Educational Trail “Trhové Sviny – Pious and Sinful”

Kateřina from Čeřejov was a mill maid. She slept with the farmhand Bartoloměj in secret, hoping no one would find out — but trouble arose when her belly began to grow. She gave birth to a baby boy. At that moment, darkness clouded her mind. “I was afraid of hunger and poverty. People warned me I’d have to beg with the child, that no one would give us anything, so I wanted the child not to live,” she confessed before the court, where she was tried for the murder of her newborn.

Terrifying cases of murder, robbery, and neighborhood brawls come to life on this new educational trail, which connects the town of Trhové Sviny with the villages of Pěčín, Hrádek, and Rejta. The trail leads along pond dams and historical memory sites. It is called “Trhové Sviny – Pious and Sinful” and in addition to transgressions and wrongdoings, it also focuses on good deeds, piety, and godliness — the eternal struggle between good and evil. History lives through stories, and the trail tells them across seventeen stops.

The trail was conceptualized by the mayor of Trhové Sviny, Věra Korčaková, who invited historian and writer Jan Štifter to join the project. He drew from ancient sources as well as daily newspapers, which treated every unusual event as a sensation. The trail is full of such stories and is sure to become a favorite walk not only for locals but also for visitors from afar.

The trail is divided into three loops: 14 km, 7 km, and 4 km. In the section from station no. 1 to no. 2, we recommend closely following the red and white markings.

The first 14 km loop is marked in red.
Less experienced walkers may shorten the route according to their physical ability — either at station no. 3 “Poldr” to a total of 4 km, or at station no. 6 “Prelát” to 7 km.

Note on information panel no. 11 – TO THE PAGAN SHRINE
You can reach it in two ways:

1. Turn left along the green tourist trail, which will lead you directly to the stones. Then continue on the green trail to the chapel.
2. Continue along the forest path (following red-and-white markings) to information panel no. 12, turn left and follow the red markers, which overlap with the green tourist trail. They lead to stone religious markers at the site of a former pilgrimage church. Continue downhill through the forest to the pagan shrine.

More experienced walkers may return from panel no. 12 to panel no. 11 via the green tourist trail. Please note: this section is not suitable for bicycles or strollers.

The second 7 km loop is marked in blue.
At the Prelát pond, turn left toward Rejta. Walk past the Maroušek residence to the right and continue to the Nové Hrady road, which you cross. Those hungry or thirsty may refresh themselves at the “Na Tahu” restaurant, located about 20 m away. Others continue toward the Church of the Assumption of Our Lord in Rejta. About 20 m before the chapel, you will rejoin the red-marked loop and continue toward the quarry to station no. 15 “Gallows Hill.” The curious and competitive won’t miss stop no. 14 “Rejta,” located in front of the cultural house in Rejta, even though it means a 200 m detour.

The third 4 km loop is marked in green.
Cross the dam of the retention basin and follow the trodden path across the meadow to the “New Pond” before the village of Rejta. Continue to the Nové Hrady road, cross it, and proceed toward the quarry (LOM). At the end of the paved road, a field path will lead you back to the main route at information panel no. 15 “Gallows Hill.” Continue along the old road to the “Large Pond.”

We placed the information panels in the landscape in such a way as not to disturb the “genius loci” of the area. For that reason, you may need to walk a bit further to some described locations — e.g. the pagan shrine, the chapel, or the birthplace of Emil Hácha.