*A 19 km tour of the fishpond complex created by Mikuláš Ruthard, starting in Chlum u Třeboně*

• Mikuláš Ruthard was one of the famous 16th century Czech fishpond builders, who created a network of ponds in the Třeboňsko region in southern Bohemia. Ruthard’s most innovative work resulted in the complex of ponds near Chlum u Třeboně. A circuit of these ponds is one of the highlights of any stay in the Třeboňsko region.
• There is an interesting 10 km educational trail with five information boards on the route between Chlum and Lutová village. It is possible to complete the circuit back to Chlum by continuing on to Staňkov village and then following the trail beside the largest of Ruthard’s ponds, Hejtman.
• The route can be started in any of the villages (which are all connected by bus with the region’s main town, Třeboň). Chlum is notable for its position overlooking Hejtman pond (which is a popular swimming lake) and for its grand chateau, with its neo-Baroque architecture. The chateau’s last aristocratic owner was the heir to the Austro/Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination in 1914 led to the outbreak of WWI. The chateau is now in private hands and being developed into a luxury hotel.
• The route is unusual (for Třeboňsko) in that it is not completely flat as there are sections in attractive pastures dotted with rocky outcrops, topped with a mix of trees, including wild fruit trees. There is just under 100m of height to ascend/descend on the 19 km route, which is a mix of asphalt roads and easy footpaths across the fields.
• There are several refreshment options along the route in the various villages (and in Chlum), but most are usually only open in the main summer season. If walking the route in high season, try the well-known Gril a Bar Bouda, in the hut/shack just a short distance from the lakeshore in Chlum or the weekend restaurant U Sumečka in Staňkov (map point 5) .
• Note – during the warmer months many sections of the trail are also enjoyed by swarms of mosquitoes (as with many of the wetland areas in Třeboňsko). Come prepared or consider visiting during the cooler months!

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 in Chlum (note that there are no long-term parking areas in town, so drivers will need to find a space on one of the side roads)
• Join the RED trail heading towards Starý Kanclíř
• Stay on the RED trail for 7 km until reaching the Starý Hospodář junction
• Here, turn onto the YELLOW trail heading towards Lutová village, which is reached after 3.5 km
• From Lutová continue on the YELLOW trail for a further 3.9 km until reaching the Staňkov trail junction
• Here, turn onto the BLUE trail which leads back to Chlum after 4.4 km