Konopiště and Chvojen

A 24.7 km easy walk from Benešov through the Konopiště park and the hilltop Chvojen church, finishing at Vrchotovy Janovice and its famous park.

This is an easy, mostly flat day in the gentle country south-west of Benešov. It has a château at each end, with a very different story behind each. Franz Ferdinand’s Konopiště is at the start, Sidonie Nádherná’s Vrchotovy Janovice at the end.

The first stretch from Benešov u Prahy station to Konopiště is not very interesting. Get through it, because the walk really starts at the château. The park is free to walk through, so take your time there. From Konopiště take the yellow waymark south to Chvojen, where the church stands alone on its hill above the woods. It is the high point of the route, and a natural spot to turn back to Benešov if you want a short day.

If you continue, the route runs south-west through farmland and small villages, Doloplazy, Dlouhá Lhota, Zahořany and Drachkov, with the climbing long behind you. The walked track ends at the hamlet of Libohošť, a short way from Vrchotovy Janovice. Finish at the château park rather than in the village.