A visit to Oheb castle ruins perched high above Seč reservoir – 3 km to 6 km
- The romantic ruins of Oheb castle look down on the shimmering waters of Seč reservoir. This relatively unknown castle is actually one of the most scenically situated in the country and the short walk from the reservoir shores is well worthwhile. There are number of viewpoints to discover while exploring the surprisingly extensive ruins on a network of footpaths.
- Oheb was probably built at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. Its name derives from the ‘elbow’ bend in Chrudimka river which flowed below the rocky outcrop on which the castle was constructed. Between 1925 and 1934, the Seč dam was constructed, flooding the valley below the castle and creating an island where the elbow bend used to be (see the picture below).
- The castle was abandoned at the end of the 15th century and left to fall into its current romantic state. The ruins are freely accessible and care is needed when exploring the area as both the walls and viewpoints are unsecured.
- The easiest way to the ruins is to drive to the large car park located 400m from the dam and walk along the road and over the dam, to reach the access footpath which climbs the rocky slope to reach Oheb castle. It is little more than 1 km in total. Once there, take the time to explore the area and visit the different viewpoints.
- On the return journey, if wanting to swim or enjoy the water-sports on the reservoir, continue around the lakeshore for a section. There are a couple of sandy beaches, which are popular in high summer, but quiet for the rest of the year.
- Note: a full circuit of Seč reservoir is possible by following marked trails. It is a 17 km circuit. Due to forestry activities at the far end it is not a particularly scenic walk (lots of bare spaces and messy/muddy paths, when walked in April 2023), so cannot yet be recommended in the guide – at least until the reforestation is complete in a few years time!
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 at the large car park located 400m east of Seč reservoir dam
- Follow the GREEN hiking trail down hill, through the short tunnel, across the dam and then along the road to reach the access footpath to the castle – Pod Ohebem junction (1 km from the parking)
- At the junction, turn right uphill on the BLUE trail in the direction of Oheb. The ruins are reached in 300m
- Take the time to explore the ruins and different viewpoints over the reservoir and then return back the same way
- If wanting to visit the the reservoir for swimming or water-sports, take the YELLOW trail to the left, just before returning back to the car park. This leads around the lakeshore to the two main sandy beaches
