Radyně castle and the Andrejšky rocks, a 7 km (extendable) route from Starý Plzenec

• The settlement at Starý Plzenec (located 6 km southeast of Plzeň) was at one time the most important site in western Bohemia. For several centuries the fortress controlled the important medieval trade route between Bavaria and the developing Bohemian kingdom under the Přemyslid rulers. It was at Starý Plzenec that the Přemyslid Prince Bolesław II defeated the army of the German king Otto II in 976.
• The three hills surrounding the modern day village of Starý Plzenec were fortified at various times in prehistoric and historic times, probably starting with the eastern hill, Sedlecká skála, which has Bronze and Iron Age age settlement areas. In the Slavic period, the northern hill of Hůrka was fortified and became the pre-eminent fortress in western Bohemia for the Přemyslids. The 10th century rotunda of St Peter & Paul (the oldest surviving church in western Bohemia) still stands proudly on the side of the hill.
• Finally, in the 14th century, on the summit of the highest hill, Radyně (567m), Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, Charles IV, built a formidable castle to protect the trade route. The fortress then passed through the hands of several noble families in the subsequent centuries but has survived in its high medieval architectural form. Its silhouette is a classic western Bohemian image and is visible from afar. The castle has a small museum and is normally open from April to October.
• Walks of different lengths can be constructed, starting in Starý Plzenec to visit the three hills, separately or in combination. The standalone 4 km walk around the early medieval sites on Hůrka can be found on the following page. If wanting a very varied medium length walk (up to 11 km) combine the Hůrka walk with the followwing standalone tour of Radyně hill.
• The standalone 7 km walk described below, which is just around Radyně hill is a fine and varied short walk in its own right. Radyně has some unique rock formations, excellent views and just next to the impressive medieval castle is the restaurant Pod Radyní with its unique interior. A highlight is the Andrejšky rock ridge – the path follows just below the rocks. These very hard silicite rocks (buližník) are some of the oldest in the country – transformed more than 500 million years ago. There are many rock climbing routes up the spiky towers.
• The paths through some of the rocky sections are actually quite steep (but can be avoided if desired) so this is not a super easy walk (there are 270m of height to ascend/descend). It is, however, a very rewarding short hike, one of the best in western Bohemia. Refreshments are also available in various spots in Starý Plzenec, including the popular restaurant Český Dvůr.
• For those preferring not to hike up and down the hill, there is a parking area at the hill top. Even if deciding on this option, still consider taking the challenging (blue marked nature trail) 3 km Skalní stezka, which starts at the car park. Curiously, the route starts by descending the steepest section on the hill. In this author’s view, the trail is best tackled in reverse (clockwise on the hill), tackling the steepest section in ascent at the end of the route, especially when the ground is slippery.

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 the main square of Starý Plzenec. The village can be reached by bus from Plzeň. For drivers, there are several parking areas in the village
• Begin by taking the marked nature trail (green-white diagonal stripes) in the direction of the Andrejšky rocks
• The route initially follows the railway line and then crosses the fields west of Starý Plzenec before starting to climb the slopes of Radyně hill (note – the route can be shortened by 1 km by skipping the section along the railway and taking the Štenovická side road to meet up with the nature trail at the beginning of the forested area on Radyně)
• The route climbs steadily in the forest and then alongside the Andrejšky rock ridge, reach the top of the ridge 3.4 km after leaving Starý Plzenec center
• Just before the top of the ridge, there is a turn to the left , marked with blue-white diagonal stripes. This is the Skalní stezka route and offers a steeper, slightly longer and more exciting path to the summit of Radyně
• Take the Skalní stezka option to the left (unless preferring an easier, shorter route, in which case just stay on the green-white nature trail to the top of the hill)
• The Skalní stezka initial heads east on a flat forest path and then passes an abandoned quarry and climbs steeply up the north ridge of the hill. There are a couple of viewpoints – one with a staircase, which offers the best view of Radyně castle (see picture below)
• The summit is reached shortly after the last rock section (2 km after joining the trail at the Andrejšky rocks)
• Spend some time exploring the castle area and the Pod Radyní restaurant before descending the hill on the YELLOW trail which leads directly back to the center of Starý Plzenec after 2.4 km