*A 4 km circular walk to the Stradonka lookout tower, on an ancient hillfort wall*

• This short walk is a segment of a longer (15 km) walk, which explores the countryside and viewpoints around the historical town of Peruc. The Stradonka lookout tower is one of the highlights of that walk. If taking the longer walk is not feasible, then this shorter version is still highly recommended. The views from ridge of the volcanic hills of České středohoří are exceptional and the (ancient) history of the site definitely worth discovering.
• The lookout was constructed in 2009, with a design reminiscent of a Celtic watchtower. The tower was, in fact, constructed directly on the rampart wall of the ancient hillfort. On the platform of the tower there is a map of the surrounding volcanic hills.
• Archaeology has shown that this extraordinary site, with steep slopes to the south and west has been visited and inhabited for thousands of years. There is some evidence that the site was first used by Neanderthal hunter-gatherers, and almost certainly at various points in the Stone and Bronze Ages, but the massive fortifications visible today were constructed in the 5th century BC, by ancestors of the Celts that came to dominate the Central European landscape at the end of the first millennium BC. The perimeter ramparts guarding the eastern approaches to the site are unmissable.
• The hillfort is best approached from the cemetery, located just outside the village of Stradonice, where there are a few parking spots available. Public transport options to the site are limited, but there are infrequent buses to Stradonice from the town of Louny (visitors coming by public transport should probably opt for the longer trip via Peruc)
• A circular route is possible from the cemetery, climbing up to the hillfort and than returning to Stradonice village on a marked path below the south and west flanks of the hill. The path is not difficult (the paths on the hill are not really suitable for strollers though). The route involves just 110m of height gained-lost over its 4.1 km length. There is a pub in Stradonice for possible refreshments.

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 Stradonice cemetery, take the YELLOW hiking trail up the hill. The lookout tower is reached in 700m
• From the tower, continue on the YELLOW trail which circles around the hill to return back to Stradonice village center in 3km
• From the center (where the pub is located) continue on the YELLOW trail in the direction of Rozhledna to reach the cemetery in 400m