A circular riverside walk near Davle, at the confluence of the Vltava and Sázava rivers: 9 km

• Davle is a small town located on the left bank of the Vltava, some 20 km from the center of Prague. It is a good starting point for various walks in the (somewhat ambitiously named) Přírodní park Střed Čech (Central Bohemia Nature Park). This protected nature area essentially comprises the forested areas close to the Sázava and Vltava rivers immediately to the south of Prague.
• Just south of Davle the two famous rivers merge, creating a narrow rocky peninsular on which a medieval town was constructed in 13th century. This town was planned to support the 10th century Benedictine Monastery of St. John the Baptist on nearby Ostrov island (probably the oldest male monastery in Bohemia). Unfortunately, the town (and monastery) were infamously sacked by marauding soldiers from the German Province of Brandenburg after the death of Přemysl Otakar II in 1278 in the Battle of Moravian Field. The town was not rebuilt and is now a famous medieval archaeological site.
• It is quite a trek to get to the Sekanka archaeological site from Davle, so this is probably best done on a separate trip. Walking from the Davle, the nicest trail passes below the Sekanka site on the opposite side of the river Sázava, following the railway line. The riverside path continues for most of its 225 km length to the river’s source in the Bohemian’Moravia highlands. However, only the first 4 km are managed in this particular walk. To review other walks along this lovely river, clip on the Sázava river tab at the bottom of this page or use the filter in the main menu.
• To reach the Sázava footpath from Davle it is necessary to cross the Vltava river using an old footbridge which has now been restored (pictured in the header photo). The bridge was the star of a famous 1969 Hollywood war film, ‘The Bridge at Remagen’, starring Robert Vaughan. The story of the filming, which took place in 1968 and employed many of the residents of Davle as extras, is quite historic. On 9 May 1968, the East Germany newspaper Berliner Zeitung sensationally reported that Czechoslovakia had been occupied by West German and US army units and tanks – mistaking the film props and costumed extras for the real thing! In one of those uncanny historical ironies, filming was then interrupted in August 1968, when the country really was invaded. Only this time it was by Soviet forces. 250,000 Warsaw Pact troops and thousands of tanks occupied the country, reversing the liberalising ‘Prague Spring’ movement. The American actors and film crew beat a hasty retreat across the border and completed the filming in West Germany. They clearly never forgot their experiences in Davle, on the banks of the Vltava.
• In some ways this part of country still looks much like it (probably) did in 1968, but that does give it a specific charm. The route shown in the map below circles back to Davle on a footpath in the hills above the river and offers good views of both rivers. One of Davle’s attractions is also the well known Greek restaurant, Taverna Thessaloniki (a Hejlík recommendation) which is an excellent destination after completing this circuit. The suggested route is just over 9 km in length, with around 150m of height to ascend/descend. The path leading away from the river (at Petrov u Prahy) is a steep asphalt pavement, which can get icy in mid winter and should be avoided at this time. Otherwise the route is not challenging.

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

• There are frequent trains from Prague’s main station to Davle, which is the best transport option. If driving, there is parking just off the main street in Davle
• From the train station, take the RED trail along the river, heading towards Pikovice
• After 3.4 km, at the Pikovice footbridge, join the GREEN trail heading up hill (do not cross the bridge) to reach Petrov village after 1 km
• In Petrov, join the YELLOW trail heading back to Davle, which is reached after 3.5 km
• If wanting to visit the Taverna, cross the famous footbridge and then follow the signs to the ‘Greek Taverna’. The restaurant is on a side road slightly up the hill from the main street