Winter in Czech Siberia

A 26.9 km winter crossing of Czech Siberia, over the Miličín Kalvárie and past the solitary Votický javor, through hamlets between Střezimíř and Heřmaničky.

This stretch of uplands between Tábor and Votice has been called Česká Sibiř, Czech Siberia, for a century. A February walk shows why. The ridges are open at around 600–700 m, the wind is constant, and the villages are built low against the weather. The route crosses the middle of the region from the Střezimíř rail stop to Heřmaničky, with the climbing spread evenly the whole way.

The first goal is Miličín on the old Prague–Tábor road, and above it the Kalvárie. Climb the Way of the Cross to the octagonal chapel at 698 m. From there the route goes through Mysletice to the hamlet of Amerika. Stop for lunch at the restaurant there, it was better than I expected from a place this small. On the bare hill beyond, make a detour to the Votický javor, the solitary sycamore on the old gallows hill. From the tree you see a long way towards Brdy.

The way home passes the old tvrz at Kouty and the chateau village of Smilkov, then drops through Karasova Lhota to the rail stop at Heřmaničky. The rewards on this route are small and spread out, and it is at its best in exactly the bleak weather the region is named for.