Summer walking and hiking in Prague
There is an established system of marked trails for hikers in the natural preserve Šárka-Lysolaje. The basic red trail is slightly over 20 kilometres long and starts at the bus/tram stop Divoká Šárka. It connects the most exciting places in the area such as Divoká Šárka (the natural preserve containing a gorge), Baba (a hill with ruins of an historical building offering great views of Prague), Primátorská stezka (a footpath), Černý vrch (a hill), and kostelík sv. Matěje (St. Matthew’s Chapel). The red hiking trail is connected with the yellow and blue hiking trails and the green hiking trail crosses the area diagonally.
The Šárka Park and the hiking trails there
The Šárka Park and the hiking trails there
The natural theatre in Divoká Šárka, once a vast natural amphitheatre, used to host 10,000 visitors in its prime. You can also learn a bit about the history of Prague by taking a look at Šárecké hradiště, a fortified settlement established by our ancestors in the Early Medieval Period. The whole trail has a lot of panoramic sites to offer as you walk. And if you are tired, you can rest in one of the many arbours and resting places along the way. There are also a number of functioning restaurants ready to serve hikers passing by. What is interesting is that there were still several millhouses built on the brook just a few years ago (for example Čertův mlýn – Devil’s Mill).
Start discovering the neighbourhood. Point of departure – Břetislavka
Discovering the Šárecký potok brook from the Břetislavka stop (length: 1.4 km)
Take a walk down the street called V Šáreckém údolí, passing a number of charming mansions. The most well-known ones are found on the right side: Ctiborka, Purkrábka (indication no. 34), Žežuka (indication no. 42) and Šatovka (indication no. 74). Your trip may – or may not – end just here.
Finish at Šatovka, or keep walking for 9.7 more kilometres
If you feel like it, you can continue walking. Go from Šatovka to the Na Mlýnku stop and turn left to take the blue mark. Follow the blue marked trail and when you reach its end change to the red mark towards Baba. Walking or jogging to these picturesque ruins nestled on a promontory above the river Vltava is especially enticing if done after sunset. It is a well-lit place where unforgettable views of the whole of Prague can be enjoyed.
If you walk to Baba this way you will cross, not far from Šatovka, the path you previously took and after a while you will end up at the crossroads where the red and the green marked trails meet. Turn left and follow the green trail. Eventually, you will get to the Pučálka stop where the trip ends. Altogether, this is a 9.7 kilometre walk.
A nature trail leading through the natural preserve Housle will teach you something (not only) about geology
This trail leads through the narrow picturesque sandstone gorge. It starts at Lysolaje not far from a natural spring – a legend has it that the water in it is miraculous – located close to the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows (Kaple panny Marie Sedmibolestné) leading to the very end of the gorge through the abandoned sandmine that was turned into an orchard. Get to know a little bit of the local history, geological development of this protected area, and the plants and animals that can be found here. There is a look-out offering beautiful views at the end of the gorge.
It is a great idea to take a walk or jog to the Baba ruins on a promontory above the river Vltava once the sun has set. The spot is well-lit and offers wonderful views of the whole of Prague.
