Folk Baroque to Písek

Písecko , Point to point , hiked 5 August 2023

Distance
27.2 km
Ascent
182 m
Descent
238 m
Highest point
460 m
Difficulty
medium

An easy day south from Čimelice to Písek through villages of South Bohemian rural architecture, Smetanova Lhota and the spa village of Vráž among them. It ends at the oldest stone bridge in Bohemia.

Čimelice is easiest to reach by bus. The train works too, just a bit slower. From there the route heads south through gently rolling farmland, and its theme is South Bohemian village architecture. The first stop is Smetanova Lhota, with the Karlov castle estate just off the route beyond it.

km 4.35

Past Ostrovec the way continues to Vráž, where the spa chateau sits in its park between the two village parts. Stará Vráž is the one to slow down in, for the rural architecture. The little climbing there is comes in this middle stretch.

km 10.19

The final leg passes Topělec and drops into Písek. Plan time to explore the town. The stone bridge and the old centre are the natural end of the walk, and trains and buses run from Písek in every direction.

Practical info

Start Čimelice railway station, by train, bus
End Písek, by train, bus
Waymarks yellow
Terrain forest path
Links Open route on Mapy.com
GPX Download track
350 400 450 500 0 km 5 km 10 km 15 km 20 km 25 km

On the way

  • Smetanova Lhota

    village

    A village north of Písek with notable rural architecture, a chapel on the green and a log granary, and the Baroque Karlov castle at its edge.

  • Vráž

    village

    A spa village north of Písek. A neo-Gothic Lobkowicz chateau turned sanatorium stands in a landscape park, and Stará Vráž keeps its traditional village architecture.

  • Písek

    village

    A former royal gold-panning town on the Otava, home to the oldest surviving stone bridge in Bohemia and a castle housing the Prácheňské museum.

Photos

  • km 2.23
  • km 3.94
  • km 5.05
  • km 7.19
  • km 7.97
  • km 14.68