Tips on laidback summer trips around Pilsen

You’re going to have a great time in Dobřany (as you would expect)

However, in recent years, this little town’s reputation has improved significantly thanks to its famous local ice cream and microbrewery. And it also has a beautiful, historic city centre. The local natural biotope Kotynka offers perfect swimming conditions, while beer lovers will be delighted by the Modrá Hvězda microbrewery. You can easily travel here from Pilsen by train or bike, and even add a walk through the forest park Martinská stěna (map). Nearby Dobřany, you’ll discover a highly non-traditional viewpoint burial mound atop Šlovický vrch (map). And along the way, you’ll pass by a wild horse reservation.

A ferry ride to the region’s tallest waterfall

The tallest and most beautiful waterfall in the Pilsen Region can be found in the town of Darová, 20 km northeast of Pilsen. Dírka waterfall (map) is about 3 m tall and easily accessible from Darovanský dvůr and its stylish restaurant. If you’re coming from Pilsen through Zruč-Senec (map), then you can take a ferry across the Berounka River (map) to the waterfall. It runs every day, all year long, and simply taking the ferry ride is an experience in and of itself. The valley around Dírecký potok (Dírecký Stream) is also worth a visit, as it’s part of the Berounka Nature Park. And on your return journey, stop by the Airpark in Zruč, where you’ll find a rather uncommon private museum and its collection of many planes, helicopters, and tanks.

A day in a canoe

Pilsen lies amidst four rivers, and the confluence of the Mže and Radbuza Rivers in the city centre’s Štruncovy sady park creates one of the calmest rivers for new canoeists – the Berounka. The best access to the water can be found at the Camp at Dolanský Bridge, located about 10 km from Pilsen, which you can easily travel to even without a car; simply take the bus to Chrást. Here you can hire all the necessary gear before enjoying a full day of floating down the Berounka to the Kobylka campsite (canoe route map), where they’ll load you and the boats up and take you back to Dolanský Bridge. More experienced canoeists can attempt the Úhlava River, however, only when water levels are high enough. Another nice part of the river starts in Čižice and flows to the swimming area in Hradiště.

Taking the kids to Spálené Poříčí

Located 25 km from Pilsen, Spálené Poříčí is the smallest city to receive the honourable title of Historical City of the Year. Here you can check out the Renaissance chateau, the Baroque granary, the deanery with its old, Gothic chapel, and, last but not least, the mill and other smaller, sacral and secular monuments. If you’re visiting with children, you can’t skip the local fairy-tale routes. Little ones are sure to enjoy the wooden statues, climbing frames, swings, the special forest board game Sorry!, and loads of other outdoor games and tasks.

Experience Bukovec’s views

Bukovec lies just northeast of Pilsen, and it makes for a beautiful place to enjoy an afternoon walk. A walk that will take you to the old Bukov Forest, where you’ll discover remnants of the village that once stood there as well as multiple viewpoints over the Berounka River, the most stunning being Kozí bouda (map). You can get here by following the red hiking trail, and the path isn’t long, making it the perfect place for a walk before dinner. Or you could come to enjoy an afternoon picnic. The Bukovec viewpoints are part of the Zábělá educational trail.

Swimming in an old basalt quarry near Konstantinovy Lázně

Pretty much everyone’s heard of the triangle of spa locations recorded in the UNESCO Heritage List. 40 km to the northwest of Pilsen, however, the small spa town of Konstantinovy Lázně could be added to this list. It lies at the base of Hradišťský vrch, which offers an incredible view of the flooded quarry and its crystal-blue water (map). This is a great place to cool off on hot summer days, as it’s open to the public for a small fee and offers food options as well as a run with animals. If you come here by car, then you can also combine your trip with a visit to Gutštejn Castle or Švamberk as well as a stop at Dvůr Krasíkov for a bite to eat. The nearby Spring of Love (Studánka lásky) (mapa) is also worth mentioning because, according to legend, couples who drink from it will enjoy a love that never fades

Feel the positive energy at Knižská skála near Řenče

The one and only Baroque chateau in Nebílovy stands amongst the most attractive locations in the southern Pilsen Region – and its surroundings are just as interesting. About 8 km from here, you’ll find a place that is, according to multiple experts in earthly energy, literally packed with positive energy. At Knižská skála (map), beginning filmmaker Leoš Kastner built a village from the early Middle Ages, which he used in his envisaged film Zbojník. The village wasn’t abandoned after the filming, however, and it continues to grow to this day. You can combine your trip with a visit to the Kožich lookout tower (map), which offers a perfect view of the Brdy hills and the Bohemian Forest.