Looking for quiet, wild nature and stories written into the landscape? Český les is one of the last places where you can walk for hours through deep woodland without meeting crowds of tourists. Follow the traces of history along the legendary Zlatá stezka (the Golden Trail), discover the mysterious charm of vanished villages or enjoy a family walk in the Srdíčko game park in the company of grazing fallow deer. Whether you long for a demanding full-day trek across to your Bavarian neighbours or are looking for an easy route suitable for a pushchair, this raw and authentic region will win you over with its indescribable energy.
ZLATÁ STEZKA (THE GOLDEN TRAIL)
The Zlatá stezka has become an international route. As part of the Interreg project, a parallel route was built on the Czech side, 203 km long in the Plzeň Region and 86 km in South Bohemia. Connecting paths link the Czech sections with the trail on the German side. The border can be crossed at 13 points. In Germany, existing hiking trails are used; they are additionally marked with a blue “S” and integrated into the concept of the Zlatá stezka.
In the Bavarian Forest, the network of Golden Trails has been extended by several historic trade routes: the Bavarian Route (107 km), the Czech Route (51.7 km), the Vintíř Trail (71.8 km) and the Prachatice branch of the Zlatá stezka (39.1 km), almost 270 km of trails in total.
In the Upper Palatinate Forest, the individual sections are linked by existing blue trails, for example the Nurtschweg.
There is a dense network of connections on the Czech side as well. In the Plzeň Region there are seven cross-border crossing points, in South Bohemia five, plus two feeder routes. That means you can switch from the Golden Trail on the Bavarian side to the Czech route whenever you feel like it, with a total length of 289 km.
You can join the Zlatá stezka right by Resort Český les, as well as the pilgrim route of St James, leading all the way to Santiago de Compostela. Pilgrims are always welcome with us. We were glad to join the community portal. A bed for the pilgrim and, besides a good night's sleep, we always add something extra.
WALK THROUGH THE SRDÍČKO GAME PARK
4 km, 1.5 hours
This walk is a must have for all our guests. A restful stroll through the game park, past the Železný pond and the herds of fallow and red deer that hide away in the beech thickets or, just as often, stand beside you watching the sunset from one of the pastures. In the upper part of the park the path is reinforced with stone, while the lower stretch by the pond is gentle enough even for a pram. Climb all the way to the top of the park to the chapel of St Hubert, where a bench waits in the shade for you to gather strength for the way back.
WALK TO THE ŽELEZENSKÁ HUŤ GLASSWORKS AND BACK THROUGH THE SRDÍČKO GAME PARK
6 km, 1.5 - 2 hours
This is our most popular and most walked route, ideal for a morning or an afternoon, for a morning run or an evening walk towards the sunset. The route starts right on the village green in Železná and runs mostly in the shade of the forest, past the Srdíčko game park and the beaver dams as far as the vanished village of Eisendorfhütte - Eisendorfská huť, once a glassmaking settlement. On its site we now find a beautiful pilgrimage chapel. After a short climb the forest track brings you to the edge of the Srdíčko game park, and over a wooden stile you reach the chapel of St Hubert, where a bench with a view awaits you among the beeches. From there the way leads downhill along a firm stony track, and all that is left to do is admire the large herds of deer. The final stretch runs past the Železný pond and brings you almost to the door of your room.
WALK THROUGH THE VANISHED VILLAGES OF RUŠTEJN, WALDDORF AND EISENDORFSKÁ HUŤ
9 km, 2.5 hours
This fairly easy route, running mostly through the forest, will lead you through the vanished settlements in the immediate surroundings of the Resort. Vanished villages and settlements are always marked with a green information sign, and at Walddorf, your second stop, there is even a covered rest area with a spring a information boards. The last stop is the Železenská huť glassworks with its chapel, and from there a level forest path along the Srdíčko game park takes you straight back to Železná.
WALK TO THE VANISHED VILLAGE OF PLEŠ AND BACK
14 km, 5 hours
A route for slightly more demanding hikers follows a firm forest track, mostly in the shade of the local woods. Along the way you will pass several vanished villages, each marked with a green sign bearing its name: Eisendorfská Huť, Frančina Huť. The steeper climb at the end, up to the summit of Pleš, is rewarded with a magnificent view over the valley of the lost village. On the summit of Pleš the remains of the church of St John the Baptist have been preserved along with the original cemetery. This captivating spot radiates a deep calm and is the highlight of the whole trip. Pleš itself was a popular holiday area as early as the beginning of the last century, counting more than 105 houses and 700 inhabitants. Once the Iron Curtain came down, the village was razed except for a single house and a border guard unit was stationed in the building of the former mountain hotel Flor. On the way back to the Resort we recommend walking the last stretch through the Srdíčko game park and taking in the views of Přimda and the grazing herds of red and fallow deer
WALK TO DIANA CHÂTEAU
15 km, 4 hours
This easy route leads through the Kolowrat forests to the game park, then on to the enchanting little château of Diana and past a disused border guard post. Your way will be gently lined by the Farský, Nivní and Jelení brooks. You will come upon broad water meadows where the sun, especially on summer days, can be rather relentless. The paths are well kept forest tracks with a firm surface. You can also make use of two roofed rest areas - one stands right by the former Diana border post
and appears on maps as Přístřešek Rybničná. The second, picturesque rest spot lies a short way from the château. They say the Countess of Kolowrat loved to rest here, so it is no wonder the place is marked on maps as Vyhlídka Dominiky Kolowrat-Krakowské (Dominika Kolowrat-Krakowská's viewpoint).
WALK TO THE EBENE LOOKOUT TOWER (BÖHMERWALDTHURM) VIA THE VANISHED VILLAGES OF PLEŠ AND VÁCLAV AND BACK
22 km, 8 hours
This route through the heart of Český ráj, with its turbulent history and its magical views, is meant more for seasoned hikers. The beginning is the same as the trip to Pleš, but there you carry on towards the next vanished village and then across the border into Germany. You pass the source of the Weissbach stream and the ruins of the former settlement of Bügellohe. A little to the right, in one of the houses still standing, there is a museum where you can read about the rise and fall of this settlement, in Czech as well. Just a little further stands a wooden lookout tower (894 m above sea level), freely accessible all year round. It was built in 1983 by the descendants of the families who were displaced from here. They say it was built so that there would be somewhere to look out from towards the place where their home once stood. Beside the tower there is a lovely viewpoint, perfect for a rest before heading back. Wooden seats, arranged rather like in a cinema, offer you a unique view of the peaks of Český les.
