Welcome to my♡Czech walks, a personal guide to the finest walks in Bohemia and Moravia!
My name is Paul Antrobus and I am a British national who has been living and working in Prague since 1991. This guide is an attempt to document my favorite walks in the many beautiful regions of Bohemia and Moravia, which I have been exploring for the past 35 years.
The site is still under development and is far from complete. At present the majority of the published walks are in the Central Bohemian and Prague regions, but new walks are added every week. I only publish routes that I have walked or re-walked recently (from 2020 onwards). However, routes can go out of date quickly, so please do send in a comment if you believe an update is needed.
There are over 850 walks listed at present, of varying lengths from 2 km strolls to multi-day treks. Just from looking at the ‘holes’ in the interactive map, I estimate that I am only about halfway done in identifying, walking and documenting walks across every part of the country… So, please help me discover new places and great trails, by sending in suggestions for your favorite walks. For every suggestion that I incorporate in the guide, I will personally contribute 10 Euro to the Czech charity that I have chosen to receive donations on the site.
My story (and a small request)
I have enjoyed scrambling over rocks and exploring forests for as long as I can remember. Family holidays in the 1970’s, exploring the forests, hills and mountains of the English Lake District, were probably to blame. During the 1980’s, I became enthralled by ancient castles and prehistoric ruins (much to the dismay of my long-suffering children).
In the early 90’s – not long after I moved to Prague on a two-year assignment – a work colleague introduced me to the magical sandstone pillars and rock castles of Český ráj. It was love at first sight. That work colleague, Jitka, later became my wife.
The two-year assignment was extended indefinitely. I have now been living, working and exploring trails in this beautiful country for over 35 years. Today, much of my spare time is devoted to discovering new paths, amazing rock formations and ancient ruins hidden in the Czech countryside.
Jitka died in 2003 of a very rare form of cancer, aged just thirty-four. It was always in my mind to somehow document the walks we began in our short time together. This guide is dedicated to Jitka. I think she would have enjoyed browsing its pages, and I know she would approve of the connected charitable fundraising.
my♡Czech walks is a purely personal, non-commercial project. I do not intend ever to carry advertising or charge subscription fees. However, if you find any of the walk descriptions valuable, I hope you can support my chosen charity: Sázíme stromy. This wonderful group is dedicated to planting new trees and shrubs in special community projects across the country. As mentioned above, I will personally be contributing to this charity while the guide is being written. Donation buttons can be found at the bottom of every page!
Writing this guide has truly helped me rediscover the magical history and extraordinary beauty of the Czech countryside. I hope the site helps you too, if only in a small way, discover something of that magic and beauty.
See you on the trails!
Paul
Contact: paul.antrobus97@gmail.com
or simply leave me a message on any of the pages
Hi Paul – just stumbled upon your website and will surely use it as source of inspiration on my hikes. Well done, keep walking and documenting your journey. Take care.
Hi Paul,
I would like to thank you for your website. It has become a great inspiration for me, and I often go on your walks, which really helps me take care of my mental health.
I originally come from the Vysočina region, and I absolutely love Železné hory, it is a hidden gem for me. One of the most popular walks there is along the Doubrava River. In my opinion, the best time to visit is during hot summer days – the river valley is pleasantly cool and refreshing. I often go there to escape allergies that I usually suffer from in open nature. Here are some photos, for example in this article: https://www.tarvose.com/n/skalnaty-kanon-udoli-reky-doubravka-stredni-cechy The surroundings of the Spálava peak are also beautiful. Unfortunately, many forests have been cut down due to bark beetle infestation, but it is still very nice.
What a wonderful website. Thank you Paul for sharing.
One of the most beneficial websites on the Czech Internet. Truly a great achievement for a one-man project which shows both great commitment over the course of years and admiration for the Czech natural & cultural heritage – particularly valuable from a foreigner’s perspective.
Hi Paul, I have found your page only recently and tried out one of the hikes this weekend. I’ve really appreciated the clear directions, descriptions and that the whole route is mapped to mapy.cz, it made it really easy to follow. I will definitely be coming back here for more trails, hikes and places to visit – the filtering options to find exactly what I’m looking for are just a cherry on the top. Thanks so much for the amount of effort you are putting into this, it’s really special.
Thanks Mark – appreciate the feedback. Please do drop me a note if you find anything that needs updating. It’s a challenge to keep the growing list of walks current!