*A varied circuit in the hills near the west Bohemian town of Přeštice: 20 km*

• Přeštice is the largest town in the south Plzeň district. Founded in the 13th century, the town is most notable for having the largest Baroque church in the Czech Republic, outside of Prague. The impressive Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was designed in 1750 by the prominent Baroque architect, Dientzenhofer, and finally completed in 1775. Next to the church (which is usually not accessible) is the town museum dealing primarily with the history of Přeštice.
• The countryside around Přeštice is attractive and worth exploring. Trails follow beside the winding Úhlava River and then head into the mixed forests that cover the low hills in this region. Hidden in the forests are some impressive examples of metamorphized (‘bullied’) rocks along the ridges. Also hidden from view are the surprisingly extensive remains of the 14th century Castle Skála, which use part of the rocky ridge as the fortification base. Only parts of the (reportedly haunted!) ruin are accessible.
• Circular routes of different lengths are possible by heading south along the river and then circling back past the Skála ruins. The 20 km route shown in the map below gives a nice variety of terrain and has less than 300 of height to ascend/descend. None of the footpaths are difficult, but they can be muddy after wet weather.
• The best spots for refreshment are back in Přeštice town. There are various good options, including an excellent brewery/restaurant on the main street (map point 12). There are also two nice cafés, the Cukrána v Háječku (map point 13) and one in the pleasant Hotel Volf (map point 11).

Note: click ‘Show on map’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions

• Přeštice has extensive regional bus connections and also has direct train connections with Prague. For drivers, there are extensive (paid) parking areas on or near the main square
• Start the walk on the main square, joining the YELLOW trail heading towards Příchovice, which is reached in 1.6 km
• Continue on the YELLOW trail for a further 2.2 km as far as the Lužany – most junction. Here, turn left onto the GREEN trail heading towards Nezdice
• After 4.2 km reach the U Pískovce junction and here turn left onto the RED trail heading towards Skála
• After 4.3 km the castle ruins are on the left side
• From Skála continue on the RED trail for a further 2.7 km until reach the village of Kucíny
• Pass the small red chapel on the left and after 150m turn left onto the side road, which is a marked cycle route
• Continue on this farm track for 2.3 km. It leads directly back into Příchovice village. There, rejoin the YELLOW trail used for the outbound route a return back to Přeštice center