Along the river Střela from Mladotice to the historic monastery town of Plasy: 9 km

Plasy monastery is one of the oldest and grandest monastic complexes in the country. It is slowly undergoing renovation but is definitely worth visiting. An easy 5 km walk follows an education trail around the town. For a longer, more challenging hike which ends up in Plasy, consider the route shown below.
This route starts at the Mladotice train station, which is on a regional train line starting at Plzen, which also passes through Plasy. The trail follows the course of the Střela river, sometimes directly beside this fast-flowing river, sometimes in the mixed spruce and oak forests on terraces high above the river.
The path is occasionally narrow and can be slippery after wet weather. It is not a route recommended in icy conditions, but it is a fun trail, with lots of undulations (there is around 200m of height to ascend and descend over the 9 km route). The route passes two late Stone Age (Eneolithic) hill fort sites, which use the natural bends of the river to create additional protection. The route is part of the Via Czechia – central trail, one of the country’s best long distance paths.
Plasy monastery was founded by Prince Vladislav II in 1144, his first foundation under the Cistercian order. The monastery grew in importance until 1421, when it was destroyed during the Hussite Wars. It was not until after the 30 Years War that the monastery regained its preeminence, most notably under the pioneering abbot Evžen Tyttl, who employed the illustrious architect Jan Blažej Santini Aichel in the early 18th century to design a grand new convent.
Today, parts of the grand monastery have been reconstructed. Parts remain a shadow of their former glory, but the whole complex remains one of the most remarkable Baroque architectural sites in the country. The monastery was constructed in marshland beside the Střela river and the ingenious system for stabilizing the wooden foundations of the convent, as modified by Santini, is one of the unusual features that can be viewed on guided tours of the monastery (between April and October).
One highlight of a visit to Plasy is a stop in the old brewery established by the powerful Austrian noble family of Mitternich, which acquired the Plasy estate in 1826. The brewery closed down in 1965, but was reopened in 2015 and now offers a wide range of beers and classic food in its atmospheric restaurant (map point 4).
Note that it is 1 km from the monastery complex to reach Plasy train station.

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Directions

From Mladotice train station join the GREEN trail heading downstream along the river towards Plasy
The trail climbs and descends a couple of times before reaching the outskirts of Plasy
After 6 km (map point 2) the GREEN trail crosses the river via a footbridge. It is possible to get to the Plasy monastery this way, but a nicer route is to stay on the right bank of the river and follow the educational trail into Plasy. The trail crosses the river on another footbridge and the path leads directly into the monastery main square
From the monastery complex join the RED trail which leads to the train station in 1 km