Over Mount Kleť and Two Lookout Towers to Zlatá Koruna

Total length

13.5 km (with the option to shorten part of the trip by cable car or ČD Bus).

Duration

5 hours

Terrain

Mostly natural terrain

Difficulty level

Moderate to challenging

Marking

Yes

How do you get to the start

By train to the village of Holubov, return by train from Zlatá Koruna.

Route description

For a trip over the highest peak of the Blanský Forest, Mount Kleť, the best way is to také the train from České Budějovice or Český Krumlov. In both cases, get off at the Holubov stop and start walking along the green tourist trail towards Krasetín (approx. 1.4 km) and then continue to the lower station of the cable car (approx. 2.6 km). In summer (July–August), on Saturdays, you can shorten this somewhat long section by taking the ČD Bus Šumava, which runs twice daily from Holubov train stop to the cable car lower station.

At the lower cable car station, you have two options. If you want to rest and enjoy about 20 minutes of the peaceful atmosphere of the Blanský Forest, také the chairlift up to the summit of Kleť. Those who are more sporty will continue on foot for about an hour uphill (approx. 4 km) along the green tourist trail, which leads through beech forests of the Blanský Forest Protected Landscape Area. Along the way, there are several stops with educational panels where you can learn interesting facts about the nature of the Blanský Forest. Near the summit, you will return under the cable car route for a physically more demanding final climb. If you feel the ascent is too steep and want to slow down, you can také a detour halfway up to the yellow tourist trail, which shortly leads to the educational trail „Around Kleť,“ and eventually to the summit as well.

At this point, you will have completed the more difficult half of the route, so také a break to enjoy the view over a large part of South Bohemia or refresh yourself at the Kleť mountain hut. If you come in spring or autumn in good weather and good visibility, you will be rewarded at the summit with a view of the snow-covered peaks of the Austrian Alps. In summer, you can also visit the Kleť Observatory, the highest observatory in Bohemia.

From the summit of Kleť, continue along the red tourist trail towards Zlatá Koruna. After about 1 km, at the „Nad Výhledem“ junction, the blue tourist trail joins from the left, which you will follow through the „Bílý kámen“ junction to a large crossroads of tourist trails called „U Modrého obrazu“ (about 3 km from the summit). This place is linked to an ancient story about the fight between manorial gamekeepers and poachers (see text below). You can rest here at the tourist shelter and learn more about the „Modrý obraz“ directly on the information panel, part of the „Granátník“ educational trail.

At this crossroads, leave the tourist trail and follow the marked Granátník Educational Trail to the Granátník lookout tower. After about 2.5 km, the red tourist trail joins from the left again, leading you all the way to the Zlatá Koruna railway station.

If you still have energy and curiosity to explore, you can continue along the red trail to the village of Zlatá Koruna, which itself is very beautiful and where you will find the namesake monastery and several restaurants for food and drinks after the hike.

Interesting places on the route

Blanský Forest Protected Landscape Area – An exceptionally valuable area with well-preserved natural features, foothill forests, blooming meadows, and many rare plant and animal species. Especially notable are the forests dominated by beech trees, whose leaves are the symbol of the Blanský Forest and give it a unique charm in autumn. Thousands of orchids bloom and scent the meadows in spring and summer.

Holubov Cable Car – A scenic cable railway 1,792 m long with an elevation gain of 383 m, running from Krasetín to Mount Kleť. Near the lower station, there is parking and a buffet.

Zlatá Koruna Monastery – The former Cistercian monastery complex, founded by King Přemysl Otakar II in 1263 on a rocky promontory in the deep Vltava valley, is one of the best-preserved Gothic monasteries in Bohemia. The unique Chapel of the Guardian Angels, chapter house, and cloister represent top examples of Cistercian architecture from the early and high Gothic periods. The main tour leads visitors through the small and large convent, culminating in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the largest church in South Bohemia. The tour presents daily monastic life, monastery libraries, workrooms, and the refectory.

Blanský Forest Protected Landscape Area Information Center, Holubov – Operating since 2010 in the municipal office building as a joint project of the Blanský Forest PLA administration and the Holubov municipality. Located close to the train stop. Open weekends in May, June, September, October; daily from 9 AM to 4 PM in July and August.

Kleť Mountain Hut and Lookout Tower – A stone tower 18 meters high in neo-Gothic style, surrounded by battlements, built in 1825 by Prince Josef Schwarzenberg for his family. Originally called Josef’s Tower, it is the oldest stone lookout tower in Bohemia, open to the public since the late 19th century. It houses a permanent exhibition of photographs of the Blanský Forest. In 1824–1825, it served as a trigonometrical point for cartography. The mountain hut was built nearby in 1925, with Princess Terezie Schwarzenberg as its patroness. Nearby are the highest sundials in Bohemia. The hut offers hot meals and hostel-style accommodation.

Kleť Observatory – Located just south of the Kleť summit at 1,070 m above sea level, it is the highest observatory in the Czech Republic. It is internationally known for research on asteroids and comets. The International Astronomical Union has confirmed 327 asteroids discovered at Kleť with well-determined orbits. One discovered asteroid is named after Český Krumlov. Guided tours run daily in July and August (except Mondays) and on weekends in June and September.

Ladder Stone – On the educational trail around Kleť, about 10 minutes from the summit towards the TV transmitter, is a massive rock wall over 120 m long and up to 15 m high. It is an example of frost weathering, with cracks resembling ladder rungs. A German-language memorial plaque was installed by the “Leitersteiner” student association in memory of friends fallen in World War I. A membership ritual involved climbing the rock.

At the Blue Picture Crossroads – A forest crossroads on Kleť’s slope named after a picture of Jesus Christ with a blue background. It recalls a grim event in 1787 when poachers hanged the Schwarzenberg gamekeeper headfirst in an anthill. The crossroads intersect the blue KČT trail, Granátník educational trail, and cycling routes 1166 and 1169. There is a tourist shelter for rest. Nearby are two springs about 150 and 300 m away.

Granátník Lookout Tower – A wooden lookout tower on the slope of Granátník hill below Kleť, opened in 2003. It is a low timber structure with an uncovered viewing platform reached by wooden stairs. Orientation boards help identify visible landmarks. There is a covered resting place at the base.