A short walk to the ‘Stone shepherd’ – Bohemia’s tallest prehistoric menhir

• Bohemia has many standing stones (menhirs). Unfortunately, most of them that survive today are not prehistoric – they are modern replicas. At one time, in the pre Christian eras, there were probably many more stone monuments In Bohemia, created by our distant pagan ancestors. Most of the ancient standing stones have been deliberately buried, toppled or broken up. However, one menhir that is almost certainly ancient and has definitely not been destroyed, stands alone in a field close to the village of Klobuky, just off the main road that connects Slaný and Louny. It is named the Zkamenělý pastýř (Stone shepherd) and it is the tallest standing stone in the country.
• Some believe the Shepherd was erected by Celtic tribes sometime towards the end of the first millennium BC. Certainly, the area had significant Celtic presence in the past. However, many European menhirs are older than the Celts, sometimes much older – dating back to the first farmers in the Neolithic period, some 7000 years ago. Hopefully, future research will reveal more about the Shepherd’s origins. The local folk history suggests there were once smaller stones surround the larger one, and that the name derives from the shepherd and his ‘ flock’ of sheep. The stone itself comprises iron rich sandstone, hence its dark brown appearance.
• The standing stone is situated 100m from the public road than runs between Klobuky and Peruc, in a recently created hedged enclosure. The growth of the hedge means only the very top of the stone can be seen from the roadside. To visit the menhir, it is best to walk the 800m along the road from the village of Klobuky – there are various parking spots in the village (as well as a bus connection with Slaný).

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 Klobuky village center ( eg the coop supermarket) walk along 9 Května street for 100m to reach the crossroads. Turn right onto the main road towards Peruc
• Follow this road for 700m. The path to the menhir, with an information board is on the right side
• After visiting the stone, return back the same route.