Trips from Borová Lada

The term “lada” used to refer to barren areas with sparse vegetation and, due to excessive wetness, also with extremely harsh living conditions. Even today, many such “ladas” remain in this part of Šumava. The largest and best-known is Borová Lada, which today offers visitors a wide range of natural destinations and steadily improving facilities. At the edge of the Šumava plains, you can choose from a diverse selection of nature-inspired routes.

In addition to natural sights, Borová Lada also offers cultural heritage sites. Directly along the road from Borová Lada stands the restored Chapel of St. Anne, rebuilt in 2006. Across from it, a Way of the Cross leads up a hill. The nearest church once stood in nearby Nový Svět, but was also demolished after World War II. Today, the area is sensitively maintained, including the original cemetery, and even non-believers can feel the spiritual atmosphere of the site.

Trip Tips

Around Chalupská slať (Moorland)

The Chalupská slať is home to the largest peat lake in Bohemia – 1.2 ha. It offers one of the most beautiful views of all Šumava moors. The route starts at the parking lot in Svinná Lada, where you’ll join a wooden boardwalk – 310 m long and barrier-free – leading into the heart of the moor. The lake appears bottomless, as the peat layer here is up to 7 meters thick. Peat extraction was fortunately halted before the lake in the 19th century, which benefited rare plants like bog rosemary and sundew, as well as future visitors. The visitor centre offers detailed information about the moorland fauna and flora, including an interactive exhibit accessible to the visually impaired. You can hike around the entire moor and return to Borová Lada via Šindlov and Nový Svět.

To Knížecí Pláně (The Prince's Plains)

The nearby border with (then) West Germany affected the fate of many Šumava villages. Following the yellow tourist trail, you’ll reach Knížecí Pláně, which once enjoyed a beautiful position on a high plateau. Like others, the village was wiped out after WWII. Today, all that remains are a cemetery and a moss-covered pile of rubble, which was once the Church of St. John the Baptist. The open plain is crossed by stone terraces, once land boundaries, now wildlife habitats and seedbeds for tree and shrub regrowth. After enjoying the view and the powerful atmosphere, you can either explore further or return to Borová Lada via the road.

Nature Trail – Forest

A walk through the world of a living forest. Beneath the trees, within them and among their layers – like floors in a skyscraper – a wide variety of species find a home. The information panels and forest-view platform reveal many fascinating details. Afterwards, you’ll no longer “miss the forest for the trees”. The trail starts on the forest road to the left between Borová Lada and Svinná Lada. Your guide is the black woodpecker, a typical resident of natural forests.