Exciting Destinations, Must-See Attractions, and Expert Tips to Transform Your Walking Holiday

At journey on foot almost anyone can go – and as lovers long-distance hiking trails agree, wandering them can change someone’s life. At Which way out of boredom you will not only find overview of known routes, but also calendar of marches and other tourist events. And as a small curiosity, perhaps also tips on where to try barefoot walking. In many places long-distance hikers will appreciate the newly built shelterswhich serve as protection for pilgrims (long-distance tourists) against inclement weather, but also for for a modest or emergency overnight stay.

At Via Czechia long-distance routes approximately 150 new shelters are being built. Now a night in the mountains far from civilization will not surprise you!Shelters can be found, for example, near the border with Germany in the village of Krásná, in the Ore Mountains (twelve of them are to be built here by autumn 2026), in the deep forest near Lobendava there is a wooden “A”, in the Jizera Mountains you can find such cabins on Olivetská hora and at the Protržené dam. The Krkonoše National Park is thinking about hikers on a larger scale and has prepared cosy shelters in many places (at the White Elbe, on the Klínová cesta, in Sedlo pod Dvoračkami, at the Rýchorský Kříž, in the Mumlavský dol or on the Slunečná stráni hillside). In the Jeseníky Mountains there is a very well-known shelter on Jelení studánka – it is marked everywhere in the maps, it is situated in the close vicinity of Jelení studánka above the Alfrédka hut. In the Rychlebské hory Mountains, tourists can use the shelter on the Blueberry Mountain, where you can even warm up in the stove. There is also a shelter in Milešovka, but here it is called emergency shelter. Emergency shelters have been used for many years by hikers across the Šumava, and there is a shelter on Malinová hora in the Czech Forest under Čerchov.

Trail through the Czech Republic, the Mediterranean and the Via Czechia

Thanks to Czech Tourist Club we have the best system of marking hiking trails in the world in the Czech Republic. On approximately 44 thousand kilometres of hiking trails, you would count almost 70 thousand signposts, about four thousand signposts and hundreds of maps in stands or frames. Thanks to them, you won’t get lost even on such long trails as the Czech Trail, a 1,000-kilometre route along the southern border of the Czech Republic and a 1,000-kilometre route along the northern border. Many tourists are also attracted by the Mediterranean Trail, connecting the southernmost and northernmost points of our country, or the Via Czechia network of trails.

One of the novelties are the shelters on the long-distance Via Czechia routes, which are gradually being built along the trails by the Forests of the Czech Republic (there are already more than thirty of them, with two more to be built in all regions of the country in 2025). Each shelter even has its own name, so you can spend the night in Branka, Švábec, Říčky and U Marušky, or Pod Špičák, Bítov, Tomšov Mlýn, Nýdek and Pařížov. What do you need for this? A good sleeping bag, and in warm weather a blanket or your clothes will do. The lower part of the shelter with a table and benches serves as a classic resting place, then a ladder takes you to the floor where up to four people can sleep comfortably.

Hřebenovka: a long-distance route with a hundred-year history

The New Hřebenovka, a peak route leading from the Liberec region through the Germany, Poland and Hradec Kralove, Pardubice and Olomouc regions. It follows the legendary Blue Ridge, once the longest marked hiking trail in Europe, which was created more than a hundred years ago and connected the mountains along our northern border from Praděd to Aš. Would you like to witness its further extension? From 2023 you can walk over a hundred kilometres long Hřebenovka through the Bohemian Switzerland.

Long Distance Hiking Trail and Czech Canada

Vast forests, meadows and ponds, rocks, cliffs and places where you’ll feel like you’re in the real Canada: this is what the tourist region of Czech Canada offers to tourists. The long-distance hiking trail through Czech Canada, which covers 118 kilometres in eight stages, will provide further experiences. The route starts in the Jindřišský valley behind Jindřichův Hradec and leads through Kaproun and Nová Bystřice, past Landštejn Castle and through Slavonice to Dačice. What will you discover along the way? For example, the legendary boulder aptly named Devil’s Ass, the High Stone as the highest point of the Czech Canada Nature Park or the Jára Cimrman Monument at forest stop Kaproun. As far as possible, the route follows as few roads as possible and uses marked hiking trails.

The most beautiful places and the Lužnice Valley Trail

Similarly to the old route, today’s Hřebenovka trail also sets new trends in hiking. Moreover, the Hřebenovka in Bohemian Switzerland is one of the first certified trails Walking for Health. The Czech Tourist Club presents them as routes that offer comfortable walking on natural surfaces and only minimally cross roads and cycle paths. The younger one was created in Bohemian Switzerland, the second and slightly older one is the Lužnice Valley Trail. It is 55 kilometres long, divided into four daily stages. It starts near Sezimovo Ústí and runs through Tábor and around ruins of castles Příběnice and Dobronice to Bechyně and Týn nad Vltavou. It winds around the rock walls along the old paths, which the Czech Tourist Club with the support of Count Harrach built as early as 1899. A rarity on the route is the suspension footbridge and tunnel in the rock below Příběnice and the relocated Stádlecký Chain Bridge. The Lužnice Valley Trail also received European certification in 2019 as the first hiking trail in the Czech Republic Leading Quality Trails Best of Europe.

Walking for health: new KČT trends for hiking trips

Pedestrian routes that avoid cars and cyclists, collectively labeled the Walking for Health certificate, is prepared by the Czech Tourist Club. Approximately two thousand kilometres of hiking trails are to pass through the most beautiful parts of our nature, for example around Pernink in the Ore Mountains, around Zubrnice in the Czech Central Highlands, Šluknov and Krásnolipsko, or around Ramzová in the Jeseníky Mountains. Most of these should be routes that you can comfortably manage in one day, but the Krkonoše, Jeseníky and Beskydy should offer modern hiking routes for more days.

And how can you tell them from the usual routes? The signposts show the markings Walking for health, a mobile app and special markings on the Mapy.cz website are also being considered. In the near future Czech Tourist Club in each region should offer at least ten certified routes.

The nature trail around the Great America Quarry and the Mexico Quarry may be one of them. It is called the Czech Grand Canyon and Czech Mauthausen and instead of cars and cyclists, you will find interactive elements and magical views of the Czech Karst quarries. With a length of 2.5 km, it is not exactly a long-distance route, but you can easily manage it with children – and it offers extremely attractive views.

Try other interesting routes!

Maybe you already know where you’re going, maybe you’re still hesitating. You can choose from a great overview of long-distance hiking routes, or try one of the following tips.

• • The European Long Distance Route E3 is one of the most important tourist routes in the world. At a length of 6,950 kilometres, it crosses the European continent through the territory of twelve countries from the shores of the Atlantic to the Black Sea. On our territory, about 575 km of the route, at the northern border. It is marked on the ground by signs. It enters our country at Cheb and then continues through the Javorníky Mountains to Slovakia.

• • You may have heard of the Cyril and Methodius Trails, but did you know that there are also Cistercian Trails? Trails Cisterscapes link Cistercian monasteries across Europe, three of which you can find and walk through here. The most recently opened part of the Cistercian Way near Plas.

• • Along with the southern Bohemian Trail, Šumava lovers can choose the Golden Trail or the Vintíř Trail, a 162 km long route that leads through an almost uninhabited region along one of the oldest trade routes.

• • The two mythical peaks have been connected for several years by the pilgrimage route Blaník-Říp, which is less than 190 kilometres long.

• • Czech Tourist Club opens new hiking trails every year and also plans new variants of existing trails that are dangerous at the crossing of busy roads. Both new in 2025 can be found in South Moravian Region. The first one, covering fifteen kilometres, leads from Ořechov to Brno-Stary Lískovec, the second is a seven-kilometre route in the vicinity of Kyjov.

Discover Czech Hiking Trails & Refuges

Embark on unforgettable journeys through the Czech Republic’s varied landscapes—whether you crave multi‑day expeditions or quick nature escapes, you’ll find well‑marked routes, welcoming refuges and plenty of insider tips to guide your way.

World‑Class Trail Marking
Managed by the Czech Tourist Club, the nation’s system of colored blazes and directional signs is internationally renowned for clarity and consistency. Everywhere you hike, you’ll follow the familiar motto “Hiking for Health”—a reminder that every step brings fitness and fresh air.

Long‑Distance Adventures

• The Czech Trail
  Two epic loops—1,000 km along the southern border and another 1,000 km bordering the north—take you from rolling vineyards to wild highlands.

• Via Czechia Refuges
  As part of an ongoing expansion, ~150 new mountain huts and refuges will soon dot these long‑distance paths, offering overnight shelter and hot meals.

• The Ridgeway
  Stretching over 100 km through the sandstone vistas of Bohemian Switzerland, this high‑ridge route rewards hikers with spectacular rock formations and panoramic views.

• Lužnice Valley Trail
  Recognized with the Leading Quality Trails – Best of Europe certification, this verdant riverside path weaves through meadows, forests and historic mill villages.

Regional Highlights

• Czech Canada
  Rolling hills, crystal brooks and glacial boulders—keep an eye out for the legendary Devil’s Ass rock and summit Vysoký kámen, the park’s highest lookout.

• Jizera Mountains
  Granite peaks, sweeping ridges and the famous Jizera Plavanina panoramic cliff walk.

• Giant Mountains (Krkonoše)
  Home to the Czech Republic’s highest peak, Sněžka, and a network of alpine meadows and peat bogs.

• Jeseníky & Beskydy
  Forested valleys, lookout towers and traditional mountain huts invite both day‑hikers and through‑trekkers to explore Moravia’s wild heart.