*An excellent long (and flat) walk in the countryside near Brandýs nad Labem: 33 km*

• Looking for a full day’s walk in easy but varied terrain, within easy reach of Prague? This circular walk starting in Brandýs nad Labem is a good choice; quiet forest sections, stretches on both sides of the Labe river and even a sandy swimming lake along the way. There are several good refreshment options along the way and some exciting places to eat in Brandýs on the return.
• The route initially passes though Stará Boleslav, which from the late 9th century onwards, was a key strategic location for the Přemyslid dynasty. It was possibly the most important of a ring of Přemyslid fortresses protecting their Central Bohemian territory. Stará Boleslav is also believed to be the location of the most famous of Bohemian murders, that of Václav Duke of Bohemia, by his brother Boleslav, probably in 935 AD. Václav was later canonized, and became the patron saint of Bohemia. He is the Good King Wenceslas of the famous Christmas carol.
• As a result, Stará Boleslav became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Bohemia. It was subject to frequent sacking during the religious wars of the 15th and 17th centuries and little remains today of its early medieval past, although the cores of the two churches built on the acropolis of the Slavic hillfort are of 11th century origin. The striking Baroque Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is another important pilgrimage location in the town.
• In the high Middle Ages, the neighboring town of Brandýs located on the southern bank of the Labe, was fortified with the construction of the Gothic castle by the Lords of Michalovice. The castle was renovated several times over the following centuries, finally resulting in its current Renaissance form, with its impressive sgraffito wall decoration. The chateau became a favored summer and hunting residence for a number of Hapsburg emperors, most notably Emperor Rudolf II in the 16th century. The chateau is open for public tours and has a small park area, usually occupied by a number of peacocks!
• North of Stará Boleslav, there is an extensive forest area – a mix of pine and deciduous trees. Despite being a flat area, in the flood plain of the Labe, the forest has surprising variety and is rather attractive. After leaving the forest, the route passes through a couple of villages, including Hlavanec, which has a nice pub (map point 8).
• The next village after Hlavanec, Lhota, has a large swimming lake, created in 1983 from a disused sand quarry. The lake is very popular during summer weekends, but quieter at other times. There are several snack bars around the lake.
• From Lhota, the trail heads towards the Labe, crossing the river at Kostalec nad Labem. There is then a long stretch back to Brandýs directly beside the river on an asphalt cycle track. There are a couple of seasonally open refreshment spots along this side of the river.
• The whole route is around 33 km long, with only 100m of height to ascend -descend. For refreshments, in addition to the places mentioned along the route, Brandýs is blessed with a number of good options, including some excellent café-bistros. The following are definitely worth checking out: Gasolina Kafe (map point 12), Bistrotéka & kavárna Nevinnost (map point 13) and Kavárna Dvě vrány (map point 14). This author’s favourite of these three is Gasolina Kafe (the quietest and most hidden!), but all are worth trying.

Note: click ‘Show on map’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for online navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions

• Brandýs can be reached by frequent buses from the north of Prague. There are also various parking options in the town, including next to Brandýs chateau and the information office (this is paid parking)
• From the main square, follow the road through the centre to reach the chateau after 500m
• Take a walk around the small garden area at the Brandys chateau (usually there are peacocks and other animals) and view the impressive moat
• Descend to the river using the walkway around the chateau passing under the archway
• Take the old stone bridge passing in front of the Renaissance mill building (at the time of Rudolf II this was the largest water mill in the country)
• Turn left after passing the mill alongside the Labe, passing under the main road and then climb the steps up to the road bridge
• On reaching the bridge, cross the Labe and follow the GREEN hiking trail along the main road into the center of Stará Boleslav
• On the left side 800m after crossing the river are the twin churches of St Wenceslas and St Clement
• Continue on the GREEN trail through the town and enter the forest area. The trail zig zags through the forest heading towards Podbrahy where it meets the RED trail
• There is a short cut following the cycle trail (map point 7) which saves 1. 5 km and joins up with the RED trail, just before it crosses the D 10 highway
• Whichever option is taken join the RED trail which passes through Hlavenec village, then past Lhota lake (swimming possibilities) to reach the Labe river near Křenek village
• There is a 2.6 km stretch of footpath along the right bank of the river, before the trail crosses the road bridge crosses the river near Kostelec nad Labem
• In Kostalec, turn onto the GREEN trail, which leads directly back to Brandýs. The GREEN trail leads to the chateau after 9 km, but if wanting to visit the cafés in the center of town, consider leaving the GREEN trail and take the side roads to the main square (as marked in the map above)