From Kvilda to the Vltava Springs, Bučina, and Knížecí Pláně

Gesamtlänge

25.5 km

Dauer

4 hours

Landschaft

Paved, hilly terrain

Empfohlene Jahreszeit für einen Besuch

Summer, dry spring, and autumn

Schwierigkeit

moderate

Markierung

Yes

Wie kommen Sie zum Ausgangspunkt

By car to Kvilda

Wie kommen Sie zurück

Circular route

Wegbeschreibung

The blue-marked trail leads on foot or by bike from St. Stephen’s Church in the center of Kvilda directly to the Vltava Springs. Along the way, you will pass the ruins of the Hraběcí Huť glassworks and follow the Teplá Vltava valley until reaching the source of the longest Czech river, located at 1,172 meters above sea level. This is also where the watershed between the North Sea and the Black Sea is located.

We intentionally refer to the springs in the plural – while the symbolic spring with a well was built in 1922 by the Czechoslovak Tourist Club, in reality, the Vltava originates from several small streams, which flow from the peat bogs on the southeastern slope of Černá hora and from springs on the western slopes of Stráž, Holý vrch, and Holubí skála. Interestingly, this area was also the final section of the legendary smuggling route used by the infamous King of Šumava, Kilián Nowotny, which ended on the German side near Reschbach Lake. The lake is clearly visible from the red-marked trail, which ascends the southern slope of Černá hora from the Vltava Springs. While it doesn’t reach the summit, you can take a short detour to a wooden viewpoint, which offers breathtaking views of Šumava and, on clear days, even of the Alps.

Today, Kvilda holds the title of the highest village in Bohemia, but until World War II, that honor belonged to Bučina, which sat at 1,162 meters on the southern slope of Stráž Hill. Established in the mid-18th century, Bučina was once the starting point for trips to the Vltava Springs, and buses from Vimperk even terminated here. Today, Bučina is home to the renovated Alpská vyhlídka hotel, which offers a spectacular view of the distant Alpine peaks, including the Dachstein massif. The site also features a replica of the infamous Iron Curtain. Nearby, you’ll find an emergency bivouac site, and in summer, green buses from Kvilda via Horská Kvilda run to Bučina, making it possible to shorten your trip in case of exhaustion, bad weather, or if the full route proves too challenging.

If you want to explore more iconic locations of Šumava, take a detour from Bučina to the vanished settlement of Knížecí Pláně. The area around both villages was always considered one of the most beautiful parts of Šumava. Today, it is an almost deserted landscape, where overgrown fruit trees and remnants of stone walls are the only reminders of the once-thriving settlements. At its peak, Knížecí Pláně had over sixty houses, with the Church of St. John the Baptist, visible from afar, as its dominant landmark. After the border zone restrictions were imposed, the village was abandoned, and the church was demolished in 1956. Today, only the Hájenka guesthouse stands at the crossroads, and a marked trail leads to the remains of the church and cemetery.

Sehenswürdigkeiten auf der Strecke

• Kvilda Visitor Center
• Borová Lada