Twin Castles Weekend

A weekend 44.8 km arc through the Křivoklátsko woods and Podbrdsko from Kařez to Hořovice, past Čertova skála and Zbiroh to the twin castles Točník and Žebrák.

A Friday-afternoon train drops you at the small Kařez stop. Take a short detour at the start to the grand old Zbiroh railway station building on the Prague–Plzeň main line. Its current owner, an Australian, is slowly restoring it.

Day one: into the Křivoklátsko woods

From the station the route climbs north into the CHKO Křivoklátsko forest to Čertova skála. The view is decent but nothing special. The route then turns back through the woods past Světovina to the town of Zbiroh. We slept under the stars beyond the town.

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Day two: the twin castles

The second day leaves the CHKO and crosses the open Podbrdsko country over Třenická hora, where a small lookout tower stands right on the path. Then come the two castles the trip is named after. Žebrák stands on its spur and Točník above it. We reached Točník late and the gate was already shut, but you can walk around the walls and the view from up there is wide. Plan the day tighter if you want to get inside. In Točník village the pub U Krále Václava IV. has an old-times interior, good beer and pub food at fair prices. We took a bed at a B&B in the town of Žebrák below.

The last morning is an easy walk to Hořovice, which has direct trains back to Prague.