Od hradu ke hradu aneb putování za Popelkou

Western Bohemia – This time we set out on a trip through the beautiful landscape on the border of Domažlice and Klatovy. We start stylishly right from the Castle and Palace in Horšovský Týn (49.5294208N, 12.9380281E), a gem of Domažlice. We can visit, for example, the castle part with a unique early Gothic chapel, an armory, and furnished Renaissance living quarters, or the important art gallery of Czech rulers.

Right after the castle tour, the longest section of the entire planned route awaits us at the start. We will join the cycling route number 2141, cross the Radbuza river, and leave the town heading towards Lazce and Blížeov. In Hlohovčice, our route merges with route number 305 and after cycling 21 kilometers, we reach our next marked destination, the town of Koloveč. It is mainly known for the mill that transforms old women into young girls. Its prototype can be seen in the local Crafts Museum Koloveč (49.4870164N, 13.1070167E), where typical Chodsko ceramics are also on display. Then we head towards Chudenice, where several interesting places await us that would be a pity to miss. After five kilometers, before the village of Lučice, we turn onto a forest path and aim for a beautiful spot below the hill Žďár. This is already several hundred meters beyond the border of the Klatovy district. The first thing we see is the Lázeň castle, residence of Count Czernin. Unfortunately, the extensive park is closed to the public, so we turn left and take an arranged forest path to the arboretum American Garden (49.4614719N, 13.1582389E). Clear signage will guide us without problems to the destination. The American Garden, which is a national natural monument, was founded in 1828 by Evžen Černín and boasts the most comprehensive collection of trees from North America in the Czech Republic. A unique specimen is the huge Černín Douglas fir with a trunk circumference of over five meters. We must not miss the nearby Kvapil ponds either. The larger one inspired Jaroslav Kvapil to write the libretto for the opera Rusalka. Near the American Garden also stands the Bolfánek lookout tower (49.4595742N, 13.1626403E). You can choose the steep climb from the Lázeň castle or the gentler path from the Chudenice cemetery to reach the top. We chose the first option and were rewarded for the effort not only with a great view of the surroundings but especially with a magical environment. At the restaurant next to the lookout tower, we can also refresh ourselves and enjoy a good meal. Beer connoisseurs can then ride down to the Chudenice town square to taste beer at the local microbrewery.

At the church in Chudenice, we turn towards the Old Castle, which includes not only guided tours but also the Josef Dobrovský museum. By the way, a legend about the origin of the noble Černín family is associated with the Chudenice castle.

Then we continue towards Švihov. First, we face an unpleasant and long climb on cycling route 2042 from Chudenice to the village of Chlumská. After the demanding ascent, a long descent follows to Malechov. At the village entrance, we turn left and reach Švihov by cycle path. At the town entrance, we recommend simply crossing the main road and reaching our goal, the water castle, by a maintained trail through meadows. The Švihov water castle (49.4788278N, 13.2853500E), by the way the residence of the fairy-tale Cinderella from Václav Vorlíček’s legendary fairy tale Three Nuts for Cinderella, is one of the youngest Czech castles, built between 1480 and 1489. It consists of two residential palaces, a five-story entrance tower, and a castle chapel built on a bastion. We can refresh ourselves directly in the castle courtyard at the restaurant on the square.