A walk around the royal town of Slaný and the fortified volcanic hill of Slánská hora

• The ancient settlement of Slaný lies approximately 25 km to the northwest of Prague. In medieval times, the town became important due to its location on the trade route between Prague and Saxony. It was given a royal charter by King Václav II at the end of the 13th century. However, the settlement dates from much earlier times. To discover quite how much earlier, visitors to this attractive medieval town would be well advised to spend a little extra time exploring the unusually shaped wooded hill, just to the east of the town center.
• The name Slaný derives from the salt water spring that emerges close to that hill. The salt water is a remnant of the violent volcanic past of Bohemia. The wooded hill (today called Slánská hora) is, in fact, one of the most southerly volcanic outcrops that formed throughout northern Bohemia some 20 to 30 million years ago at a time of violent tectonic activity, which also gave rise to the Alps.
• The steep sided hill, with its cracked dark rock, narrow ravines and salt water spring may have been an iconic location for prehistoric settlors. It was likely to have been an important ritual site. Nearly 6000 years ago, settlers from the northern European Funnel Beaker culture created a homestead on the flat hill top. Successive ancient cultures made Slánská hora their home. Archeological remains from the late Stone Age, early and late Bronze Age, as well as Iron Age relics have been unearthed on the site. At some point in its long history a number of standing stones (menhirs) may have been erected on its slopes.
• The hill might have lost a little of its magic since those times (not least due to quarrying activities in the 1950’s) but the short climb is still worthwhile. The paths might be a little confusing, and the educational trail quite hard to follow, but the views over Slaný are nevertheless excellent. For the adventurous, there is even a Via Ferrata constructed on the northern cliffs – the routes are short, but quite technically demanding (proper equipment and experience required!)
• After a tour of Slánská hora, it is worth spending a little time exploring Slaný town. The main square is certainly worth a visit, as is the Romanesque church of St Gothard, which has a 12th century origin and an interesting history. There are also remnants of the 14th and 15th century fortifications to discover, as well as some excellent Renaissance buildings on the side streets, one of which houses the Antoš micro-brewery. The Antoš beers are award winning and this is not the worst place to stop for some refreshment after a short walk. The visit to the hill, and a quick circle around town, is approximately 3km. The walk involves 100m of climbing on the hill.

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

• If driving to Slaný, there are various parking options in and around the town center, including paid parking directly on the main square, Masarykovo náměstí. If coming by public transport, the fastest approach from Prague is probably by bus, which runs frequently from Veleslavín metro station
• From the town centre, the shortest approach to Slánská hora is through the north gate – the 15th century Velvarská brána (map point 2)
• After passing through the gate, take one of the side streets to the right, down the hill to reach the main ring road around the town. Cross the road and then take the footpath Zahradnická (point 3 on the map)
• Access the hill from Chadalíkova street – there are steps off to the right after the set of houses (point 4) – the trail is marked with the green-white diagonal stripes of an educational trail
• At the top of the steps at the (broken) information board, turn right and wind up to to the top of the hill, following wherever possible the green-white markings
• At the hill top there are various locations and viewpointswith information boards, the order of which seems quite random. The exit of the Via Ferrata climbing paths is located just to the north of the main plateau
• After a quick exploration of the hill top, descend the hill on the less steep eastern side, again following the green-white markings
• At the bottom of the hill turn left and follow the signs to visit the bottom of the Via Ferrata climbing trails
• Return to Chadalíkova street on the small footpath that descends the slope from the Via Ferrata access area
• Re-enter the town through the south east approach – there are remnants of the 14th century town walls and a preserved section of moat, just below the church of St Gothard
• Continue along Vinařického street, passing the Antoš brewery on the left side, to return back to the main square, Masarykovo náměstí