*A full circle around Rožmberk, the largest fishpond in Central Europe : 18 km to 20 km*
- Rožmberk is the largest man-made fishpond in the country and, it is believed, the largest in Central Europe. It was designed by the legendary Renaissance pond-creator, Jakub Krcin, and built by 800 workers between 1584 and 1590. The dam is an astonishing 2.4 km long and is the longest in Europe.
- Rožmberk is at the center of the vast network of fishponds that dot the landscape of the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area, a former marshland close to the Austrian border in Southern Bohemia. Most of the ponds were created between the 15th and 17th centuries under the direction of the Lords of Rožmberk, who had their seat in the important town of Třeboň.
- A full circuit of Rožmberk pond can be started at various points, including the center of Třeboň. The trail passes through the villages of Nová and Stará Hlína. Part of the walking route follows the classic cycle trail around the lake, but is shorter (and more scenic) than the cycle route, as it follows a picturesque section of the Zlatá stoka stream and the western edge of the lake on narrow footpaths, which are not ideal for bikes.
- If starting in Třeboň, the route is approximately 20 km long. If starting directly on the pond (for example at the parking just off the main road, 5 km north of Třeboň) the route can be shortened to 18 km by avoiding the segment that enters and leaves the main town. The route is almost completely flat, with only 25m of height gained-lost on the circuit.
- If travelling by public transport, a good starting location is the Třeboň – lázně train station. If driving, there are various parking options in the main town, but also parking areas by the dam (5 km north of Třeboň) and in Stará HlínaThe walk can be done either clockwise or anticlockwise, with the choice mostly depending on where/when planning to stop for refreshments. The map directions below assume a start at the train station, taking an anticlockwise to enable a stop at the dam snack bar 2/3 of the way round the circuit.
- One attraction of the Rožmberk circuit are the excellent options for refreshment on or after the journey. In the prettz town of Třeboň, there are a number of good options. See the comments in the short walk around Třeboň page for some suggestions. Directly on a side pond there is the Pergola u Sv.Víta, next to the pretty pink chapel, just 3 km north of Třeboň. On the opposite side of the pond, directly on the dam is a small scenically situated snack bar that is open during the main tourist season. This is worth seeking out.
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
- From the Třeboň – lázně train station take the BLUE hiking trail in the direction of Stará Hlína
- After 2.3 km reach the Svatý Vít trail junction. From there, continue on the BLUE trail for 4.9 km to reach the village of Stará Hlína
- Stay on the BLUE trail for a further 1.6 km to reach the scenic pond of Hodějov (this is the header photo)
- At the pond, leave the BLUE trail and join the YELLOW trail in the direction of Smítka, which is reached after 1.6 km
- At the Smítka trail junction, turn left onto the RED trail in the direction of Rožmberk – hráz
- Traverse the dam (the snack bar is 200m from the end of the dam)
- After leaving the dam, continue on the RED trail passing along the western edge of the pond and then along the Zlatá stoka stream to reach the Třeboň – bus junction after 5.8 km
- At the Třeboň – bus junction join the GREEN hiking trail and follow this for 700m to reach the main gate (Hradecká brána) into town. Here, turn left, away from the town center, rejoining the BLUE trail and after 500m return to the Třeboň – lázně train station
