*An 8 km circuit in the Krkonoše foothills above the historic town of Pecka*
- The historic market town of Pecka is situated in the picturesque Krkonoše foothills, 8 km to the east of Nová Paka. Pecka has a nicely preserved town square, with a fine Plague column, dating from 1720 (see the first picture below). The striking Baroque church of St Bartholomew dominates the northern part of town, while to the south the castle looks down from a steep sandstone knoll.
- The intriguing castle is an unusual mix of Gothic (early 14th century) ruined towers and walls, with a Renaissance palace, constructed in the early 17th century. Pecka castle, one of the few remaining medieval buildings in the area, is normally open for tours from April to October. Out of season, it is possible to walk around the site, essentially in the old moat.
- It is possible to combine a visit to Pecka with an easy circular walk in the surrounding foothills, visiting the fine Krkonošská vyhlídka (viewpoint). This is a walk best done on a clear day as there is an excellent all round panorama of the higher mountains and lower hills to the south.
- The suggested route is just under 7.8 km long, with just over 200m of height to ascend/descend. None of the paths are steep and the trails are easy, so this is a potential winter walk. For refreshments, try the Cukrárna Zlatá pecka located on the main square. The café serves excellent homemade ice cream and cakes.
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 in Pecka main square (bus connections with Nová Paka and Jičín, as well as free parking spots) follow the BLUE hiking trail in the direction of the castle (hrad)
- Unless planning on visiting the interior of the castle on a tour, take the footpath around the castle, passing under the bridge and then rejoin the BLUE trail
- Continue on the BLUE trail for 2 km, gradually climbing uphill to reach the viewpoint
- from there, continue a further 1 km on the BLUE trail to reach the Bukovina u Pecky – hřbitov junction
- At the junction, turn right onto the YELLOW trail, heading in the direction of Pecka
- The YELLOW trail leads back to the Pecka, passing below the castle on the west side and then past St Bartholomew’s church before reaching the main square after 3 km
