An ‘out of season’ visit to Manětín and the Chlumská hora (651m) viewpoint: 9 km

• Manětín is one of the most popular attractions in western Bohemia, with its majestic Baroque chateau whose current form dates from an early 18th century reconstruction after a major fire in 1712. Some commentaries attribute the reconstruction to the famous Baroque architect Santini, but it appears to be the work of his contemporary, Thomas Hafenecker.
• The chateau is normally open from April to October, which is when most people visit Manětín. The town is therefore remarkably quiet in the winter months, but this is still a good time to take a walk in the area, especially as the adjoining small park area is open all year round.
• There are several good walks which can start in Manětín, but most are lengthy routes. For a shorter walk, consider the 4.5 km hike up to Chlumská hora (651m), which is an unusual ‘table’ mountain formed from a lava intrusion around 30 million years ago. There is a protected nature reserve on the forested summit (mostly oak and linden trees) and fine viewpoint overlooking the landscape which is dotted with other volcanic intrusions.
• The route is not particularly steep and is manageable in winter conditions. There is approximately 250m of height to ascend /descend on good footpaths. Manětín has a couple of good restaurant options for refreshments after the hike. In addition to the well known chateau restaurant (only open on week days out of season), the Pizzeria on the square is a popular destination.

Directions

• Before setting off on the walk, take a moment to visit the chateau park and garden, accessed through an alleyway leading to a side courtyard and then the park
• From the trail junction in front of the chateau, take the GREEN trail in the direction of Chlumská hora
• The summit area is reached after 2 km, but the best viewpoint is actually in the middle of the mountain, so continue a further 2 km along the GREEN trail. The viewpoint is marked as a short diversion from the main trail
• Return back to Manětín on the outbound path