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May 17th, 2008
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Trips & Trails

To escape, take a hike

By Fiona Gaze
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
May 7th, 2008 issue

TRIP TIPS


Svatý Jan pod Skalou:
www.svatyjan.cz
How to get there: Bus from Zličín (check www.idos.cz for times)
Czech Tourist Club map: No. 36
Recommended walk: Svatý Jan-Hostim-Srbsko-Karlštejn
Length of walk: Approx. 8.5
kilometers

Obecná škola
Tel.: 311 671 755, 728 547 333
Web: www.svatyjan.cz/obecnaskola

Středověká krčma
Karlštejn 200
Tel.: 608 973 030

Open-air Museum Solvay's Quarry
Web: www.solvayovylomy.cz

With the Czech Tourist Club’s excellent system of well-marked hiking trails and detailed maps covering practically every inch of the country, exchanging the city and its tourist throngs for the calmer outdoors and a well-earned beer or two is as easy as lacing up your boots and picking a destination.
Svatý Jan pod Skalou (St. John under the Cliff), an easy 40-minute bus ride from Zličín, is a perfect example. Part of the CHKO Český kras nature reserve, which includes Karlštejn Castle, this tiny hamlet and beautiful valley can serve as a destination in itself or as a starting point for walks of varying length and difficulty.
The village is dominated by its namesake cliff, nestled at the base of which is a Benedictine Monastery. The building’s history includes a stint as a communist-era labor camp and prison, a stain that took the village off the map for many years. Other sights include the Church of St. John the Baptist, the Cave of St. Ivan the Hermit, a natural spring and the Neo-Gothic Chapel of St. Maxmillian.   
A few paces from the bus stop, the friendly, family-run restaurant/pension Obecná škola has a terrace boasting gorgeous views of the cliff and cheap, hearty Czech food. Rooms are also inexpensive if you want to stay overnight.
It’s a short but demanding climb (following the red trail) from the monastery up to the cross perched dramatically atop the cliff, which rises a sheer 100 meters. The path passes the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a good place to catch your breath and admire the view. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of the valley, and the sight of kestrels flying below.
Instead of going back down the hill, you can follow the signs to the Solvay’s Quarry mining museum, which presents a history of limestone quarrying in the area and the chance to visit an old mine.
From there, you can either take the green trail down to the village of Hostim (1 km), or continue on the red path for a challenging 9 km hike through the forested hills to Karlštejn. For a more leisurely walk, follow the yellow trail from Svatý Jan about 1.5 km along a winding stream to Hostim, where the U Krobiána pub offers a cozy rustic retreat with a fireplace inside and picnic tables outside. It has very inexpensive cauldrons of goulash that are often on every table — provided you get there early.
From Hostim, follow the path that breaks off the road after about half a kilometer, which takes you along a meandering creek carved through the rock. Two kilometers on, you’ll reach the Berounka River, where you can either turn right and head to the large town of Beroun, or turn left for the village of Srbsko. The walk to Beroun follows a 6 km unsheltered stretch; the more popular option is the 3 km trail to Srbsko, which can become a riverside promenade on sunny days, and is dotted with old military pillboxes.
It’s an easy train ride back to Prague from Srbsko, though you have the option of hiking the main road to Karlštejn. It’s about 3 km and the sun can be merciless at points, but you’ll earn a stunning view that you don’t get arriving by train.
Should you end up in Karlštejn on a Saturday night, the Středověká krčma restaurant close to the train station serves up medieval shenanigans along with huge plates of food. The last train back runs at 11.
Fiona Gaze’s column on hiking trips will appear periodically throughout the spring and summer. She can be reached at fgaze@praguepost.com


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