Short walks (3 km to 8 km) in the ancient Český kras landscape near Kosoř

• Kosoř is a relatively inconspicuous village located just off the main road between Radotín and Třebotov in the Český kras protected nature zone. However, it is the site of one of the earliest Neolithic settlements in Central Bohemia, with pottery fragments discovered from the earliest phase of the agricultural Linear Pottery culture, which developed around 5500 BC in CentraI Europe, probably due to emigration of farming communities from the Danube basin.
• Kosoř also became famous in the 19th century as an important site for fossil hunters, seeking marine specimens in the Devonian (400 million year old) limestone quarries beneath the village. Even today, hunters of rocks containing trilobite and ammonite fossils can be discovered rummaging beneath the cliffs.
• There is a short nature trail (Naučná stezka Černá rokle) which leads from the the main road near Radotín to the cliff edge in Kosoř village, passing through a protected nature zone and the quarry sites. However, if travelling in the area, it makes more sense to stop briefly in Kosoř and do the trail in reverse.
• There are buses to Kosoř from Radotín and Zličín, or if driving there are usually a few parking spots near the viewpoint above the quarries at the end of Dolejší street. The directions below assume starting at this point.
• The walk in the nature reserve is quite short – a road winds down the valley for 2.5 km to reach the limestone quarry areas. There is little point continuing the trail as far as the main Radotín road. It is possible to take a short cut up through the quarry area on an unmarked and quite steep footpath. This path provides the best viewpoint in the area. The circular route in the nature reserve is around 3.5 km with 160m of climbing.
• For those wanting a longer walk in the area, it is possible to take a 2km footpath through the village and across the prehistoric fields near Kosoř to a small hidden lake (see picture below) – a good spot for a picnic.

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

• If parking near the top viewpoint at the end of Dolejší street, follow the educational trail along Dolojši street turning left onto Nad Vodánou after 400m
• Continue on the road, past the Baroque church to the start of Samota street next to the tourist shelter (point 3 on the map)
• Follow the road as it descends the valley, continuing as far at the last quarry (approximately 1.9 km)
• Return back along the road towards Kosoř until passing the information board on the right side. 100m past the sign, there is a slanting unmarked footpath that leads into the quarry area (point 6 on the map)
• This path ascends steeply back up to the residential area near the top viewpoint where there are more information boards
• If wanting to extend the walk across the Kosoř fields, join Skolská street (which begins next to the yellow and white striped Baroque church of St Anna in the village center)
• Walk long Skolská street for 550m until reaching the information board. Turn left onto the farm track and follow this for 1km to reach the hidden pool, which has a picnic table. Return back the same way to the parking area/bus stop