Koráb Uplands
Its beautiful environment combines with history – on several peaks, you can see the ruins of once magnificent castles. Elsewhere, a modern lookout tower on a prominent peak offers a different perspective of the region.
The trip starts on the square of the townlet of Kdyně, where you can see the most important local sights. You will be guided by the signposts of Cycle Route No. 3, first on a gravel road. The first place you will pass is Starý Dvůr, where a monumental oak tree grows. Cycle Route No. 2193 will take you along the pond to Nový Dvůr. Both hamlets are part of the village Kout na Šumavě, where you can make a small detour from your planned trip. The oldest building here is a fortress from the 16th century, which was later rebuilt into a simple Baroque chateau. Nearby is the church of St. George from the early 18th century. North of the village, there is a remarkable gloriette Klobouk with a wooden dome on four stone pillars. A great attraction certainly is the beer tasting at the Kout Brewery. After returning to the original route, there is a road section of about eight kilometres to Kanice. In addition to the one-storey Baroque chateau, there are folk architecture buildings and the Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk from 1765. A minor road will take you through Všepadly and continue along Cycle Route No. 2192 to Černíkovo.
Make sure you have packed your swimwear
The Úžlebec swimming pool with refreshments is about a kilometre away. Follow the road to Úsilov and then take the panel-paved road behind the sawmill and farm buildings. Above the village of Nevděk, you will join a forest road on the right, which hosts Cycle Route No. 2193 and also a blue-marked hiking trail for a while. From the ‘U Sloupku’ crossroads, a supply road heads left to the top of the Koráb Hill, which, at 772 m above sea level, is the highest point on the route. The local lookout tower with a steel structure, which was built in 1990–92 according to the project of architect Jaroslav Egert, is an attraction here. It also serves as a transmitter and above the staircase tube, there is a triangular observation gondola at a height of 30 metres. From it, you can see the town of Kdyně and its surroundings. On the horizon, the bluish ranges of Bohemian and Upper Palatinate Forests stretch.
From a castle over ruins to a natural reserve
After that, follow cycle route No. 2193l, which runs on the road. You will arrive at the crossroads of ‘Vejpřahy’, from where you can follow the red-marked hiking trail on the right to the ruins of Nový Herštejn Castle with its massive residential tower. It was built at the end of the 13th century, but after various vicissitudes it fell into ruin in the first half of the 16th century. Apart from the donjon, only the ruins of the walls have been preserved. In 1933, the hill with the ruins, which is covered by a beech forest, was declared a state nature reserve. Follow Cycle Route No. 2193 along the forest path to Podzámčí. A detour along the green-marked hiking trail will lead you to a wooded hill with the ruins of Rýzmberk Castle. It was founded in 1279 on the instructions of King Přemysl Otakar II to guard the merchant trail over the Všeruby Pass. Its remains were structurally modified in the mid-19th century, when the original large tower was completely destroyed and a new square lookout tower and a wooden restaurant were built. Various cultural events are held in the amphitheatre below the castle. From Podzámčí, cycle route No. 3 will lead you back to Kdyně.
