A tour of the varied landscape of Český les from Lesná village: 7 km to 11 km

• Český les (the ‘Bohemian forest’) is a large protected nature area in western Bohemia, occupying part of the border zone with Germany. For some, the image of Český les is of a dark, gloomy and impenetrable forest. Forbidding forests, perhaps not dissimilar to those in which three Roman legions infamously led by Varus in 6AD were totally obliterated by the Germanic tribes.
• However, the reality is somewhat different. The forests are certainly there, a mix of old beech and newer spruce plantations, interspersed with meadows, often full of wild flowers and grazing cattle. It could almost be a picture from the foothills of the alps.
• Unlike in Varus’ day, the forest tracks are wide, open and straight – partly a legacy of the network created during the communist era to protect the border zone. The forests are almost unnaturally quiet. Few hikers seem to venture into the woods, and only slightly more cyclists. So, for those who enjoy tranquil forest walks, with surprisingly good views, Český les should be high on the ‘to visit’ list.
• One excellent walk to begin an exploration of Český les might be the 11 km nature trail that begins in the village of Lesná, a few kilometers west of the important medieval town of Tachov. The trail is mostly on easy forest tracks, with only 200m of altitude gain (which is unusual for walks in this hilly area).
• There are sections in spruce forests, as well as mixed woodland and meadow areas. In addition, the trail passes two important protected water meadow areas. The northern section of Český les is particularly famous for its peat bogs – on the route there is a short nature trail with a wooden path exploring the Podkovák bog.
• Lesná can be reached by bus from Tachov, which has a train station. Tachov itself is worth a short visit – it has extensive 13th century walls – some of the best preserved town fortifications in the country – and an attractive town square. The Tachov chateau originally dates from the 12th century and has a long and colorful history. Its appearance today is as a result of a Classicist reconstruction at the end of the 18th century. Tachov was strategically one of the most important towns in Bohemia for a long period.
• For drivers, Lesná has a few parking spots in the village center and it should also be possible at the crematorium, 500m up the road in the direction of the trail. There is a late Baroque chateau in the center of the village, founded on a late medieval fortress. The chateau is used today as a municipal office. Lesná has a small general store, but otherwise no other refreshments spots.

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 from the center of Lesná village and follow the GREEN hiking trail along the road, past the chateau and the cemetery
• At the cemetery, stay on the GREEN trail in the direction of U jedlí. The trail leaves the road and passes the attractive pond
• 1.5km from the cemetery, arrive at the U jedlí trail junction. Here, turn left onto the YELLOW trail in the direction of Podkovák
• After 1.4km, reach the Podkovák nature reserve – divert for 50m into the peat bog on the wooden pathway
• Continue for 600m on the YELLOW trail to reach the U Kapličky trail junction. Here, if preferring a shorter – 7 km – walk, turn left onto the (short cut) BLUE trail to reach the Pod Peklem* signpost in 1 km
• For the longer – 11 km – route, stay on the YELLOW trail. After 2.9 km reach the trail signpost of Vodní svět, which is the start of a small series of ponds, which are the home to European beavers. There is a short diversion nature trail around the ponds
• From Vodní svět continue for 2 km on the YELLOW trail to reach the Pod Peklem* junction
• At Pod Peklem, join the BLUE trail and return to Lesná village in 2.4 km