Searching for ancient relics in the hills of Džbán – a 13 km tour from Líčkov

• The forested ridges and hills of central Bohemia are the secret home to countless prehistoric settlements, ritual sites and hillforts. Most sites have yet to be fully investigated and many more undoubtedly lie waiting to be discovered. One of the best areas for exploring rarely visited prehistoric sites in Bohemia is the protected park of Džbán.
• This rugged landscape of forests, hills and valleys, situated some 50 km northwest of Prague, has more than its fair share of prehistoric sites hidden in its forests. One of the nicest sites is the plateau hill of Výrov, at 509m altitude, which has a super view from the summit.
• Shaped like a trapezoid, with steep slopes on all four sides, this site has clearly been occupied in all prehistoric periods since the Stone Age. It was likely first fortified in the middle of the Iron Age (probably by a Celtic tribe around 500 BC) and then Slavic settlers re-used and developed the fortifications in the early Middle Ages. The perimeter rampart wall of this significant 6ha site has been preserved for over 1.7 km.
• On the slopes of the neighboring hill, a mysterious series of artificially created stone rows was discovered in 1950. The Nečemické kamenné řady (Nečemice stone rows) appear to be part of of a sequence of at least five linked megalithic sites that form a straight line over many kilometers, along the Džbán ridge line. It seems likely were ritual sites, probably created in the Celtic period, but further archaeological research is needed to uncover the mysteries of these stones.
• The best preserved are the extensive stone rows near Kounov (see the separate walk to the Špičák and Kounov stones), but most of the sites have been degraded over the centuries and are not particularly well protected. The Nečemice stones are a case in point as when the author last walked the trail (April 2022) the path to the stones was overgrown and the stones are disappearing.
• A good way to approach both the Výrov and Nečemice stones is the trail from the village of Líčkov, located a few kilometers southeast of the town of Žatec. Líčkov has its own historical site, with an unusual Baroque chateau, built on the site of Gothic castle, which itself was founded on a Slavic fortress site. Sadly, the chateau is closed to the public, but its unusual architecture, including a remarkable Rococo gateway are worth inspecting from the outside.
• The suggested route, which loops back to Líčkov on an unmarked but easy to follow farm track, involves both sections in the attractive mixed forests of Džbán as well as on open fields in the hills, which allow excellent views towards the volcanic peaks of České středohoří. There is a total of 360m of height to ascend-descend, none of which is steep (except for a short scramble up the hillside try to find the Nečemice stones – which is optional). There are no refreshment options on the route, unfortunately.

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

• Start in the village of Líčkov, which has bus connections to Žatec. There are a couple of parking spots near the chateau and in the main square of the village
• From the Líčkov chateau, take the RED trail southwards climbing gradually to reach the trail junction on the summit plateau after 4km
• Take the short detour across the center of the plateau towards the transmitter tower, to enjoy the view at the far side of the hill (the highpoint) and then return back to the trail junction
• Continue on the RED trail downhill for 400m to reach the Výrov trail junction. Here, turn right onto the BLUE trail in the direction of Nový Svět
• After 2.5 km reach the picturesque farmstead of Nový Svět.
• If wanting to try to visit the Nečemice stones, continue on the BLUE trail for 700m to reach the Nečemické řady trail signpost (where there is an information board – in Czech only)
• The stone rows start approximately 200m up the hillside. If there is no evident path try the gully a few meters further along the BLUE trail, and then strike left through the shrubs after climbing for about five minutes. There are three markers on the trees, showing the location of the rows
• Return back down the hill to the Nečemické řady trail signpost and then back along the BLUE trail to the Nový Svět farmstead
• From Nový Svět, take the BLUE trail back towards Výrov, but after 200m , just as the BLUE trail bends sharplz to the right, take the unmarked farm track to the left
• Follow this track for 1.5 km over open farmland climbing gradually to a low hill and then for a short flat section until rejoining the RED trail that was used for the outbound route
• Turn left onto the RED trail and return to the center of Líčkov village in 1 km