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A walk in the Křivoklátsko countryside near the unique Krakovec castle: 15 km

  • Krakovec castle is situated on the western edge of the Křivoklátsko nature area, around 20 km south of Rakovník. Krakovec is a rare example of a late Gothic 14th century castle, built primarily for residential rather than defensive purposes. It is therefore a unique bridge between a fortress and a chateau. The ruins are still extensive and can be toured with a guide from July to October.
  • Jan Hus is believed to have spent time at the castle before his final journey to Constance in 1414. Hence the statue of Hus on the southern slope in front of the castle (pictured in the header).
  • The countryside around Krakovec is pleasant and lined with streams flowing though the elevated Křivoklátsko plateau. A nice circular 15 km walk can be created by following the Šípský and Javornice streams away from Krakovec and then circling back though the villages to the east of Krakovec.
  • The path beside the streams can be muddy, but otherwise the route is easy. It includes a 4.5 km segment along a quiet public road. There is 240m of height to ascend-descend on the route. For refreshments, try the pub in Kravovec village, just next to the castle. It has a large terrace area.

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 the walk in Krakovec village, which is connected by bus with Rakovník. There is a paid parking area on the edge of the village
  • From the bus stop, follow the RED trail for 400m to reach the castle
  • From the castle continue on the RED trail, following the stream for 2.5 km to reach the Machův mlýn junction
  • At the junction, join the YELLOW trail heading towards the Marek junction, which is reached after 3.3 km
  • At the Marek junction, turn left onto the GREEN trail which heads uphill to reach a public side road after 1.5 km
  • Turn left onto the side road (leaving the GREEN trail) and continue for 3.1 km to reach the village Rousínov
  • The main road bends right in the village, but continue straight on for 1.4 km to reach the village of Zhoř, where the RED trail is met again
  • Turn left onto the RED trail, which leads back to Krakovec after 2.3 km
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