Glassmaking replaced medieval mining and smelting, but today the town provides the perfect backdrop for hiking, sports and recreation. It is very well-situated near the border with Germany, and is the ideal starting point for discovering the Šumava and Bavarian Forest, with the town of Bayerisch Eisenstein right across the border. It once Railway station in Železná Ruda – Alžbětín formed a single community with Železná Ruda, as seen by its large, common train station. Its monuments include the Church of Our Lady of Sucour of Hvězda on a six-pointed star ground plan, and the small reconstructed Chateau.

Šumava Museum in Železná Ruda Thanks to its rich museum exhibits, you can admire the craftsmanship of local glassmakers and the beauty of their fragile products. It also shares with visitors the hammer mill tradition. http://muzeum.sumava.net/

Museum of Historical Motorcycles In the erstwhile Nothaft chateau from the late-17th century, just recently reconstructed, there is a historical motorcycle exhibit with many uniquely preserved “choppers”. It also features many happy puppets. You can also see the exhibit History of Skiing around Železná Ruda or the geological exhibit Czech Crater. www.historicke-moto.cz

Pancíř At the top of Pancíř (1,214 m ASL), accessible from Železná Ruda by the blue hiking route, there is a mountain chalet with lookout tower from 1923. A cable car from Špičák also runs here.

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VELKÝ JAVOR

Velký Javor

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Železná Ruda – Bayerisch Eisenstein – Velké a Malé Javorské jezero – Velký Javor – Železná Ruda Start and destination: Železná Ruda Length: 20 km Characteristics of route: moderately difficult route with long ascents and decent by a rocky lake wall

This classic mountaintop ascent leads to the highest point of the entire Šumava, beyond which it essentially heads to the German side, known as the Bavarian Forest. Thanks to the many border crossings along road and hiking routes, the romantic landscape of the Bavarian Forest is easy to get to for Czech travelers too. Visiting two glacial lakes will only enhance your experience in the captivating natural scenery. A natural starting point for this trip could be the border railway crossing Železná Ruda – Bayerisch Eisenstein. The border here runs smack dab in the middle of the railway station, commonly used from its inception. Closed off behind the Iron Curtain, the building fell to waste, but post-Velvet Revolution reconstruction gave it a new life. It now holds Šumava and Bavarian Forest national park information centers. An interesting railway museum is also found on the Bavarian side. The red hiking route leads from Bayerisch Eisenstein, along which you will ascend for around 5 km to the saddle Brennes. A road leads right to this popular winter center, offering nice downhill ski slopes and pleasant accommodations. Just here starts the most used route to the top of Velký Javor. First however, the red hiking route descends

View from Velký Javor on Czech side

On top of Velký Javor

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around the secluded Mooshütte to Malé Javorské jezero (Kleiner Arbersee) at Javor’s northern base. One of eight Šumava glacial lakes lies at 925 m ASL with a surface area of just under 10 ha. A hiking route circuit lets you get a good look at it. One thing you will wonder about is the floating peat island. From the dam, the red route rises steeply to the ski slopes. Leveling off a bit, it leads you to the glassencased Eisensteiner Hütte restaurant below the summit. Traditional Bavarian music may join the panorama in accompanying your meal. Nearby is another restaurant, Arberschutzhaus, and the upper cable car station. It runs year round and provides a less demanding way to reach the summit. Several foot trails lead to Velký Javor itself. The cone-shaped summit has four rocky ridges running from it. The highest ridge is indicated by a wooden cross. From the sprawling peak awash with rock formations, radar towers and a meteorological station, an unforgettable 360° view unfolds before, including Železná Ruda and Velký Ostrý Mountain with border ridge. Also found here is St. Bartholomew Chapel, the destination of August pilgrimages. The descent along the red route is very attractive with open views. The route runs by the cirque wall of Velké Javorské Lake with difficult, rocky terrain...best to attempt in good weather with quality boots. You can also descend to the lake along the easier green route, but the experience is not quite the same. Velké Javorské Lake is also glacial in origin, spreading out at an elevation of 934 m ASL, with size of 8 ha and depth of 16 m. A floating peat peninsula protrudes out of the water under the lake wall. You can walk around the lake for a bottom view of the lake wall and Javor’s peak. On the other side, the lake has been influenced much more by mankind, with parking lot, large restaurant, boat rentals and other services. Return along the green long-distance route E-6, which descends through the forest past the Arberhütte glassworks to Bayerisch-Eisenstein.

BAYERISCH EISENSTEIN This town in the Velká Řezná river valley just beneath Velký Javor attracts visitors as a center for winter sports and air baths. Its 16th-century birth is linked to the opening of an iron mine and smith’s workshop. Glassmaking then developed dramatically here to its peak in the late-19th century, when around 20 glassworks operated. The city’s key monument is the 17thcentury Baroque Church of St John of Nepomuk. Railway Museum In the local glassworks (Grenzglashütte), you can enjoy Thursday to Sunday afternoon glass-making demonstrations. You can purchase glass items and try the local beer (www.grenzglashuette.info). In the railway museum (Localbahnmuseum), you’ll see over 20 vintage rail cars and locomotives that chugged along Bavarian rail lines for over a century. Rides are also offered here on a historical train. www.bayerisch-eisenstein.de

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AROUND HARTMANICE

Synagogue in Hartmanice

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Annín – Hartmanice – Dobrá Voda – Březník and back Start and destination: Hartmanice Length: 9 km Characteristics of route: not a very long route with mountain ascent to 1,000 m ASL

This trip combines a stay outdoors, physical activity culminating in a mountain climb, and the chance to contemplate the rich historical events that have left their mark on the local region. The route starts in the resort Annín in the Otava river valley, easy to get to along the road from Sušice. One of the first glassworks making crystal opened here in 1796, later producing rose and colored glass as well. Today a glass cutting room operates here, available for organized excursions. The red route leads from the village to the top of Mouřenec Hill (617 m ASL), with late-Romanesque St. Maurice Church from the turn of the 13th century. From here on, you can rely entirely on the Vintíř Trail signs. This cross-border trail leads along one of the oldest trade routes from Bavaria to Bohemia, and should connect Bavaria’s Niederaltaich and Prague in the future. It is a reminder of the Benedictine monk and Former glassworks in Annín missionary Gunther (Vintíř), whose work in the Šumava is supported by historical records and legends. He is buried in Prague’s Břevnov Monastery. It first leads you to Palvinov and Kundratice, the site of a chateau that is closed to the public. The nature trail links to the blue Klostermann Trail, explaining the legacy of the Šumava writer Karl Klostermann (1848–1923) over its 43 km length between Volyně and Hartmanice. Hartmanice itself is another stop along this journey. This historical town lies at the foot of Hamižná Mountain (853 m ASL). Its location and tourist offer entices visitors in and out of summer, known as a starting point for various interesting excursions. A small ski resort is open in winter with a slope just right for families. Less then a kilometer from Hartmanice lies the Hamižná Nature Trail, presenting the local environment. If you decide to climb Hamižná (3 km), you will encounter for example overgrown gold Baroque ossuary at cemetery in Mouřenec near Annín

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mining pits, an interesting little chapel or Ochranářský koutek with cabin, fire pit, drinking water well and resting spot. There is also an approach to the top. After almost 2 km you will arrive in the small village of Dobrá Voda. A native son of significant importance was the Jewish historian and rabbi Dr. Šimon Adler, who perished in Auschwitz in 1944. The museum bears his name, which not only shares Adler’s accomplishments and fate in life, but also the culture and religion of Jews residing along the entire Western Bohemia borderlands (www.zcm.cz). The last stage of this journey is an ascent of the impressive mountain Březník (1,006 m ASL), with rocky ridge top offering great vistas.

HARTMANICE The original settlement arose in the 14th century at the so-called Březník Trail linking Bavaria and Bohemia. Locals lived off of collected duties, but also from gold mining on Hamižná Mountain and surroundings. However, the

Village green in Hartmanice with Church of St. Catherine

Thirty Years War halted development of this royal mining town. Note the impressive Church of St. Catherine with 18th-century Baroque appearance. The square has a typical Šumava building from the 19th century with gable gallery (house no. 37). The 1883 synagogue is a reminder of the local Jewish community.

DOBRÁ VODA The early-18th century Church of St. Gunther is the world’s only church consecrated to this saint. It served as a military warehouse during communism and fell to ruin, only to be reconstructed in the 1990s. Glass designer Vladimíra Tesařová created its uncommon adornment, including a large glass altar, fourteen glass sculptures with Stations of the Cross theme and a life-size statue of St. Gunther. Tours of the church can be arranged with the museum. The town holds a biannual pilgrimage on the second Sunday after Holy Ghost Feast Day and the anniversary of St. Gunther’s death (October 9). Above the village on the side of Březník stands the St. Gunther Chapel, allegedly at the spot on where he had his hermitage. www.sumavanet.cz/ichartmanice/ Glass altar

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PRÁŠILY – MODRAVA

Lookout tower atop Poledník

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Prášily – Prášil Lake – Poledník – Modrava Start: Prášily Destination: Modrava Length: 18 km Characteristics of route: moderately difficult route by a maintained ski trail, ascent of Poledník

The Šumava in the winter are a mecca for skiers. Several well-equipped ski resorts are found here with dozens of kilometers of maintained cross-country ski trails. Cross-country skiing combines physical activity with seeing the wonders of nature, and resting points are found at interesting locations. The first part takes you along the popular Šumava Trail, over 100 km of maintained trail linking Železná Ruda and Lipno, thus practically enabling skiers to cross the entire range. Prášily at 870 m ASL offers lodging and makes for an ideal starting point for skiing the trails. The route rises slightly through Slunečná to the Liščí díry crossroads. Nearby is the sprawling Prášily Lake, bordered by a 9 m high artificial mound and two moraines. A cirque wall towers above the water with rock cabins and stone seas. One of the smaller glacial Šumava lakes, it has an area of 3.7 ha and maximum depth of 15 m. Along the trail to the crossroads Předěl, you will be challenged to ascend Poledník (1,315 m ASL). A somewhat strange cement tower stands on top, used by the army in this once inaccessible military zone. Now the lookout tower with platform at 30 m above the ground is used in the summer. After returning to Předěl, the trail descends to the Bavarian Trail, and steeply down around Oblík to the former Javoří sawmill. Now the final leg lets you enjoy a peaceful, panoramic ride along Javoří and then to Roklanský Stream, which leads to the former fishing hamlet Modrava (985 m ASL).

Relaxation in the Roklanský stream valley

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PRÁŠILY

Winter at Prášil Lake

The town came into existence in the mid-18th century with the founding of glassworks, followed by a paper mill. During communism, the town found itself inside a military zone, but has since reignited its First Republic tradition as a popular tourism center. There are many destinations to explore that are within reach of even families with young children. On the way to Hartmanice, you can see in the summer a replica of a Celt settlement, including reconstructions of various structures. Here you will learn of the life and crafts of our land’s past inhabitants. www.archeoparkprasily.cz

MODRAVA Numerous trails criss-cross the heart of the Šumava here, used by hikers, cyclists and cross-country skiers alike. The picturesque town holds true gems of mountain architecture. One is the Klostermann cottage from 1924 by Bohuslav Fuchs and the erstwhile Bienert sawmill.

Timber Trade Visitors Center Through the interactive exhibit, you can learn a lot about the area’s traditional natural material and how it is processed. There are various wooden products on display as well as toys; children can attend creative courses.

SRNÍ The former timber settlement is now a popular tourism center with the potential for many interesting hikes, bike rides or cross-country skiing. The Church of the Most Holy Trinity is from the early19th century, and many folk architecture buildings still stand. These are alpine-style log cabins built upon stone foundations and protected with shingled walls. Especially noteworthy is house no. 46, where writer Karel Klostermann resided with relatives, bringing to Srní the setting of some of his novels.

Church of the Most Holy Trinity

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ALONG THE VYDRA

Dramatic Vydra River

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Antýgl – Turner Cottage – Čeňkova Pila Common map with route 16 on page 61 Start: Antýgl Destination: Čeňkova Pila Length: 7 km Characteristics of route: easy route downhill all the way conceived for disabled persons in wheel chairs or families with a baby carriage.

Several routes were built in Šumava National Park designed to give disabled citizens the courage to visit the area. The beautiful nature surroundings entice families with baby carriages too. The selected route between Antýgl and Čeňkova Pila enables easy access to one of the most popular Šumava localities. It mainly features the rocky river Vydra, whose entire length is characterized by unchained beauty and a certain easiness. (This route requires moving an accompanying vehicle from Antýgl to Čeňkova Pila – returning uphill in a wheelchair or with a baby carriage against the Vydra’s current would be difficult.) You start in Antýgl, a sprawling royal courtyard found in the meanders of the Vydra along the road from Srní to Modrava. It is possible to park in the adjacent camp, where there is reserved handicapped parking and a portable toilet. From here, the route leads around 150 m along the road to the bridge, then continues along a hardened sand path beside the Vydra, a part of the Povydří Nature Trail. Cycling along it is prohibited. Though you reach seven stops between Antýgl and Čeňkova Pila going in the opposite direction, you can still learn a lot about the river and countryside. You will also enjoy lovely views of the boulder-filled bed of the mountain river. The initially calm river flow then gradually changes into a wild roaring canyon where water seeks out its way between huge granite boulders, creating white water and several small waterfalls. The route descends along its entire length, so no worries exist about having to push. After around 4 km you arrive at Turner’s Cottage, a pleasant stop for rest and refreshments. Of course assistance will be necessary, since the building is not wheelchair accessible. The cottage

Turner Cottage

Path along the Vydra

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is unique because it is the only one open to the public in the national park’s 1st protection zone. The original building here was built in 1864-67 to facilitate timber extraction. Its appearance came decades later and its function changed to that of solely recreation. It offers a restaurant and lodging. Children will especially enjoy petting the otter Míša, the star of a popular children’s TV series about otters. From Turner Cottage, the route heads downward gently, ending after three kilometers in Čeňkova Pila, a settlement on the confluence of the Vydra and Křemelná forming the Otava.

ANTÝGL In the pretty Vydra river valley lies a former royal courtyard whose history reaches back to around 1500. In the years 1523-1818, a glassworks operated here, producing hollow glass and glass beads for rosaries - called páteříky. The glassworks had only one furnace (“ein Tiegel”), hence the name. After the smelting plant closed, the timber building became an inn. The large historical courtyard is formed of a group Antýgl of brick and wood structures, farm worker’s house, barns and a chapel. The building has a semi-hipped shingle roof, wide, low gables with carved image in the frame and folding shutters. The bell and chapel are typical for royal courtyards. Today, Antýgl is a key hiking and cycling route crossroads, and cross-country ski trails abound in winter. You can seek lodging in a camp with refreshment stand and grocery. About 2 km against the current of the Vydra towards Modrava, you can link up along a gateway bridge to the start of the Vchynice-Tetov Canal. This canal from the turn of the 19th century by design of engineer Josef Rosenauer circumvented the rocky Vydra river course in order to float timber. http://antygl.ceskehory.cz

ČEŇKOVA PILA Čeněk Bubeníček, founder of the settlement, built a sawmill here in 1868-70 to process local timber. It was rebuilt in 1912 into a still-functioning hydroelectric plant. The Vydra Power Plant was added in the 1930s and also still operates. In the Čeňkova pila hydroelectric plant, you can see the exhibit Šumava Energy and admire the original machinery. Bedřich Smetana visited the sawmill in 1867, and planted the so-called Smetana’s Spruce. http://cenkova-pila.ceskehory.cz Čeňkova Pila

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NAVIGATING THE VYDRA AND OTAVA

Boaters below Čeňkova Pila

Modrava – Antýgl; Čeňkova Pila – Rejštejn Start: Modrava Destination: Rejštejn Length: 9.9 km, around 2 hours Characteristics of route: in light of the fast waters and characteristics, both sections are geared towards experienced boaters Difficulty: Vydra – WW III, Otava – WWW II–III

One of the most exhilarating ways of getting to know the Šumava is by floating down mountain rivers into the national park. Besides the Vltava’s upper flow, this activity is also enjoyed at two sections - on the Vydra and the Otava. While upholding all conditions for protecting this beautiful nature, you will experience the lovely Šumava from an utterly exceptional perspective. The Vydra runs through a narrow canyon valley carved out by erosion. The section from Modrava to Antýgl is usually navigable on weekends from March 15 to the end of May (8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.), but only by canoe or kayak. There must be sufficient water to navigate over the boulder-filled river bed. Then boaters encounter fast whitewater over a long descent. Therefore, only experienced boaters with the right equipment should take part. One rule of boating in the national park is to board or deboard

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only in designated places. The starting point for taking on the Vydra is at the parking lot in Modrava at the confluence of Modravský and Roklanský streams. For stopping and resting, you can use the station at the gateway bridge nicknamed rechle. The Vchynice-Tetov Canal starting below the former settlement by the same name was designed to float timber from the Schwarzenberg family forests. The bridge, whose road connects Rokyta with Modrava, had a system of poles to snag the logs and direct them into the canal. Navigating the canal is prohibited. The river route continues to Antýgl, where it ends in a camp on the right bank in front of the footbridge. The Vydra’s next section between Antýgl and Čeňkova Pila is unnavigable; it is part of the national park’s 1st protection zone. At Čeňkova Pila, waters of the Vydra and Křemelná flow together to form the Otava. Only experienced boaters should attempt to navigate the river section within the national park to Rejštejn - this is certainly not for beginners. The boating season is from March 15 to the end of October (8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.), and there are no restrictions on the type of vessel. Boaters may not land here either, especially on the left bank because the river forms the boundary of the national park’s 1st protection zone. The starting point is just under the confluence, and after about 2 km, Paulina louka meadow appears. In a pretty cove where rafts were once bound, there is a scout camp with primitive public campground. You can pitch a tent here and have a campfire, and it has a dry toilet and washroom. The starting point of the section in the national park is the confluence of the Otava and Losenice in Rejštejn. The river runs past the city through a protected landscape area with unregulated boating. Here too, all visitors must behave in an environmentally responsible manner.

REJŠTEJN Gold was once extracted from rivers and mines near the town, and in 1584, Rudolf II elevated it to a royal mining town, whose rights put it on the same level as nearby Kašperské Hory. These times are seen in the bowls carved into the boulders standing on the square by the information board, used in medieval times to extract gold from quartz. In these bowls, the gold-bearing quartz was ground with mercury to render pure gold. By the 17th century, gold extraction had withered and was gradually replaced by glassmaking. The dominant feature here in Rejštejn is the 16th-century St. Bartholomew Church, restored in 1792. A Gothic bell from the 14th century hangs in its dome.

www.sumava.net/rejstejn/

Full view of Rejštejn

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ŠUMAVA PLAINS

Jezerní slať

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Kašperské Hory – Nicov – Zadov – Jezerní slať – Horská Kvilda – Rejštejn – Klášterský Mlýn Start and destination: Kašperské Hory Length: 50 km Characteristics of route: the circuit leads along roads, also suitable for road bikes

Cyclists will certainly enjoy the terrain around Kvilda with plains forming a plateau at 1,000 m ASL. This mildly undulating landscape above which rounded mountaintops stretch promises not only pleasant physical exercise but also an aesthetic thrill you won’t forget. The route begins in Kašperské Hory and from 740 m ASL, it first rises to Nicov with late-Romanesque Church of St. Martin from the 13th century. Your travels then lead you to the lower station of the cable car on Churáňov, part of the second-largest ski resort in the Šumava. The Zadov ski complex offers seven downhill slopes of 4.5 km in length and around 50 km of maintained cross-country ski trails (www.lazadov.cz). Adrenaline sports lovers can challenge the obstacles of the rope center found under the hill Churáňovský vrch. In the next leg of your journey, you will rise again through Nový Dvůr to the orientation point Pláně at 1,080 m ASL. Through slightly undulating terrain with long, gentle descents, you will arrive at Jezerní slať. Peat bogs are amongst the country’s coolest places. You can admire it along a short nature trail and from a two-story lookout tower. Cross the pretty meadow to the settlement Horská Kvilda, where many hiking routes converge. From the former hamlet Zhůří (1,140 m ASL), a long descent takes you down to Rejštejn (570 m ASL), an old Otava gold panning site. The 17th century saw a decline in this, gradually replaced by glassmaking. The dominant feature here in Rejštejn is the 16th-century St. Bartholomew Church, restored in 1792. A Gothic bell from the 14th century hangs in its dome. The settlement Klášterský Mlýn once had a glassworks that earned a reputation internationally.

Rope center in Zadov

Spaun Villa in Klášterský Mlýn

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KAŠPERSKÉ HORY The former royal mining town lies at the boundary of the Šumava and their foothills. Gold-mining developed greatly in the Middle Ages, with several dozens mines in operation by the 15th century. Later on, precious metal production was replaced by trade, glassmaking and wood production. Today Kašperské Hory and its surroundings are an appealing tourist destination. The city’s noteworthy monuments include an exquisite town hall with three distinct Baroque gables.

Town hall in Kašperské Hory

Šumava Museum in Kašperské Hory The permanent exhibition of the local museum focuses on the glassmaking tradition. It features a large collection of famed Secession glass from Klášterský Mlýn. http://muzeum.sumava.net

Museum of Historical Motorcycles In Kašperské Hory, visitors can also tour a valuable collection of unique motorcycles, historical bicycles and several automobiles. Displayed here are historical baby carriages and a large collection of traditional Czech toys. www.historicke-moto.cz

Nature trails around Kašperské Hory If you want to become more familiar with the history of the local gold ore district, enjoy the 7.5 km nature trail Prospectors Trail that leads you through the mining fame of Kašperské Hory. The Border Guard Route (19.5 km) maps the history of guarding the provincial borders and life in these parts.

Castle Kašperk Charles IV had the nearby royal castle Karlsberg built in the mid-14th century to protect local mines and a branch of the Golden Road. You may admire the majestic position and architecture, and experience many interesting events here such as night tours, historical fencing performances or a theater presentation. www.kasperk.cz

Castle Kašperk as seen from Pustý hrádek

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SUŠICE – STACHY

Lookout tower on Sedlo

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Sušice – Sedlo – Nezdice na Šumavě – Javorník – Stachy Start: Sušice Destination: Stachy Length: 22 km Characteristics of route: relatively difficult route due to length and several ascents

This hike from the Šumava foothills begins in Sušice, offering various monuments and cultural events, as well as vital tourist services. This route features several remarkable hilltop vistas that lookout tower enthusiasts will love. It is also interesting for lovers of history, of which there is uncommon richness in many places. The red hiking route at the start of this excursion takes you on a roughly 7 km-long ascent. You will first see the city from the hill Žižkův vrch (619 m ASL), where a cast iron mug sits upon a stone base, honoring the famed Hussite commander, Jan Žižka. Past the hamlets Záluží and Albrechtice, the forest path rises sharply to the top of the sprawling mountain Sedlo (902 m ASL). Visible from far and wide, it features numerous rock formations and lovely mountaintop scenery. Visitors will take pleasure in the modern wooden lookout tower built in 2009 and designed by architect Pavel Ullman (www.rozhledna-nasedle.cz). Its lookout platform at 24 m offers a great view mainly of the southern Šumava

View of Sušice from hill Žižkův vrch

The Chapel of St. St. Anthony of Padua on Javornik

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massif. Sedlo also bears traces of a Celt oppidum from the 2nd to 1st century BCE. The Celts panned for gold in the nearby Otava and built a stronghold here to protect themselves, making natural use of the rock walls and adding mounds. Over undulating terrain, the route opens up to two exposed crossroads, where the red route meets with two other routes, along which you can go to explore the royal castle Kašperk. This planned route however continues along the green route in the opposite direction towards Nezdice na Šumavě. The village has a small downhill ski complex. Following the green route, you will reach the town of Strašín with the limestone Strašín Cave (closed to the public). Then take the yellow route to Pohorska, or shorten the trip by taking the road without a marked route. After around 4 km, you will start your ascent of the mountain Javorník (1,065 m ASL). A stone lookout tower was built at its top in 1938, designed by architect Karl Hour, who had already designed the tower on Svatobor near Sušice. Shortly after the takeover of the Sudetenland, Javorník became the highest point in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. In 2003, the Karl Klostermann Lookout Tower was rebuilt and creatively raised up to 39 m to provide a panorama above the treetops. As you head down to the village of Javorník, you will pass the Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua on an oval layout, built in 1939. In Javorník, mainly young families come each winter to the ski complex. A noteworthy structure here is Švehla cabin, once a government facility from 1939. Take the yellow route to Úbislav, where a relaxing camp lies beside a pond, and at the closing segment of this journey, enjoy a visit to the mountain town Stachy.

SUŠICE The history of this erstwhile royal city reaches back to the first half of the 13th century by a settlement founded in the gold panning days. Today, Sušice, situated on the river Otava and the edge of the Šumava National Park, is a fantastic starting point for countless hiking, biking and boating adventures. Of course you have plenty to experience just by strolling through the town. It features remnants of Gothic walls and a series of quaint Renaissance and Nativity scene in the Šumava Museum Baroque houses on the square. One of them holds the Museum of the Šumava, including one of the country‘s largest mechanical nativity scenes and the exhibit on matchmaking, a vital tradition here in Sušice. Also remarkable is its majestic town hall, rebuilt in 1850, and the Church of St. Wenceslas, originally a Gothic basilica from the 14th century. Above the city on the hill called Stráž stands the early Baroque Chapel of the Guardian Angel with cloisters. Lovers of active entertainment are sure to head to the great outdoor center Offpark, where, besides the rope park, they can try other adrenaline-pumping activities. www.sumava.net/susice

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TO THE BOGS

Chalupsk獺 sla聽

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a, Horská Kvilda – Jezerní slať b, Svinná Lada – Chalupská slať Start and destination: Horská Kvilda / Svinná Lada Length: 1 + 1.5 km Characteristics of route: two short excursions mainly along boardwalks built above bogs.

One of the Šumava’s natural characteristics is the abundant presence of peat bogs, whether up on the plains or in the valleys of the Vltava and other rivers. They are usually protected for the value of their original plant species, which include various bryophytes, dwarf pine, spruce, dwarf birch, bog pine, hare’s-tail cottongrass, common sundew and others. Certain moors are very easy for all groups of tourists to get to thanks to boardwalks built over top of them. Here are two of them that are rather close to each other. First you can explore Jezerní slať. The starting point is at a small parking lot by the road beyond Horská Kvilda. It has a handicapped parking spot and portable toilet. Take the slightly descending sandy path from here for around 250 meters and you will come to a wooden boardwalk. The pleasant, wide boardwalk takes you to the middle of the peat bog Jezerní slať, rendering a view of the upland bog between the dwarf pines. Jezerní slať at the Otava and Vltava watershed is over 100 ha in size and partially drained with artificial trenches in the past to extract peat. The nature trail information boards describe the process of peat formation and its natural conditions. Hikers can get a better view from the small lookout tower. Your “bog excursion” continues by car to Kvilda, where you can visit the NP Šumava infocenter with wheelchair-accessible toilet, though due to it size is more designed for lighter wheelchairs. After around 7 km, you will arrive at the settlement Svinná Lada, a starting point for hikes to Chalupská slať. It starts at the parking lot that also has a portable wheelchair accessible toilet. You first ascend 200 m at a gentle pace along the rough asphalt path that leads to the wooden boardwalk. This time the boardwalk is only 120 cm wide and built around 30 cm above

View of Jezerní slať

Information center in Kvilda

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the bog surface. Battens line the boardwalk on the edges in its entire length, enabling surer footing even if the surface is damp. At the end, enjoy the spectacular view of the bog and lake; it is one of the largest upland peat bogs (1.3 ha). Peat was also extracted from Chalupská slať (137 ha), and traces of human activity are still evident. The Šumava National Park also has an information center with facilities in the hamlet Svinná Lada. It was recently reconstructed, and provides a fresh concept in presenting Šumava peat bogs. All visitors, including those with visual, hearing and physical impairments, can get to know the exhibits.

HORSKÁ KVILDA

Pollauf‘s Inn

The village’s roughly 30 buildings are spread out over a small forested plateau; it is one of the country’s highest-elevated villages (up to 1,090 m ASL). The thick forests surrounding it brim with bogs, where many streams get their start. Rising above this undulating plateau is the mountain Sokol (aka Antýgl, 1,253 m ASL). Hiking, cycling and cross-country ski trails converge here, but Horská Kvilda is more of a peaceful Šumava resort. One of the former settlement’s historical buildings is now a hotel. www.horskakvilda.eu

KVILDA This village along the Golden Road’s Kašperské hory branch is probably from the 16th century. It is now a holiday resort with nice options for lodging. One noteworthy monument is the Neo-Gothic Church of St. Stephen, consecrated in 1894, which holds mass and occasional classical music concerts. It has a partially shingled façade for weather protection. By Kvildský Stream you can see piles of washed material - accumulations from the goldpanning days. The town museum presents the history of Kvilda and its surroundings. A large quantity of varied interesting exhibits speaks of the way of life and work of local inhabitants.

www.sumava.net/kvilda

Church of St. Steven

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FROM STRÁŽNÝ VIA THE GERMAN ŠUMAVA (BAVARIAN FOREST)

Parish Church of St. Charles of Borromeo in Philippsreut

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Strážný – Philippsreut – Finsterau – Bučina – Knížecí Pláně Start and destination: Strážný Length: 42 km Characteristics of route: moderate route mainly along asphalt roads, several challenging ascents

The town of Strážný (830 m ASL) attracts both downhill and cross-country skiers in winter, and is a great starting point for summer cycling adventures. Its advantageous position by the national border, enables easy access to the Bavarian Šumava to experience their attractions. The green cycle route first heads from Strážný southward to the border, partly along a busy road. On the German side, you will ascend through forests up to nearly 1,000 m ASL. In Philippsreut stands the remarkable Church of St. Charles Borromeo made from bare stone. Standing here is a copy of the Stožec Chapel Tusset kapelle, built by displaced residents of Czech-side Šumava towns and villages in 1985. The chapel is open every day (www.tussetkapelle.de). The route then continues westward along the border. Along a side road, you will gradually ascend with the marked cycle route no. 5, and enjoy the lovely borderland views along the right. You will arrive at Mitterfirmiansreut under Almberg Mountain (1,106 m ASL), where a popular ski complex spreads out

Chalet on Knížecí Pláně

Path along Hraniční Stream near Strážný

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with downhill slopes of overall length of 10 km. A long descent awaits you to the picturesque and deep valley of Sausswasser Stream, and then a rise in a big loop again up to nearly a kilometer above the sea. The hamlet Finsterau was founded at the turn of the 18th century along the Kašperské Hory branch of the Golden Road. The greatest attraction here is the vast open-air museum found around 500 m from the center. This journey’s route then slightly rises to the north back to the Czech side. A bit beyond the border you arrive at the former village of Bučina left behind after the expulsion of German inhabitants. Today, you can admire the restored chapel and utilize the tourist rest facilities with information boards. There is also a replica of part of the signal wall as a reminder of how the Iron Curtain really looked along the western border under the totalitarian Czechoslovak regime. Along the red cycle route no. 102, you will descend along a rough asphalt road with certain steep and dangerous sections to Knížecí Pláň. Next to nothing exists of this once large and lively community, affected like many others by the closing off of the entire area. The final reminder is a restored cemetery and cross at the spot of a destroyed church. From the Žďárské sedýlko crossroads, you will have a pleasant descent in deep forests along the Deer Trail back to Strážný.

FINSTERAU In this town with typical dispersed built-up area is a church made of ashlar masonry built in 1910-12. Visitors should especially make time to tour the ethnographic museum and open-air museum of folk architecture (Freilichtsmuseum), to where dozens of 18th and 19th-century village structures were moved from various corners of the Bavarian Forest. The structures have preserved the spacing ”Raidlhaus“ in the Finsterau Open-Air Museum and character of a typical Šumava village. You can see the accessible interior areas up close, including a functioning roadside tavern. The museum, with various resident animals running around, holds holiday celebrations and craft markets. You’ll find more information at www.freilichtmuseum.de. This town’s location makes it ideal for cross-country skiing, with both classic maintained trails and a 2.4 km track. Summer in-line skaters also enjoy the complex with nice asphalt track. In the forests north of Finsterau lie timber-floating reservoirs from the mid-19th century (Reschbachklause and Teufelsbachklause), connected by the partially preserved canal (Schwellgraben) (1820-25). Nearby spreads the raised bog Finsterauer Filz, to which you can only get by walking. www.philippsreut.de

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VIMPERK – LENORA

Lookout tower on Boubín

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Vimperk – Boubín – Kubova Huť – Lenora Start: Vimperk Destination: Lenora Length: 20 km Characteristics of route: moderate route with open climb up Boubín Mountain

Vimperk is the place to start your mid-Šumava discoveries, with many ways to get here. As a center for tourism, the city is a starting point for many great excursion routes. Just beyond it lies great mountain hiking terrain beneath the massif of famous Boubín Mountain. The path gradually leads to the Teplá Vltava with distinct Šumava villages. You start at roughly 680 m ASL, first ascending to a knoll with the settlement Pravětín, from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city. The tiny village once had a glassworks. Beyond an even smaller hamlet - Veselka - the remaining path is forested. As you pass a gamekeeper’s lodge with accommodations, you start climbing Boubín (1,362 m ASL). Its rounded, sprawling top is the region’s dominant feature, and its fame comes as a reserve protecting part of the deep forest stands. The wooden lookout tower built in 2004 has made it all the more popular. Rising up an additional 21 meters, it even offers glimpses of the Alps in clear weather. Remarkably, the lookout tower was built without the use of heavy machinery, and a wooden walkway was built near the top. The protected territory of Boubín primeval forest (today a national nature reserve) on the mountainside was established back in 1858 out of 150 ha of woodlands that Schwarzenberg princes spared from forestry. Today the core of the territory with trees 400-500 years old is not publicly accessible, but a forested nature trail leads around it. From the top, you can take the blue hiking route down to the village Kubova Huť, lying in a deep saddle between Boubín and Obrovec. This summer and winter resort (small ski complex) is easily accessible by road, and it features

Lake Boubínské jezírko

”Rechle“ in Lenora

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the highest-elevated train stop in Bohemia (995 m ASL). Taking the blue route the other way down Boubín, you come to Boubínské jezírko. The small reservoir (0.4 ha) built in the 1830s served for over a century to float timber to the Lenora glassworks. Shortly beyond at the Amortovka crossroads, the green route branches off to Idina Pila, with NP Šumava information center and option to camp. Take the blue hiking route past the railway stop to the hamlet Zátoň and in another 2 km you will reach Lenora. Today’s Šumava resort and boater launching point arose by a glassworks founded in 1834. Interestingly, the village has a public bread oven from the first half of the 19th century; summers welcome public baking of bread, kolaches and flat cakes. A bit past Lenora, a late-18th century wooden covered bridge (rechle) spanning the Vltava was used in times of timber floating.

VIMPERK This city’s stature grew thanks to its location on a Golden Road branch in the 13th and 14th centuries, when trade ushered in development. Eventually, glassmaking and book-printing built a solid tradition here. The local castle, later rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau, saw 18th-century Baroque modifications. The chateau complex features the Haselburg artillery bastion from the 15th Chateau in Vimperk century. The city’s historical core spreads out over the opposite hill above the Volyňka River. It boasts the late-Gothic Church of the Visitation and several precious 16th-century townhouses, including the house U Jelena with Classicist façade. Much of the city’s Gothic fortification walls have been preserved. Vimperk is also proud of a structure by famous architect Leopold Bauer, the Secession Kralik Villa from 1905 (ul. 1. máje 180).

Vimperk Museum The museum found in part of the chateau presents the history and production of local crafts - glassmaking and book printing. It also extensively covers the Šumava National Park, which is managed from Vimperk itself. www.vimperk.cz

Golden Road Mini-museum The history of medieval trade in the Golden Road system is explained in detail in this museum on the square náměstí Svobody. It holds many period documents and other exhibits, rich photography and models. www.vimperk.cz

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GOLDEN ROAD

Chalet and lookout tower on LibĂn

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Volary – Zbytiny – Libínské Sedlo – Prachatice Start: Volary Destination: Prachatice Length: 24 km Characteristics of route: moderate route mainly along asphalt, one difficult ascent of Libín

This vital medieval trade route linked the area of the Salt Chamber in modern-day Austria with Bohemia’s interior. Mainly salt was brought in to Bohemia, but other desired goods included silk, expensive cloth, wine and exotic spices. Traded in return were goods such as grain, hops, beer and handicrafts, like Bohemia’s famous glass. The trade route had three main branches along the German borderlands - Prachatice, Vimperk and Kašperské hory. And between Volary and Prachatice, you can still see remnants of the Golden Road such as deep hollows and terrain indentations. A 33 km nature trail with 12 information stops leads curious visitors through here. It is mostly geared towards hiking, but cyclists can also navigate most of it. It starts from Volary northeastward along cycle route no. 1055, but first along the road to Prachatice. While gently ascending, take in the spectacular natural panoramas. Soon the route veers off onto a hardened path that leads to the crossroads Svatá Magdaléna at 820 m ASL. Nearby, you can admire the lone-standing Baroque Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Architect Antonio Martinelli created the blueprints for redesigning this original chapel in the mid-18th century. The church, reconstructed in the 1990s, is a reminder of the former glassmaking village that ceased to exist after WWII. Continue along the asphalt path to Zbytiny at roughly the same elevation. This 14th century village lies along the Volary – Prachatice railroad line. The originally Gothic Church of St. Vitus from the same time was restored after an early-18th century fire. Your journey continues from Zbytiny along the road to Blažejovice, but after a short ascent it turns right onto the cycle route, undulating through thick forests to the crossroads U Sedélka. A certain thrill awaits those ready to climb Libín (1,096 m ASL) along an asphalt forest path. The difficult climb is not without rewards: refreshments in the chalet – and after climbing the 27 m high lookout tower from 1883, an awesome view of the south and middle Šumava. If you still have energy, you can try to conquer the obstacles in the rope park here. Below Libín you will walk through the village Libínské Sedlo, lying along the main road to Prachatice. A branch of the Golden Road once ran through here, as evidenced by St. Anne’s Church from the 15th century, later restored in Baroque fashion. Pastures near Libínské Sedlo

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The final section to Prachatice is all downhill from here. You will take a specially built cycling route until you reach the city limits, where you link to the road leading to the center. At the Prachatice train station, you can take a train back to Volary.

VOLARY

House in Volary

The city was founded during 14th-century colonization of the Šumava. It thrived thanks to trade along the Prachatice branch of the Golden Road. Here Volary served as an important stopover for traders with donkeys. Cattle herders from Styria and Tyrol settled here in the 16th century. They introduced a new breeding method and specifically influenced the locals with their customs, dress and Alpine building style. They built typical

wooden farmsteads, where the entire place was concentrated under one roof - living quarters and utility areas both. Only a few such farmsteads still exist, and you can see one when visiting the Volary Museum. The square’s dominant feature is the early Baroque Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria, built in 1669-90 by design of Jan Canevalle. www.mestovolary.cz

PRACHATICE Prachatice also dates back to the early 14th century; its location along the Golden Road soon earned it a series of privileges. The city mainly flourished in the 16th century, when it underwent extensive Renaissance redesign. The Thirty Years War initiated a long era of stagnation in Prachatice, which at least maintained its old look and charm. Classic monuments include the Gothic Church of St. James the Greater and the Renaissance town hall completed in 1571. The city walls are also partially in tact, as are a series of Gothic and Renaissance homes with sgraffito adornment. One of the prettiest is the Sitr House, restored in Renaissance fashion in 1604, today home to the Prachatice Museum. Besides others, you can see an exhibit dedicated to the Golden Road (www.prachatickemuzeum.cz). Awaiting your visit on the square is the uncommon Museum of Czech Puppets and Circus. www.kisprachatice.cz

Golden Road Celebration

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STRÁŽNÝ – ZADNÍ ZVONKOVÁ

Cross-country skiing on the Šumava Trail

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Strážný – Nové Údolí – Schwarzenberg Canal – Plešné jezero – Zadní Zvonková Start: Strážný Destination: Zadní Zvonková Length: 30 km Characteristics of route: relatively long marked route through easy terrain

Another cross-country skiing adventure planned for the entire day, where the Šumava Trail can be considered the last leg. Skiers ski through the range’s southern part, getting to know the scenery along the Teplá and Studená Vltava Rivers to the upper part of Lipno Reservoir. This makes for an attractive route for many due to fewer people in general and quieter feel compared to the one explained above. From Strážný (810 m ASL), where you can find overnight lodging, the route heads to the Bohemian-Bavarian border. It runs through the former settlements of Horní Cazov, Mlaka and Krásná Hora, all lost in the 1950s when the border zone closed. This unwooded trail offering captivating panoramas leads you to Nové Údolí. The former logging village fell to ruin with the onset of the Iron Curtain, but has been a popular tourist destination since 1989. Czech trains again travel here from Černý Kříž, but no service runs to Germany because the route was dismantled. You will rise to the Schwarzenberg Canal, then after around 5 km of flat terrain, you will ski up to the Hučina crossroads. The terrain begins to undulate at Říjiště and the last downhill leg takes you to Josefův Důl. You finish along the canal to Zadní Zvonková, where the Šumava Trail ends, but this location is a starting point for further trails leading to interesting points in Austria. The only things left here are the Neo-Gothic Church of St. John of Nepomuk and an old news stand, where the Zvonková Museum is found, ready to share the local history. You can branch off from the route to Plešné Lake (7.5 ha) at the foot of Plechý Mountain (1,378 m ASL). The glacier here topped a frontal moraine 30-40 m high, and an over 200 m high rock wall curves around the lake. A monument to writer Adalbert Stifter stands on the slope above the lake.

Interior of church in Zadní Zvonková

Plešné Lake

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STRÁŽNÝ A branch of the Golden Road ran through the deep forests here in the Middle Ages, linking Bavaria’s Passau with Bohemia’s interior. The 14th-century Kunžvart Castle guarded the road and is one of the nation’s highest-elevated castles (1,115 m ASL). Remnants remain of the residential tower. Two downhill ski slopes are open in winter, as are maintained cross-country ski trails. www.strazny.cz

NOVÉ ÚDOLÍ

River Studená Vltava near Nové Údolí

The lacking track is being replaced thanks to a project by enthusiasts, who, along an original rail embankment, have opened a 105 m long section of railway, where you can cross the national border by steam locomotive replica or hand car. A small museum inside the exhibited wagons highlights the Šumava railway history. Another wagon holds a little tavern, one of the few places for refreshments. www.noveudoli.eu

SCHWARZENBERG CANAL This unique canal connects the Vltava and Danube river basins. It was built in 1789-1822 by design of Schwarzenberg engineer Josef Rosenauer. The 52 km long canal was used to float logs out of the Šumava forests. Its builders faced a number of obstacles, such as having to dig a 419 m tunnel into the ridge Jelení hřbet, building an aqueduct in the Koňský stream valley, and raising the level of Plešné Lake by 3 m. The last timber float took place in 1916. Today, the canal is a rare technical monument, and timber floating demonstrations are held during tourist season. Detail of lower portal of the Schwarzenberg Canal

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SAILING THE SOUTH BOHEMIAN SEA

Largest Czech reservoir

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Lipno nad Vltavou – Přední Výtoň – Frymburk – Vítkův kámen – Dolní Vltavice Start and destination: Lipno nad Vltavou / Frymburk Length : up to 32 km Characteristics of route: pleasant outing with lots to see, great for all generations

A unique experience awaits you while boating along the largest Czech reservoir, Lipno, often called the “South Bohemian Sea”. Take in the free atmosphere of open waters and enjoy the pretty mountain scenery of the Šumava encircling the reservoir. Several resorts offer various sports activities, or you can rent a boat and get to know the reservoir up close. You can relax and enjoy Lipno on offered boat excursions with two circuits. The shorter is 22 km in length, starting at the marina Lipno nad Vltavou and heading to Přední Výtoň, Frymburk and Hruštice. After turning in the wider part with a great view of the Šumava, it continues to Vítkův hrádek. The longer circuit (32 km) continues from Frymburk to Dolní Vltavice and returns back around just before Radslaví. In the offer for boat excursions upon Lipno, you will find options for arranging a small feast during the “voyage” or night excursions with music and dance or some other program. The boat excursion season lasts from around mid-April to late October, and the boat rides out Boat excursion on Lipno with a minimum of 25 passengers.

LIPNO NAD VLTAVOU A large resort spreads out by the weir on the left side, sharing the name of the reservoir itself. Visitors here find outstanding tourist services all year round. Various water sports await them - swimming, windsurfing or yachting. There are also plenty of trails for cycling and hiking; in-line skaters will enjoy the skating track to Přední Výtoň 11 km in length. There is even a bobsled track and rope center. In the summer, you can use the services of the resort Marina with dock and accommodations, and there is a large motor camp. In the wintertime, have a great time

Marina Resort

at the Kramolín ski complex at the northern slopes of Slupečný vrch with chair lift, six downhill runs and a newly built snow park. Besides the slopes, there are around 50 km of

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maintained cross-country trails. Ice-skating is also popular upon the deep-frozen reservoir surface, also used by skiers. The water paradise Aquaworld operates year round. It features a water slide and counter-current, with Finnish sauna and swimming pool. An 18-hole golf course was built west of nearby Slupečná. www.lipnonadvltavou.cz

PŘEDNÍ VÝTOŇ In the popular tourist retreat, you will find from the erstwhile Paulanian monastery the Church of SS Philip and James from 1515-23. There is an attractive summer sports complex with a sandy beach - one of Lipno’s prettiest. The area has many hiking and cycling routes, along which you can experience the untouched natural beauty of the Šumava. The Svatý Tomáš settlement in Přední Výtoň has the mid-14th century pilgrimage Church of Corpus Christi. Church of SS Phillip and James in Přední Výtoň

www.prednivyton.cz

VÍTKŮV HRÁDEK At the top of Vítkův kámen leering over the Lipno dam lie the ruins of our highest-elevated castle (1,035 m ASL). The donjon-type castle with massive residential tower was abandoned in the 18th century.

FRYMBURK In Frymburk as well, you can enjoy activities in and out of the water. It has several interesting monuments, especially in and around the park. The dominant feature is the Church of St. Bartholomew, rebuilt in late-Gothic style in the mid-16th century. Standing here are one of Bohemia’s oldest Marian columns from 1635, a mid-17th century pillory and a monument made from Šumava boulders with relief of writer Adalbert Stifter. On the square in house no. 5, you can visit the local museum, the only such institution in the Lipno area. The town on the reservoir’s left bank connects to the opposite side by a seasonal ferry to Frýdava.

www.ifrymburk.info DOLNÍ VLTAVICE This originally German settlement has existed since the 13th century; the Church of St. Leonard was later built. A defensive wall encircled the settlement, serving to protect the population in times of strife. The greater part of Dolní Vltavice was flooded upon building the dam in 1952-59, and the village practically disappeared. Today its name only refers to the recreation camp on the left bank. A ferry here takes passengers to Kyselov on the other side (around 1.5 km).

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LEGEND - MAP OF EXCURSION ROUTES Castle; chateau; ruin Natural wonder; nature trail Water park, swimming pool; other monument Bike park, winter complex Museum; information Memorial tree; lookout tower Emergency camping in NP Šumava; option for stabling and lodging Hiking excursion; excursions for families, disabled persons in wheelchairs Cross-country skiing excursion; excursion on horseback Bike excursion, boat excursion Tour boat excursion

Route with number and direction of excursion

Marked hiking routes Marked horse trails

LEGEND – OVERVIEW Marked route based on excursion type

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PILSEN REGION BAVARIA

Upper Palatinate Forest Ĺ umava Northern Upper Palatinate Forest Nature Park Upper Palatinate Forest Nature Park Upper Bavarian Forest Nature Park Bavarian Forest Nature Park Bavarian Forest National Park

CZECH REPUBLIC

EUROPE

ŠUMAVA, UPPER PALATINATE FOREST AND BAVARIAN BORDER REGION 1st edition, 2012 photography: Jiří Koptík, Jaroslav Kocourek, Roman Dbalý, Dan Balogh, Filip Balogh, Václav Hynčík, Radovan Kodera, Alexander Vacek, Jan Hocek, Vladimír Kunc, Fotobanka.cz, Profimedia, Česká centrála cestovního ruchu, Muzeum Chodska, archiv NP Šumava, ITC Železná Ruda, Jik jik (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Trader301 (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Johan N (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Bermicourt (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Marie Abraham (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Viktor Fiala (Plzeň) (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Alois Köppl (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Karel Vovsík (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Pastorius (CC-BYSA-3.0), Adam Hauner (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Caroig (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Walter J. Pilsak (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Jitka Erbenová (CC-BY-SA-3.0), Ondřej Koníček (CC-BY-SA-3.0) text, maps, graphics, layout: freytag & berndt Praha printing: HART PRESS spol. s r.o. © freytag & berndt Praha

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This project TO THE PILSEN REGION IN SEARCH OF NATURE, TRADITIONS AND GASTRONOMY is co-financed by the European Union.