An easy circuit in the Bronze Age landscape south of Kladno in Central Bohemia: 11 km

• Just off the D6 highway, close to Kladno, lies one of the most important Middle Bronze Age barrow cemeteries in central Bohemia. The site was created around 3500 years ago by the so-called ‘Tumulus culture’ (mohylová kultura) with subsequent re-use by later prehistoric groups . More than sixty large barrows have been identified, most of which are hidden in the dense forest.
• Even if not that excited by Bronze Age relics, the forest landscape in this area (which is on the edge of the Džbán nature reserve) is attractive and there are various possible loops, starting close to the highway. The one shown in the map below follows a mix of forest tracks and cycle paths. The paths are good and the route should be manageable with a stroller.
• On top of the largest barrow in the collection there is striking monument (pictured below) which was erected in the 1950’s to celebrate the historic Austrian/Czech archeological dig which took place in 1890/91 under leadership of Josef Ladislav Píč. Píč is considered the founder of modern Czech archaeology, but was sadly caught up in the nationalistic controversies over the authenticity of the Dvůr Králové and Zelená Hora manuscripts. Píč considered them genuine Medieval period documents (most scholars today consider them to be 19th century forgeries). He was widely attacked for his views and this contributed to his committing suicide in 1911.
• The rich burial goods unearthed from the site by Píč and his colleagues, were split between the Czech National Museum and the Natural History Museum in Vienna. They bear testament to this important period of Czech prehistory where an elite warrior culture first emerged, probably through the influence of the powerful tribes residing in the Danube area of Lower Austria and Bavaria.
• Another highlight on the route is the architect designed modern viewing tower on Veselov hill (map point 8), created to mirror the original triangulation tower. The hill top was possibly part of the Bronze Age settlement area.
• The suggested circular route is around 11 km in length, with less than 100m of height to ascend/descend. For refreshments, try the Cukrárna Družec (map point 7, in the village of the same name). If driving in the area, consider a stop for some food at the excellent Penzion Lívanec (a Hejlík recommendation) in the nearby village of Horní Bezděkov.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• A convenient start point is the village of Velká Dobrá (which has bus connections with Prague and Kladno). The are a few parking spots in the main square
• From the square join the GREEN trail heading towards Kladno. The archaeological monument is reached after 1.2 km
• Continue on the GREEN trail for a further 1.3 km until reaching the Odbočka Kladno cycle path junction. There turn left and follow the cycle path for 1.4 km to reach the Odbočka Doksy junction
• At the Odbočka Doksy junction, turn left again, joining the BLUE hiking trail which leads to the village of Doksy after 2.6 km
• In Doksy, join the RED trail and follow this for 1.8 km to reach Družec
• In Družec, pick up the YELLOW trail which leads past the viewing tower (there is a short diversion to reach the tower)
• Continue on the YELLOW trail to return back to Velká Dobrá after 1.3 km 9note that at the time of writing (December 2025) the footbridge of the highway is marked as closed. It is unclear why, and the bridge was useable.