*A 20 km tour through the forests and hop fields of Džbán park from Ročov monastery*

• The protected park area of Džbán is a rugged landscape of forests, hills and valleys, situated some 50 km northwest of Prague. It has more than its fair share of historic and prehistoric sites on the ridges and hills. There is an extensive network of marked trails through the attractive mixed forests, but the area gets relatively few tourists, so these trails are perfect for long tranquil walks, particularly for anyone interested in trying to discover a little of Bohemia’s past.
• The route starts at the impressive Augustinian monastery of Ročov, founded in the 14th century by Kolowkrat dynasty, one of Bohemia’s oldest noble families. The impressive Baroque church remains an important pilgrimage site. For drivers, there are parking spaces near the monastery in Dolní Ročov. For travelers by bus there is a stop in Ročov village and a short walk down to the monastery.
• From the monastery the trail climbs through the mixed forest to reach the plateau area, much of which is planted with hops and is considered the best area in the country for this essential ingredient in the fine local beers.
• The route then traverses the hill of Dřevíč which was an important early medieval (Přemyslid) fortification, mentioned by the 12th century chronicler Kosmas. The 11ha flat hilltop was clearly occupied in prehistoric periods from the late Stone age onwards, and the early medieval walls and ramparts may have been built on early Bronze or Iron Age fortifications. The Baroque church in the far corner was likely built on the site of a much older church.
• Further along the trail passes through the village of Divice, which is dominated by the 14th century Gothic tower belonging to the old fortress which is now in private hands and occasionally open to the public.
• The return route follow a trail below a low sandstone rock ridge. The trees and shrubs are markedly different from those on the opposite side of the valley, which makes this circular 20 km route (21 km if starting from the Ročov bus stop) surprisingly varied and there are good views towards the České středohori volcanic hills at various points.
• None of the paths are steep although there is approximately 500m of height to climb/descend. There are no refreshment options directly on the route, so take sufficient supplies for the full journey.

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

• Starting in the village of Ročov, follow the GREEN trail down the hill for 800m to reach the monastery in Dolní Ročov- where there are parking spots
• From the monastery, continue for 5 km on the GREEN trail to reach the junction of Dřevíč. Here turn left onto the RED trail in the direction of Vinařice
• The trail passes around trhe western edge of old hillfort and past the Baroque church in the far corner before descending towards the village of Vinařice, which is reached after 3.3 km
• Continue on the RED trail through the village and along the public road for 1.2 km to reach the village of Divice. Here, turn left onto the YELLOW trail towards Brodec, past the Gothic fortress at the top of the hill in Divice
• The trail follows a terrace on the eastern side of a sandstone rock plateau before curving around to the village of Brodec, reached after 3.1 km
• From Brodec, follow the YELLOW trail back to Dolní Ročov along the western side of the hill. The monastery is reached after 7.1 km for Brodec