*A 24 km tour around the highest hills in the Hřebeny nature area, starting in Hostomice*

• Hřebeny is a protected nature area located to the south west of Prague, stretching from Zbraslav and finishing close to Příbram. Geologically, the ridge is part of the Brdy highlands, made up of very old (400 to 600 million years old) sedimentary rock. However, Hřebeny has a slightly different character to the rest of the Brdy area, being somewhat lower in elevation. The forests are an attractive mix of coniferous and deciduous trees and the views from the ridge and highest points are definitely worth seeking out.
• Some of the best trails circle around the two highest ‘peaks’: Písek (691m) and Studený vrch (660m). A good place to start and finish a walk in the higher hills of Hřebeny is the small town of Hostomice, which is on a regional train line (starting in Zadní Třebaň – which has frequent connections to Prague). There are also regular bus connections from Dobříš and Řevnice to the Hostomice town square – where there are some parking spaces for those driving.
• Písek (691m) does not have a marked trail to its summit – there is an air traffic control station at the top, and no particular viewpoint, so it is generally best to circle around this highest peak on the attractively varied forest paths. However, the approach to Písek from Hostomice does cross the peak of Velká Baba (615m) which is closely associated with the legend of Fabián, a cursed knight whose restless spirit is said to wander the Brdy hills.
• After circling around Písek, the trail runs along the ridgeline, including a lovely section in the rocky Kuchyňka nature reserve, which has an extraordinary variety of different trees and plants. The path then climbs gently to the Studený vrch peak where a 17m stone lookout tower (built in 1940) rises above the tree-line and offers visitors the chance of a panoramic view (the tower is usually only open at weekends though).
• Most of the walk is located within the forested area of of the Hřebeny hills, and is good even in less perfect weather, as the forests are equally attractive in the rain! It is quite a shady route, mostly above 500m, so is also a good choice in high summer. None of the paths are difficult or particularly steep. The route involves slightly less than 500m of ascent/descent over its 24 km length.
• There are no refreshment options directly on the route – so take sufficient water and food for the journey. Hostomice does have a couple of refreshment options for the start/finish, including the excellent Kafárna café/bistro on the main square.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’ 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

• Starting in the town square of Hostomice, join the BLUE trail in the direction of Křižatky
• After 1.3 km the trail leaves the village streets and crosses the meadows towards the hills
• Stay on the BLUE trail to reach the settlement of Zátor after 1.4 km
• From Zátor, the trail climbs steadily up the peak of Baba. After 2.1 km as the path levels out near the top of the hill there is a diversion marker to a rock formation associated with the Fabián legend
• From the summit of Velká baba, continue downhill on the BLUE trail to reach the trail junction of Komorsko after 3.4 km
• Here, turn left onto the RED trail in the direction of Pod Malým vrchem, which is reached after 2.4 km
• At Komorsko take the left hand branch of the RED trail towards
• At the Pod Malým vrchem junction stay on the RED trail, heading in the direction of Kuchyňka and traversing the peak of Malý vrch
• Continue on the RED trail for 4.5 km to reach the trail junction of Pod Studeným vrchem. Here there is diversion of 700m to reach the peak of Studený vrch (660m). After visiting the lookout tower, return back down the hill to reach the Pod Malým vrchem junction again
• Continue on the RED trail in the direction of the Jelení palouky trail junction, which is reached in 2.8 km
• At Jelení palouky turn onto the GREEN trail in the direction of Hostomice
• After 2km the GREEN trail reaches the main road, and then continues for a further 2 km along the road back to Hostomice town center
• The road can be quite busy so if preferring a quieter route, after 400 turn off the GREEN trail into the village of Lštěň, and follow the side road until reaching the BLUE trail which was used for the outbound route, and return to the town center on the original BLUE trail