Exploring the Plzeň Region: Your Guide to Adventurous Hikes and Scenic Strolls in Šumava and Český Les
The Vintíř Trail from Annín to Březník
Are you familiar with the Vintíř Trail? It is a Czech-Bavarian long-distance path that connects important locations linked to the medieval hermit and likely the first inhabitant of the Šumava Mountains, Saint Vintíř. This trail is split into 9 daily sections, with a combined length of 162 km. We recommend a hike from Prášily to Vintíř’s Rock located on Březník Hill near Hartmanice and then on to Annín. This stunning route takes you through picturesque countryside where forests and fields alternate, spanning a length of 20 km. You can easily reach the starting point by bus, and afterwards, you can return from the ‘Dlouhá Ves, Annín, rozc.0.5’ bus stop, where buses regularly stop en route to Sušice, Kašperské Hory, Kvilda, Modrava, and even Prague.
The trail starts from Prášily, moving through abandoned villages, along the winding Křemelná stream, where remnants of a Celtic settlement were recently found. Older locals may remember the former Šerl’s farmstead, which may remind them of the film *The King of Šumava* – as it is here where some scenes were filmed. You’ll find a chance for refreshments at the Rovina Chalet, nestled below Březník (1,006 m). The trail continues to the peak of Březník, following the paths once tread by St Vintíř when he lived as a hermit. It descends via Dobrá Voda, where you’ll find a healing spring. Notably, there’s a church dedicated to St Vintíř, featuring a glass altar. While in Hartmanice, be sure to visit the Mountain Synagogue. As you walk from Hartmanice to Annín, you’ll come across a series of 14 remarkable trees along Palvinovská Alley; the path also reveals many breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, extending all the way to the iconic Šumava Mountains in Mouřenec. Eventually, you will descend into Annín, a significant glassmaking community in Šumava located by a bend in the Otava River. To this day, a working glassworks here dates from 1796, and its structures have been recognized as a cultural monument. You can explore the Glass Museum. The bus stop is located about 350 meters beyond the Hotel Annín, on the opposite side of the River Otava (follow the yellow sign to find your way there).
The Golden Trail through the Šumava
The Golden Trail (Goldsteig) refers to a network of medieval trade routes that ran north-south through the dense, untouched forests of the Šumava and connected Bohemia with the Danube area. One particularly stunning part is the Kašperské Hory route, which links Kašperské Hory with Horská Kvilda and Kvilda, crossing into border territory at Bučina. It has a total distance of 27.5 km and passes from the Plzeň Region into South Bohemia at Kvilda. There used to be an older trail that led to Modrava, Březník and through the Luzenský Valley via Modrý sloup to Bavaria; however, this route is now closed due to conservation efforts. As a result, we’ve opted to take the “alternative” route via Bučina. This route was commissioned in 1356 by Charles IV to serve as a high-quality “motorway” from Bohemia to Passau and Salzburg. It was 2.5 meters wide, paved, and enabled carts to transit on merchant vehicles! You’ll follow this historical path from Kašperské Hory to Malé Kozí Hřbety, to the old settlement of Flusárna; the journey continues on to the former Zhůří and through wooded and marshy areas to Horská Kvilda. Moving around Jezerní slatě, the trail then proceeds to Kvilda and beyond Teplá Vltava, through Vltava Forest, to reach the source of the Vltava before arriving at Bučina.
The forgotten settlement of Lučina in the Bohemian Forest
If you enjoy adventures into the unknown, where you might not see anyone else during your day, consider a trip to the Bohemian Forest, specifically to the abandoned village of Lučina (Grafenried), located near the border with Germany. Like many similar places in this area, it was deserted in the 1950s and 1960s due to the formation of a border zone. Nonetheless, the former residents and their descendants have kept their memories alive, and now in what was once Lučina, a remarkable open-air museum is currently being developed. Thanks to dedicated volunteers from both sides of the border, the collapsed structures are gradually being unearthed, revealing old stairways, walkways, and gravestones. The paths that disappeared are being reconstructed, making the remnants of the brewery, the vicarage, the pub, and the glassworks visible again, and the original cemetery is also being made accessible. A standout feature is the Church of St George, which initiated the restoration of Lučina many years ago. Once a year, a mass is held in this reconsecrated church, and from a niche above the former altar, the Beautiful Mary, or the Grafenried Madonna, is displayed. This is a replica of a painting saved from the abandoned church, now kept in a museum in Waldmünchen, Germany.
For Germans, the area where the vanished village stood has become a popular destination for day excursions; in fact, from the pedestrian border crossing in Untergrafenried , it is only about one kilometer away. Czechs are only beginning to discover Lučina; the journey from our side can be a bit trickier. Besides the nearby village of Nemanice, which includes Lučina, there aren’t many other towns here. Moreover, the settlement didn’t have a dense population historically. Originally, even Grafenried was a German village, first mentioned in 1282. By 1708, Lučina became part of the Kingdom of Bohemia and was split: the north section was incorporated into Bohemia under the name Obergrafenried. Meanwhile, the southern part remained in Bavaria and retained the name Untergrafenried, which today still embodies the essence of a traditional Bavarian village. Standing prominently in the village square of Lučiny are the Grafenried lime trees, planted in 1765 by Countess Anna Katharina Müller as a set of six trees. To this day, three remarkable lime trees have survived, two of which are protected due to their historical significance. They reach impressive heights of 22 and 30 meters, with trunk circumferences of 2.8 and 4.2 meters.
