*Forests, lakes and historical sites in the Konopiště surroundings – a 12 km tour*

Forests, lakes and historical sites in the Konopiště surroundings – a 12 km tour

Konopiště chateau attracts thousands of visitors every year, drawn by its unique architecture, rich history and attractive park area. For more information on walks in the extensive park, see the Konopiště chateau park page. However, a visit to Konopiště does not need to be restricted just to the home and gardens of the ill-fated Habsburg Prince, Franz Ferdinand. The attractive countryside around the chateau has a number of other historical sites, as well as picturesque lakes, dense forests and open meadows to stroll through.
The most convenient way to explore the area is to take advantage of the large (paid) car park next to the chateau, which allows walkers to spend some time in the chateau park either before or after an exploration of the surrounding countryside. There are several restaurants and refreshment spots in the park area. Travelers by public transport can take a train to Benešov mainline station and either walk the 2.5 km trail to the chateau or catch a bus from the station.
Starting at Konopiště chateau, the suggested itinerary starts by traversing the north shore of the chateau lake before climbing up the low hill of Chvojen, on which stands the Romanesque church of St Jakub and Filip. This unique church was originally constructed in the 13th century in the middle of an early medieval – 11th century – fortified site. Inside the church some very rare 14th century frescos were discovered in the 19th century, including an extraordinary picture of the Ptolemy’s earth-centred solar system. The hill was likely first fortified by a Celtic tribe over two thousand years ago (this part of Bohemia is curiously lacking in prehistoric sites and Chvojen is a rare example that has yet to be fully excavated).
From Chvojen, the route descends to the Janovický stream valley, where the ruins of the small 14th century Kožli fortress are perched romantically above a bend in the stream. Nearby is the old mill, recently restored with a fully functional water wheel.
From Kožlí, the trail circles back towards Konopiště, passing the scenic Jarkovický lake (which is occasionally used for swimming). The total walk length is around 12km, including a short diversion into the Konopiště park to visit the chateau and its famous rose garden. The paths are easy, mostly farm or forest tracks with occasional asphalt road sections. Height gained-lost on the route is 220m.
If desired, the route can be extended by a few km with a more extensive exploration of the park area. There are several refreshment options in and around the chateau, including the restaurant Stará Myslivna with its popular terrace (map point 17).

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 the walk at the large (paid) car park – which is also where the bus from Benešov stops – take the RED hiking trail for 400m, passing the Stará Myslivna restaurant, to reach the edge of the lake. If walking from Benešov train station follow the YELLOW hinking trail for 2.5km to the castle entrance and then on to the lake
From the lake shore, take the YELLOW trail in the direction of Kožlí, firtslz alongside the lake and then on the asphalt road to reach the Chvojen – dvůr signpost after 2 km
Follow the YELLOW trail markings in the direction of Kostel sv. Jakuba. The church and the area of the ancient fortified hilltop is reached after 500m
Return back along the the YELLOW trail for 300m, turning right onto the first lane that passes between the buildings. After 50m, at the junction (point 6 on the map) turn right onto the unmarked lane heading west
Continue downhill on the farm track for 1km, following the small stream, and then cross the larger Janovický stream on the footbridge to join the RED hiking trail
After crossing the footbridge turn left onto the RED trail, shortly passing Kožlí mill on the left
Continue on the RED trail to reach the Kožlí trail signpost and cross the stream again staying on the RED trail (there is a red marked diversion trail which climbs steeply up to the castle ruins, but the ascent and descent routes can be slippery – most people prefer to view the ruins from the stream valley)
The RED trail follows the Janovický stream as it curves round the small escarpment on which the Kožlí castle ruins are situated (see second picture below)
From Kožlí, stay on the RED trail as it follows the stream to reach the main road and then ascends through the forest back towards Chvojen
After 2.4 km reach the trail junction of Chvojen and turn left onto the YELLOW trail towards Chvojen – dvůr. After 400m, just before reaching the large famstead, turn right onto the lane which is a marked cycle path (point 11 on the map)
Follow the lane for 900m to reach the edge of Jarkovický lake. Continue on the road along the dam, with the fish farm on the left, crossing the canal that connects the Jarkovický and Konopišťský lakes
Immediately after crossing the canal there is a path to the left which follows alongside the canal – take this path which leads after 350m to the Žofiin most (bridge) signpost, where the marked trails in the chateau park begin
From Žofiin most, follow the trail along the east side of the lake back to the chateau and car park areas, which are reached in 1km
At that point there are various options for exploring the park area and/or visiting the chateau, or returning directly to the car park