*On the trail of Oldřich & Božena – a 14 km walk around Peruc and Stradonice*

On the trail of Oldřich & Božena – a 14 km walk around Peruc and Stradonice

Over a thousand years ago, around the turn of the first millennium, the Přemyslid Prince of Bohemia, Oldřich, was hunting in the woods near Peruc, a village not far from the royal town of Louny. The Prince came across a beautiful young woman washing linen next to a spring. According to the legends, despite already being married, Oldřich could not resist the charms of Božena. The consequence was the conception of child, who was subsequently named Břetislav. Břetislav became a notable warrior Prince, whose successes on the battlefield earned him the moniker, ‘the Bohemian Achilles’. He is also credited with being the first Přemyslid Prince of both Bohemia and Moravia.
The forest encounter of Oldřich and Božena directly led to the survival and flourishing of the Přemyslid dynasty for over 300 years. After the birth of Břetislav, the dynasty produced a further 20 Bohemian rulers and even (briefly) a Holy Roman Emperor. All were direct descendants of Břetislav.
Božena’s spring was apparently shaded by oak trees. One of the oak saplings growing at that time miraculously survived, not just the remaining years of Přemyslid rule, but also the following 700 years. The tree known today as ‘Oldřich’s Oak’, still stands by the stream flowing below Peruc village, having borne witness to over a thousand tumultuous years of Bohemian history. It is arguably the most famous tree in the country.
On the hillside above Božena’s spring, a Romanesque fortress was constructed, probably in the 12th century and the village of Peruc grew around it. The Peruc fortress was transformed several times over the following centuries and the rococo form visible today is due to a major reconstruction in the 18th century. The impressive Peruc chateau is still undergoing reconstruction but an adjoining gallery featuring the work of Czech Cubist painter Emil Filla (who stayed in chateau between 1947 and 1952) is open during the main tourist season. In the summer months there are sometimes refreshments available in the chateau’s English park..
The suggested route follows most of a marked nature trail (with 20 information boards) that tours the village of Peruc and then runs along the ridge above the Débeřský stream, returning back to Peruc alongside the stream. The route is extended by a visit to the Stradonka lookout tower constructed in 2009 on the rampart of the Hradiště Stradonice. This prehistoric site offers spectacular views over the volcanic hills to the north, and was occupied as early as the Stone Age. The fortifications around the oval site were mostly constructed in the Iron Age, by Celtic settlers, possibly as a ritual center.
The total route of 14.4 km involves 260m of height gained/lost on the journey. The first section of the trail on good wide tracks (around the village/chateau area and along the ridge for the first km – as far as the Krásná vyhlídka tourist shelter) is navigable with a stroller. Thereafter the route is mostly on forest and meadow trails, which while not difficult would be a challenge with a stroller. For refreshments, there is a nice café just below the chateau in Peruc on the main road. It is usually open at weekends in spring and summer. Refreshments may be available in the chateau or park area, depending on the time of year.

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 the walk in the center of the village of Peruc, reached by regular bus from Louny. For drivers, there are parking areas on the edge of the village
After visiting the chateau and its park area, join the BLUE trail in the direction of Oldřichův dub. The old oak tree is reached after 300m
From the oak tree, continue on the BLUE trail for 1.7 km to reach the Krásná vyhlídka tourist shelter
From the tourist shelter continue on the BLUE trail on the forest path for 1.8 km to reach the village of Chrastín and the trail signpost
At the Chrastín sign turn right onto the YELLOW trail in the direction of Zadní Valy – rozhledna. The lookout tower is reached after 1.2 km
From the lookout, continue on the YELLOW trail for 1 km to reach the village of Stradonice. Here take the left fork of the YELLOW trail in the direction of Peruc
After 1 km, the YELLOW trail turns up hill towards Chrastín, and the marked nature trail (green-white diagonal stripes) continues straight on to Peruc. Follow the nature trail towards Peruc
After 3.1 km reach the Peruc – býv. cukrovar trail signpost at the public road
Cross the road and continue on the nature trail alongside the stream to reach Débeřský mill after 1.6 km
Here the nature trail joins the RED hiking trail. Turn left onto the RED trail and after 1.6 km reach the trail signpost of Peruc – nák. střed. on the edge of the village. Turn onto the BLUE trail to return back to the village center.