*A 10 km tour around Plešivec (654m) – an important Bronze Age hillfort and viewpoint*

• Plešivec is the last prominent hill in the Hřebeny protected nature area, and offers unparalleled views from its summit. Plešivec’s prominence, the visibility afforded over the surrounding countryside, and its relatively large summit plateau, protected by cliffs and steep slopes, made this an ideal location for establishment of a prehistoric hillfort.
• The site has been occupied at least from the late Stone Age onwards, but it was probably settlers from the Bronze Age Knovíz culture who, from around 1300BC, turned Plešivec into one of the largest hillforts in Central Bohemia. The remnants of the stone ramparts are still visible today even though the site has been abandoned for more than two thousand years. Archaeological evidence suggests this was a important bronze manufacturing site, with tin sourced from the Bohemian Ore mountains to the north and copper from the Alpine regions.
• Hills, mountains and cliffs appear to have had a ritual or spiritual significance for the Knovíz culture, as did the bronze manufacturing process itself. Plešivec hillfort may therefore have had a significant regional function, a conclusion strengthened by the fact that the major archaeological finds to date include an unusually large number of hordes of goods, probably left as ritual offerings.
• There are a number of approach routes leading to and then up the hill, some steeper than others. The recommended route effectively circles the whole hill, entering the hillfort at the probable location of the main gateway, and traversing the western edge of the fort, with its spectacular cliff edge views.
• The route also passes the intriguing Viklan rock – a natural formation created by selective erosion. The site is evocative and it is not hard to imagine the location having had a ritual significance for the controllers of the hillfort.
• The closest starting point for the walk is the village of Lhotka, where there are small parking areas. Starting at Lhotka allows the full circuit to be completed in just less than 10km. The walk can also be undertaken starting and finishing at Lochovice train station (which has direct trains from Prague), which adds 4km to the total walk length.
• The route is mostly on good forest paths which are, however, rocky and uneven in places. A total of 250m of height is gained/lost on the route (if starting from Lhotka). There are no refreshment spots on the route.

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

• The route shown on the maps starts at the village of Lhotka, where there are small parking areas on the narrow road leading to the sports area (which is also the walking route – the YELLOW trail) . There is also a small parking area – Klínek – on the south side of the hill, which can be reached on the road 115 out of Hostomice. If using this car park, follow the route clockwise (ie start by following the RED trail directly up the hill)
• If starting at the Lochovice train station take the RED trail to reach the Lhotka signpost, and turn left onto the YELLOW trail to reach the village of Lhotka after 2.1km
• From Lhotka start on the YELLOW trail head uphill, past the sports area and enter the forest, reaching the small sunken lake (Smaragdové jezírko) after 1.1km
• From the lake, continue on the YELLOW trail for 1.3km, before turning onto the BLUE trail at the Bezdědičky signpost (direction Viklan)
• After 900m on the BLUE trail there is a small diversion to the right to see the Viklan rock (recommended)
• After viewing the rock, continue on the BLUE trail for a further 300m and then turn right onto the RED trail in the direction of Plešivec
• The main viewpoint is reached after 1.5km of easy climbing up the southern slope.
• From the Čertova kazatelna viewpoint, follow the RED trail along the cliff edge (further viewpoints) and then descend gradually the northern slope of the hill, reaching Lhotka signpost after 3.2km
• At the signpost, turn right onto the YELLOW trail to return to Lhotka in 1.4km (if parking there) or continue on the RED trail to return to Lochovice trail station