Through the Heart of Třeboňsko: From Třeboň to Vlkov

Total length

24.3 km

Duration

6 hours

Terrain

Paved and unpaved forest paths.

Difficulty level

Easy, but the route is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs.

Marking

Yes

Route description

The route starts in Třeboň, and the first third roughly follows the educational trail Okolo Třeboně. The starting point is the Třeboň-Lázně train stop, from where you set off along the blue tourist trail towards the “Na Kopečku” part of Třeboň. After about 800 meters, just before the Kotěra water tower, the blue trail turns left. You leave the town, cross the bridge over the main road, and pass by the Stupský pond to reach the Chapel of St. Vitus and the nearby Pergola u sv. Víta (1.5 km).

Continue along the blue trail over the Zadní Kouty pond dam, past the Hraniční pond, and then through the forest to Nová Hlína at the tourist junction (2.3 km). Here, turn left, still following the blue trail, which takes you across the Vítek pond dam and along the main road into Stará Hlína (2.6 km). In Stará Hlína, turn left onto the Rožmberk Educational Trail and follow the blue trail to the junction at Hodějovský pond (1.6 km). Here, leave the blue trail and turn left (still on the Rožmberk Educational Trail) towards the Smitka junction (1.6 km).

If you turn left here (onto the red trail, Rožmberk Educational Trail), after about 100 meters, you’ll reach the Rožmberk pond’s safety spillway with a monument to Jakub Krčín, and from there, an oak-lined path leads to the Rožmberk dam. However, the main route continues straight on the red trail through the forest to the Lužnice campsite (2.3 km). At the start of the campsite, turn right and continue on the red trail past the Slepičí vršek nature reserve, over the Potěšil pond dam. Cross the secondary road and go through the village of Klec to the Naděje pond systém (4.4 km).

At the U Kačerů guesthouse, the red trail turns left and leads along the ponds poetically named Víra (Faith) and Naděje (Hope) to the Naděje junction near the Horák and Rod ponds (2.2 km).

Continue left on the red trail, which leads across the dams of the ponds Fišmistr, Baštýř, Pěšák, and Pražský. Cross the railway line and continue along the dams of the Překvapil and Nový ponds, past the U Nohavů homestead and Krajina pond, into the village of Vlkov to the train stop (4.3 km).

You can finish your trip here, or optionally continue on the educational trail around the Veselské sand pits, which you can combine with swimming. The yellow trail leads to the sand pits, about a 4 km walk from the train stop. From the sand pits, you can also follow the yellow trail to Veselí nad Lužnicí (approx. 2 km).

Interesting places on the route

Třeboň

The natural center of the town’s historical conservation area is Masaryk Square, surrounded by burgher houses with Renaissance and Baroque facades. The dominant feature is the town hall with its 31-meter tower, offering a unique panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. Nearby, you’ll find the extensive Renaissance chateau, once the seat of the Rožmberk and Schwarzenberg families. The center also boasts the Regent brewery, founded in 1379 and among the oldest in the world, the unique J. K. Tyl Theatre, and the Church of Our Lady Queen and St. Giles. The Štěpánek Netolický House introduces the history and development of fish farming in the Třeboň region, while the Třeboň Nature House offers detailed information about nature, educational trails, and attractions in the area. A pleasant walk along the Svět pond dam leads to the Schwarzenberg Mausoleum, one of South Bohemia’s most remarkable buildings. Besides its historical treasures, the town also offers visitors relaxing stays at the Aurora Spa and Bertiny Spa, which use local peat for therapeutic treatments.

Rožmberk Pond

Covering an impressive 489 hectares, Rožmberk is the largest pond in the Czech Republic. It was built between 1584–1590 by the renowned pond engineer Jakub Krčín from Jelčany and Sedlčany. Although Štěpánek Netolický had already planned the pond, he feared the large amount of water from the Lužnice basin. His successor, Jakub Krčín, not only realized the construction but also built the New River to divert part of the Lužnice’s flow and protect Rožmberk from flooding. The massive dam, 2,430 meters long and lined with 150–400-year-old oaks, proved its strength during the 2002 floods when Rožmberk held back up to ten times its volume (70–75 million m³). At the safety spillway, you’ll find a monument to Jakub Krčín, erected by Třeboň fishermen after the 2002 floods to honor his brilliant work. The monument has markers showing the water levels during various historical floods, all of which the pond withstood without damage.

Fairy-tale Stone Bridges near Stará Hlína

About 5 km from Třeboň, near the village of Stará Hlína, you’ll find two stone bridges from the late 18th century. The shorter five-arch bridge over Vítek pond dates to 1781. The longer twelve-arch bridge, with a plaque marked 1799, is nearby. Both were likely designed by engineer Josef Rosenauer, who worked for the Schwarzenbergs and also designed the famous Schwarzenberg Canal in Šumava. The five-arch bridge became a favorite spot for filmmakers. In the 1954 fairy tale Once Upon a Time, There Was a King, officials dumped collected salt into the water from this bridge. In the 1999 fairy tale Helluva Good Luck, the evil king and princess were thrown from the bridge.

Slepičí vršek Nature Reserve

Did you know you don’t have to travel far to see a desert? A small one can be found near the village of Lužnice. The Slepičí vršek nature reserve protects a 1.8-hectare sand dune formed by wind-blown fine sand from the nearby Lužnice River deposits. The dunes created elongated mounds rising three to four meters above the surrounding terrain. Thanks to the unique conditions, the dunes host rare and interesting communities of sand- and heat-loving plants and animals.

Naděje Pond Systém

The Naděje pond systém is among the most beautiful and largest in the Třeboň region. It is centered on the ponds Naděje (Hope) and Skutek (Deed). All ponds are fed by a channel called Potěšilka, which was initially diverted from the Lužnice River and, after the completion of Rožmberk, from that pond. The systém was expanded with several smaller ponds under Josef Šusta’s leadership in the late 19th century. Šusta was an important Czech fishery expert, and some of his freshwater fish farming principles are still valid today. This created the unified Naděje pond systém, with charmingly named ponds: Hope, Faith, Love, Soft, Spotted, Deed, Good Will, Blaník, Rod, Horák, and others.

Educational Trail Veselské Sand Pits and Vlkov Sand Dune

Between Veselí nad Lužnicí and the villages of Horusice and Vlkov stretches the 240-hectare Veselské Sand Pits area. Five separate gravel lakes were created after sand and gravel extraction between 1952 and 1986. Along the 7 km trail, you’ll find 14 stops with informational panels highlighting the presence of rare and often protected plant and animal species. The protected Vlkov Sand Dune is an integral part of the sand pits area — nearly a hectare of “desert” with unique flora and fauna. Together with the nearby Slepičí vršek, it’s the only example of wind-blown sands in South Bohemia. In summer, the sand pits are a popular swimming spot.