The Czech Republic offers excellent opportunities for walking with well-marked footpaths, which take holiday makers through some of of the Czech Republic’s best landscape, nature and history. Whether you are looking for a gentle walk through lovely countryside or hiking in the mountains, the Czech Republic has the walks to suit you. Below are descriptions of different areas in the Czech Republic, click on the links to find out more. We have a walking tour of Historic South Bohemia planned for September (see below for details)
The Best Areas For Walking in the Czech Republic.
Czech Paradise - There is a good reason why this area got the name of Czech Paradise (Cesky Raj) - it is the most beautiful of areas, with its sandstone rock towers (“rock towns”), pine forests, lakes and ponds. Add to these charming traditional wooden cottages and rugged castles and you have a perfect tourist area.
Czech Forest - The Czech Republic is full of forests, but the most famous is the Bohemian Forest or Sumava in the south. The name Sumava comes from the word for sound of leaves - so it is the rustling forest. The Sumava is a national park because of its unspoilt landscapes and nature. The area boasts not just forests, but also mountain pastures rich in meadow flowers and glacial lakes.
Lakelands - The Czech Republic may not have any sea but it certainly has a lot of ponds and lakes. Many were built centuries ago to provide fresh fish for the table. The area around Trebon is famous for these - with over fifty ponds/lakes to enjoy. The Trebonsko Lakes are recognised as being internationally important for their plants, animals and especially their birds - they are a listed UNESCO biosphere. Another feature of the area is the forested bogs - which again are remarkable for their natural history. Add to this natural wealth flat countryside and lovely old towns and villages and you have a perfect destination.
Giant Mountains - The Giant Mountains or Krkonose Mountains are a popular holiday destination in the north of the Czech Republic on the border with Poland. In the summer they are popular for walking and watching nature and in the winter for skiing - the mountains are the Czech Republic’s prime skiing area. A visit to the Giant Mountains can be combined with stays in nearby Czech Paradise or to the Adrspach Rocks.
South Bohemia - South Bohemia is probably the most unspoilt region of the Czech Republic. The area around Cesky Krumlov consists of wooded hills and steep river valleys. The area around Ceske Budejovice is flatter farmland with orchards and fishponds; some ponds in particular Dehtar are important birdwatching sites. All parts of South Bohemia are packed with historic castles, abbeys, towns and villages (such as Holasovice central photo).
Moravia - The Czech Republic is divided into two halves - Bohemia and Moravia. The capital of Moravia and the Republic’s second largest city is Brno. Moravia has a fascinating history - indeed it gave its name to the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th Century. South Moravia is a lovely gentle landscape - in the south there are vineyards around the city of Znojmo and Mikulov, to the north of Brno is the special landscape of the Moravian Karst with its spectacular caves.
Czech Switzerland - Czech Switzerland is a spectacular mountainous area in the north-west corner of the Czech Republic. It extends eastward into the Lusatian Mountains and westward into the Ore Mountains. It is famous for its sandstone formations - the most popular being the Pravcicka Gate.
Bohemian/Moravian Highlands - The Bohemian/Moravian Highlands (Vysocina) are perhaps less well-known as tourist area than neighbouring South Bohemia but they have a lot to offer the visitor. Forested undulating hills (see photo left) dominate the landscape. Towns in Vysocina tend to be small but some are spectacular - Trebic and Telc have UNESCO World Heritage site status and Litomysl another World Heritage site is close to the Highlands.
Czech Canada - The Czech Canada region sits on the border of Bohemia, Moravia and Austria and has been at the centre and has as a result a fascinating history with lovely old towns like Slavonice and Jindrichuv Hradec. The landscape is one of wooded hills with rocky outcrops, together with river valleys. The area is popular with cyclists - the Vienna- Prague Greenway Cycle trail runs through it
Walking South Bohemia Tour
2nd - 7th September 2012
This five-day tour combines some of the best of South Bohemia’s historic towns and sights with four easy to medium guided walks between 12 and 14 kilometres long. The walks have been chosen to show some of the area’s historical and nature sites. Tour includes:
Trebon and the lakes - We will visit this historic town of Trebon and then walk around the World - the World being a historic fishpond through a variety of historic landscapes.
Along the Golden Trail - we will walk to Libin lookout tower with spectacular views of the Sumava Forest, then down along the 1000 year old trade route the Golden Trail, via a pilgrimage walk and 19th Century spa town to the historic town of Prachatice with its beautifully decorated Renaissance houses.
Vyssi Brod and the Vltava - we will visit Vyssi Brod's Gothic abbey before walking along the Vltava River into the nature reserve of the Devil's Torrents, and then through the Sumava Forest to the Devil's Stones
From Zlata Koruna to Divci Kamen Castle - this railway walk starts at Zlata Koruna (another Gothic Abbey) before walking through lovely countryside around the Klet Mountain via small villages, and a celtic hillfort until we come to the ruins of Divci Kamen Castle, and from there it's a gentle walk to Holubov and the train back to Ceske Budejovice.
Email us on admin@czechtours.co.uk for more information.
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