Various circuits in the Hřebeny forests, starting from Dobříš: 12 km to 28 km

• The Hřebeny nature park is one of the nicest countryside areas close to Prague for walkers. It is basically a 30 km long rocky forested ridge, which stretches from Zbraslav in southwest Prague heading towards Dobřís, with the summit of Písek (691m) being the highest point. Geologically, the ridge is part of the Brdy highlands, made up of very old (400 to 600 million years old) sedimentary rock.
• Hřebeny has a slightly different character to the rest of the Brdy area, being somewhat lower in elevation. The Hřebeny forests are a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees that provide a colourful backdrop (in autumn to a number of rocky outcrops, which make for fine viewpoints. With many forestry management trails to pick from, there are many great walking options in Hřebeny with various starting points (use the Hřebeny regional filter to look at the selection.
• Starting in Dobříš offers a number of permutations for a circular walk which (from April to October) can be combined with a visit to the chateau there. This unusual rococo style Chateau has been by owned the House of Colloredo-Mansfeld since the mid 18th century. A part of the chateau has been converted into a boutique 4 star hotel, and there is a restaurant and coffee house for refreshments. The chateau also has a well-maintained French style garden which can be visited separately (payment required) and a large English park, which is open to the public.
• A short (7 km extendable) circuit starting in Dobříš is described elsewhere in the guide, but for longer walks in the Hřebeny forests, consider the options outlined in the map below (and the directions section). Heading northwards on the trail towards the village of Kytín, there are various points where it is possible to turn towards to main ridge line and then circle back to Dobříš. As a result, circular walks of any length from around 12 km to 28 km can be created.
• If opting for the longest circuit which passes through Kytín there is the reward of stopping at the fine micro brewery which serves some of the region’s best beers in the attached restaurant. A large section of the forest to the north of Dobříš is fenced off as a deer park. There are also wild boar families that can be spotted from time to time.
• If taking the route in an anticlockwise direction, the return trail passes the moated ramparts of Tvrziště Dvorce (which appears to be a Slavic hillfort dating from the 9th/10th century). Shortly before returning to the main town, it is worth diverting for refreshments at the atmospheric Krmelec Vlaška restaurant.
• The full 28 km route assumes a start near the chateau (there are various central parking areas) and some allowance for exploring the chateau area. If skipping the chateau and starting from near the town’s largest lake, Papež (there are various parking and public transport options – see map pap point 3), the route length reduces by up to 3 km. There is between 200 and 400m of height to ascend/descend depending on the length of route chosen. None of the paths are steep and walks in this area can usually be done throughout the year, as most of the trails are wide, well maintained and used for forestry management.

Note: click ‘Show on map’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for online navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions

• Start at the square in front of the chateau. If driving, there are various (normally paid) parking options close to the chateau. There are also regular public transport (train and bus) options from Prague, but note that the main train station is over 1 km north of the town center.
• From the square, take the GREEN hiking trail in the direction of U Papeže, reached after 1km
• From the U Papeže junction, join the BLUE trail heading towards Chouzáva
• The first option to turn off the full route comes at map point 5, approximately 3.2 km after leaving U Papeže junction. To take this option leave the BLUE trail and continue along the cycle path for 3.4 km to reach the Knížecí Studánky junction and there turn left onto the YELLOW trail to begin the journey back to Dobříš. This reduces the journey by some 12 km
• The second option to turn off the full route comes at map point 6, the Voznice junction. Here, take the GREEN trail directly to the Stožec junction, and then follow the directions set out below from that junction. This option reduces the walk by around 6 km
• For the full route, continue on the BLUE trail as far as the Chouzáva junction and there turn left onto the YELLOW trail towards Kytín, which is reached after 2.9 km
• In Kytín, join the GREEN trail heading towards the Na Soudném junction, reached after 2.3 km
• At the Na Soudném junction, turn left onto the RED trail heading towards the Stožec junction which is reached after 5.4 km
• From the Stožec junction, take the BLUE trail for 3.1 km to reach the Pod Židovým paloukem junction
• At the Pod Židovým paloukem junction, join the GREEN trail to reach the Obora – háj after 2.6 km. The ramparts of Tvrziště Dvorce (map point 13) are visible next to the junction
• From the Obora junction turn right on the residential road which leads directly back to Dobříš town and the U Papeže junction after 1.7 km. The route passes the restaurant of Krmelec Vlaška on the way. From the U Papeže junction return back to chateau on the outbound GREEN trail