Tours around Baba and the Šarka valley from Nebušice: 13km to 19km

• The Šarka valley is not only Prague’s most picturesque nature reserve, it is the location of some of the area’s most important prehistoric sites. In the middle of the last ice age, some 22,000 years ago, specialist mammoth hunters from the Gravettian culture set up camps close to the current day chateau Jenerálka beside the Šarecký stream . The site may have been occupied periodically for thousands of years. In the cold and bleak steppe landscape of ice age Bohemia, our hunter-gatherer ancestors presumably found the sheltered Šárka valley a convenient location to process their hunted wild horse, woolly mammoth and reindeer.
• Later in prehistory, on the Baba escarpment overlooking both the Šarka valley and the Vltava river, a very significant late Stone Age (eneolithic) settlement was created. Dating from around 5,500 years ago the site was occupied by the Funnel Beaker people, a culture that came to dominate the northern part of Europe in the 4th millenium BC. This was a mixed agriculture and pastoral community, in which the first indications of tribal leadership and warfare became known. Due its size and prominence, the fortified Baba site (now almost fully built over by modern housing) may have been a tribal and ritual center for the wider territory.
• At the western end of the Šarka valley, a smaller but equally well protected hilltop location which overlooks the Džbán reservoir, was also settled in the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Today, the site is known as Hradiště Šárka. Hradiště Šárka may not have had the same importance in the Stone Age as Baba, but when the Slavic tribes arrived in the area around the sixth century AD, they determined that the hilltop site should be a location for their main centre of power in the area. The Slavic fortifications, dating from the 8th-10th centuries, are barely visible today, but the site and the views from it are certainly dramatic. The Slavic fortress was probably abandoned soon after the foundation of nearby Prague castle.
• These three important prehistoric archeological sites can be combined in a full 19 km loop around the valley, which is described briefly below, as well as the shorter 13km loop which just tours the eastern end of the valley and circles around the Baba hill. Shorter walks and highlights of the western end of the valley are discussed in the Divoká Šárka page.
• There are several possible access points for the full loop, including the busy Divoká Šárka tram stop on Evropská street (next to McDonald’s which has a paid parking area). A quieter starting point for the tour is the village of Nebušice, located just off the Prague ring road. The village (which started life in the medieval period by housing workers in the nearby vineyards) has good bus connections with Prague center and there are usually parking spots available on the main and side streets.
• From Nebušice it is suggested to follow the loops anticlockwise. If attempting the full 19km circuit, the initial section of the walk is in the rugged Divoká Šárka park area, passing the Džbán reservoir before visiting the Hradiště Šárka site. The route then follows the southern flank of the valley before descending to the Jenerálka area.
• The trail then climbs up to the Baba escarpment, circles around the hillfort area with its views of the Vltava valley and then descends to the Šarecký stream. The final section of the walk is on the northern flank of the valley, finishing by descending to Nebušice through the attractive Hlásek forest, which has a short educational trail.
• The full circuit of 19km involves 440km of height gained/lost, partly on asphalt paths and partly on forest trails There are some relatively steep sections of path, but the trail is well marked. The shorter – 13km – version skips the western (usually busier) Divoká Šárka/Hradiště Šárka section of the circuit, taking a descending trail directly from Nebušice to Jenerálka, and involves 270m of height gained/lost.
• There are various refreshment options on the route, including the Dívčí skok pub in Divoká Šárka and a couple of well regarded restaurants in Jenerálka, including the Chorvatský Mlýn (Croatian mill restaurant). A popular spot in Baba is Mom’s Bakehouse u Matěje, just next to the Albert supermarket.

Directions – full 19 km circuit (note the entire route is on the RED trail, apart from small diversions to the viewpoints)

• Start the walk in Nebušice at the bus stop/trail signpost next to St. Peter’s Church Cyril and Methodius
• Follow the RED trail in the direction of Divoká Šárka. After 1.1km, shortly after entering the forested area, there is a marked diversion to the viewpoint (K Vyhlídce). This is one of the best views in Šarka and should not be missed
• Return back to the RED trail and continue into the nature reserve, eventually descending to the Džbán reservoir after 2.4 km
• From Džbán continue on the RED trail in the direction of Jenerálka. After climbing up for 100m there is an unmarked footpath that leads straight up the hill to visit the Hradiště Šárka hillfort. Again, this is worth taking for the excellent views and the opportunity to walk the perimeter of the fort
• Return back to the RED trail and continue towards Jenerálka, passing the Aritma sports area on the right side and then descending to the Šarecký stream valley to reach Jenerálka (refreshment options) after 4 km. (Note – the prehistoric mammoth hunter camp was located on the left slope just after passing the Croatian mill restaurant
• *From Jenerálka, stay on the RED trail, heading in the direction of Zlatnice, which is reached after 1.8 km
• From Zlatnice carry on following the RED trail into the residential district of Baba, and continue on the trail until it reaches the viewpoint with its ruined 17th century building on the promontory (this was original a building holding a wine press)
• There are unmarked trails on the promontory which can be explored and offer good views of the Vltava and Šarecký valley (see picture immediately below)
• Continue on the RED trail on the northern side of Baba district, descending again to the Šarecký valley
• Cross the public road, and continue on the RED trail which climbs steeply for 500m up the north bank of the valley. At the top turn left, still following the RED trail in the direction of Nebušice
• The trail follows the edge of the forest for 3km before dropping down through the Hlásek forest area to reach Nebušice