Hiking in the Sedlčany region in the Petrovicko Nature Park

Easy tour in the Sedlčany region with an ascent to the Huss pulpit

Starting point

I leave my car in the unpaid parking lot on the square in Petrovice. The town is dominated by the Baroque church of St. Peter and Paul, which was founded in the early Middle Ages and rebuilt in the 18th century. Grocery shops sell snacks for the journey, and there are two pubs.
 

Description of the hike

I follow the red marker and take the asphalt road past the church. A short distance down the road and after the metal cross I turn into the woods. The footpath leads along old paths lined with walls of granite stones. For a while through the woods, down to the stream, then through open country between meadows and boulder-strewn glades. I leave Petrovice behind me, now I have a view to the north and east, to the rolling hills of Czech Siberia.

From the fork on the right, the path leads to Hus's pulpit - a platform at the edge of the forest, where large granite boulders are scattered. Hus's pulpit is a five-metre-high flagpole, perhaps the largest in the country, which rests with just its tip on a granite slab and is said to be easy to swing. People's meetings were to be held here and Jan Hus preached from the stone. I'm going back to the crossroads.

If you follow the nature trail, you will reach the Křemenice hill, from where you can see the nearby Vysoký Chlumec - a hill with a beautiful castle. This time I follow the blue trail towards Skoupý. In Skoupý there is a large limestone quarry. From the quarry the trail continues to the area of the so-called Týnčany Karst. It is nice here - sunny southern slopes with steppe vegetation, thorn and rose bushes, junipers. A herd of ponies helps to graze the grass.

The hillside drops down to the stream where the Divišova Cave is, a 200 m long complex of passages and domes, which are gradually being uncovered by speleologists. From the cave a path leads through the valley of the Brzina stream. You will pass by three old mills - Radášova with an ornate portal, the five hundred year old Červený Mill a little further on and Míkův Mill by the road.

The road climbs up a narrow asphalt road to the village of Kuní. The Stations of the Cross, carved into granite boulders, end at the chapel. It leads from the former plague cemetery in Kuníček to the chapel in Kuní and has fourteen stops. Families from the surrounding area contributed to the construction of the path and it was consecrated in 2000. At the highest point is the Varta resting place with a fireplace and a view of the countryside.

There is a car park and the white chapel of St Anne by the 17th century plague cemetery. You can turn here to the Kuníček lookout tower. It is only open on weekends in the summer season, but there is a picnic area with a view of Petrovice and the surrounding area. If you want, you can continue along the dirt roads to the Trubáček series of ponds, but I'm getting cold, so I'm going back to Petrovice on the asphalt road. On the way for 4 hours, I met roe deer, crows, herds of horses, goats and sheep, no tourists.

Difficulty

The trail leads through open countryside between meadows and fields, along streams, through slightly undulating terrain. Nice views of the Petrovicko Nature Park and Czech Siberia. You will come across interesting natural and technical monuments - the Hus pulpit, the Týnčany Karst, old mills on the Brzina stream, the Kuníček lookout tower.
 

Water availability

There is no refreshment option anywhere on the route. Therefore, use the shops and pubs in Petrovice, of which there are plenty.
 

Danger

It is a very simple and easy route, where there is no danger. The only potential risk is walking on the road, which is necessary in some parts of the route.
 

Food

It is advisable to take a small snack with you, there is no possibility of refreshments on the way. Shop and pubs in Petrovice. Resting places and fireplaces at Varta and at the Kuníček lookout tower.