Following the Sázava river from Kácov to Český Šternberk, a one-way walk: 15 km (extendable)

• The Sázava river is one of the most beautiful waterways in the country and is justly popular with water sports enthusiasts as well as walkers. Much of its 225 km length is navigable in a small boat and there are also many excellent hiking trails close to the river. Conveniently, a railway also runs most of the length of the river, from Žďár nad Sázavou until the Sázava merges with the Vltava just to the south of Prague. There are many regional stations along the track and the trains are reasonably frequent, which creates lots of opportunities for one-way walks along the Sázava.
• Perhaps the most famous landmark along the river is the imposing Gothic castle of Český Šternberk, located 50 km southeast of Prague. Astonishingly, the castle has remained in the same family ownership since its foundation more than 750 years ago – the current owner is the 20th generation since Zdeslav of Divišov created the family seat around 1241. The castle is open for guided tours from April to October, and by appointment at other times.
• Český Šternberk is a fine destination (or starting point) for a one-way walk along the river, either starting or finishing with a visit to the the castle. One option is to start in Sázava town (site of the important monastery) some 14 km downstream. There are a couple of nice routes – one route (12 km) follows the left bank, and another route follows the right bank. The latter is part (usually Day 2) of the Blaník-Říp pilgrimage trail (described here).
• A less frequented, but equally attractive option is to start upstream of Český Šternberk. Starting in Zruč nad Sázavou gives a nice full day walk, around 25 km long. However, that probably does not allow much time for visiting the main attraction in Zruč – its magnificent chateau – or touring the castle in Český Šternberk.
• So, save Zruč for a walk on a different day and start the medium length (15 km) walk to Český Šternberk from the riverside town of Kácov. If desired the walk can be extended by 12 km, with a continuation on to Sázava (this continuation walk is described separately here).
• Kácov is a small market town with a significant Baroque chateau (currently undergoing refurbishment by the town) and a historic brewery, first established in 1457. The brewery is one the oldest in the country and today produces beer under the Hubertus brand. The brewery can be visited on tours and next door there is a classic pub owned by the brewery (it is usually open by 11, if needing some fuel for the walk!)
• Starting at the Kácov zastávka train station and finishing at the Český Šternberk zastávka stop (note that both towns have two stations), the route is 15 km long with 350m of height to ascend/descend (note, this is not a flat route!). There is one quite steep section reached at around the 5 km mark. If there are diversion signs in place, take them as this path is prone to falling trees and forestry management. Otherwise, the route is on nice easy trails once this forest section has been passed.
• For refreshments, in addition to the brewery in Kácov, there are several good options on arrival in Český Šternberk. The castle courtyard itself has pleasant café, while below the castle, try the popular Restaurace Pod hradem (map point 7). Along the way, there is a seasonally open (usually April to October) snack bar beside the river, Kiosek u čerta, just off the hiking trail at map point 3.

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

Directions

• If travelling by car, and planning on taking the train back to the starting point, consider parking in one of the parking areas in Český Šternberk, catch the train to Kácov and then walk back, as there are better parking options this way
• Once at the Kácov zastávka train station, join the RED trail heading to Český Šternberk
• If planning on visiting the brewery, it is next to the chateau, 100m to the left off the hiking trail
• Follow the RED trail the whole way to Český Šternberk. Just before reaching the main castle there is a sign to the right to the hladmorna watch tower, which is worth a quick look (map point 4)
• After visiting the castle area, continue on the RED trail, crossing the river using the road bridge. The station is 100m to the right after crossing the bridge