To Hus Castle

The hike to the ruins of Hus Castle begins in the village of Záblatí, from where you follow the yellow tourist trail to Hlásná Lhota. On the left, you pass a Way of the Cross leading to Dobrá Voda. From Hlásná Lhota, continue to Křišťanovice.

The village once lay on the Golden Trail and is first mentioned in 1359. Today, it is a recreational settlement above the shores of a 17-hectare pond with a campsite. In the summer season, there are food stands and even a restaurant – though a rest on the grassy beach with a pier might suffice. Fishing is allowed in the pond, surrounded by forest, but only with a permit from the municipal office in Záblatí.

Following the blue trail, you first walk through forest roads, which gradually narrow into a path. You cross the trench of the former castle moat and reach the site of the medieval Hus Castle. It was built after 1341 by Pešek of Janovice, then-lords of Vimperk, to protect the Golden Trail. By 1359, the castle controlled the towns of Záblatí, Husinec, and over twenty villages.

During the Hussite Wars, the castle was owned by Mikuláš of Hus, who sadly died in Prague. After a short period under Jan Smil of Křemže, the castle was abandoned. This gave an opportunity to Habart Lopata of Hrádek, who used it as a base for robbing merchants along the Golden Trail. The town of Prachatice suffered great losses and attempted to besiege the castle – unsuccessfully, due to its difficult access. Only when Habart ran out of supplies did he negotiate free passage for himself and his band. Afterwards, the castle was burned down and demolished. Today, only fragments of the walls remain.

The ruins stand on a striking rocky promontory above the river Blanice, which nearly encircles the site with its wild current. A memorial plaque warns visitors of the danger – a young man once died after falling from the cliff into the Blanice valley. Local legend says whoever crosses the "wandering root" will be lost in the forest for three days. A white lady is also said to appear, guarding the treasures Habart couldn’t carry when he fled.

Descending into the valley of the Blanice, you cross a footbridge that is repaired each year after the spring floods. Climbing up again past pseudokarst caves, you reach the site of the former village Cudrovice. The entire village, including the Church of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, was destroyed in the 1950s. Only the old cemetery and a chapel ruin remain. A cross has recently been erected and consecrated at the former church site.

Follow the asphalt road back down to the Blanice valley, past the former Blanice Mill (the river here up to Arnoštov is a national nature reserve), and reach Blažejovice. The village was repopulated after the expulsion of German inhabitants, but never regained its original population. One well-preserved typical Šumava-style house with a hipped gable catches the eye. At the far end of the village near the bridge over the Blanice, remnants of the Golden Trail can still be seen in the woods.

Continuing on the yellow trail, you reach Albrechtovice, where you switch to the blue trail back to the Křišťanovice pond. Descend to Hlásná Lhota and turn right to Dobrá Voda. A chapel was built here in the mid-17th century at springs believed to have healing powers.

In the 18th century, spa buildings were added by princely architect Fortini. The spa never flourished and closed for good after 1945. In the 1950s, the site housed a school for Roma children, and since 1974 it has been a nature school for children from Teplice. The chapel has also been restored and services are held annually on the Sunday before July 16th. A narrow road leads back to Záblatí.

Basic Information:

• Starting point: Záblatí
• Route: Záblatí – Hlásná Lhota – Křišťanovice – Hus Castle – Blažejovice – Albrechtovice – Hlásná Lhota – Dobrá Voda – Záblatí
• Length: approx. 18 km
• Difficulty: medium
• Access: walking
• Refreshments: Záblatí, Křišťanovice