An easy 6 km (extendable) walk up Krušná hora (609m), Křivoklátsko’s ‘iron mountain’

• Krušná hora translates as ‘ore mountain’ – a fairly functional description for an attractively wooded hill on the eastern side of the large Křivoklátsko protected nature zone. It was the main source of iron ore in the Křivoklátsko area since the Celtic times and lies just 5km from one of the largest and most strategically placed of all the Celtic oppida in Bohemia – the hill fort of Stradonice.
• There is little evidence of the mine workings today – the mines were shut in the 1960’s and most of the ore was actually extracted in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, Krušná hora offers walkers a relatively tranquil easy walk to the summit on excellent paths that gently scale its forested slopes. The paths are suitable for a stroller.
• The summit of the hill is also forested but fortunately (for those seeking panoramic views) a 33m tall look out tower was constructed in 2015. The viewing platform at the top of the spiral staircase offers super 360 degree views of the Křivoklátsko landscape.
• The fastest approach to the summit is from the Na Vartě forest car park on the southern flank of Krušná hora, which is located on a quiet road leading into the hills from Beroun. From the car park it is less than 2km to the summit, but a more indirect return route through the forest on either the north or south side of the hill, gives a pleasantly circular walk of 6.4 km with just 130m of ascent/descent.
• For those travelling by public transport, one approach is to take a bus from Beroun to Hudlice village and then the BLUE hiking trail for 2km to reach the eastern flank of Krušná hora. Starting in Hudlice also enables a short detour to the nearby rock outcrop – Hudlice skála – an often overlooked but excellent short excursion.
• From the car park or Hudlice village it is possible to combine a trip to Krušná hora with a visit to the important Slavic hilltop site of Veliz, giving a total hike of 15km to 20km, depending on the starting point, and the route chosen. There are no refreshment options directly on the route (although there is a pub in Hudlice) so take enough liquids and supplies for the full journey.

Note: click ‘Show on map’ 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

• If starting at the car park Na Vartě, join the BLUE trail in the direction of Máminka – rozhl, which is reached after 1.5km of gentle climbing
• At the Máminka – rozhl trail signpost turn left to reach the summit and lookout tower in 300m
• After climbing the tower, return back to the Máminka – rozhl trail junction. It is possible to simply return to the car park along the outbound path – giving a total walk of 3.5 km. However, for a slightly longer more varied walk, continue on the BLUE trail in the direction of Pod Hudlickým vrchem
• After 1.5 km of easy descent on a wide forest road, the BLUE trail leaves the forest road and descends slightly more steeply on a footpath (point 5 on the map). At this point, stay on the forest road as it bends to the right and reach the Na Církvi trail junction in a further 200m. Note – the Na Církvi junction is the point where walkers coming from the bus stop in Hudlice will join the Krušná hora trail
• At Na Církvi, take the YELLOW trail in the direction of Na Kolejkách and continue on the forest road for 2.3km to reach the junction of Býv. důl. Here rejoin the BLUE trail and head back down the hill to reach the Na Vartě car park in 400m
• Na Vartě is also the starting point for the Velíz walk