A circuit in hills near Sázava town, starting in Stříbrná Skalice: 18 km (extendable)

• This is a possible circular route in the hills and attractive forests to the northwest of Sázava town, for those who would like an extended walking trip which includes a visit to the site of the famous 11th century monastery. The walk can be started either in Sázava or the nearby town of Stříbrná Skalice, which was a silver mining site in the 15th and 16th centuries. If desired, the route can be extended with a 5 km loop following the meander of the Sázava river.
• Almost a thousand years ago, so the story is told, a wise and pious hermit named Prokop lived in a cave near the Sázava river. Followers started to gather around Prokop, attracting the attention of the rulers of Bohemia. Recognizing Procopius’ growing fame, the rulers founded a Benedictine monastery on a rocky outcrop above a bend in the river and installed Prokop as the first abbot. Prokop served for over twenty years, until his death in 1053.
• Today, the ancient monastery on the banks of the Sázava looks very different to how it must have appeared in Prokop’ s day. The original Romanesque buildings were transformed to a Gothic style in the 14th century, by which time Prokop had been canonized and had become Bohemia’s patron saint. The monastery was badly damaged in the 15th century Hussite wars, and so was later reconstructed in a Baroque and then in the 18th century it took on a neo-Renaissance style. Despite its multiple changes in facade, the monastery is still a striking building. It is usually open for tours from April to October.
• The suggested route includes a visit to a viewpoint overlooking the meandering river. The remains of a Neolithic-Bronze Age hillfort, Hradiště Černé Budy lie close to the viewpoint. The foundations of an inner tower, possibly of early medieval-Slavic origin, are still visible. The trail also follows a section of the Blaník-Říp pilgrimage route.
• The basic circuit is just over 18 km long, with 450m of height to ascend-descend. None of the paths are steep and include a mix of (occasionally muddy) forest footpaths and asphalt roads. During the winter season, the forest trails can become difficult due to fallen trees (which are only cleared in the spring). There are various refreshment options in Sázava and a restaurant in the main square in Stříbrná Skalice.

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

• Starting in the main square in Stříbrná Skalice (bus connections to Sázava and a small free parking area), join the YELLOW trail in the direction of Kloučky
• After 1.6 km reach the river at the Kloučky trail junction and here turn left onto the RED trail heading towards Sázava
• After 3.7 km the Kříž na skále viewpoint is signposted to the right íthe rocky viewpoint is 50m off the main trail)
• Continue on the RED trail for 1.8 km to reach the monastery complex
• After visiting the monastery, join the BLUE trail heading in the direction of Konojedy
• Stay on the BLUE trail for 6.8 km until reaching the Skalická mysl. trail junction. Here, turn left onto the YELLOW trail which leads directly to the Stříbrná Skalice main square after 4.6 km