As a symbol of unplugging, basking in silence, and breathing beyond the stench of cigarettes, hiking in Prague is filling up trails and emptying trams.
One of Prague’s hottest summers has locals and tourists flocking to shade in a city void of A/C, visiting one of over 200 parks throughout the capital. Though many parks in inner-city Prague have plenty of room to lay out with a blanket and a book, few contain areas cloaked in shade. Those paths are found on the outskirts of the city.
In the urban wilderness of Prague, 19 lies Vinořský Park. The trail stretches from Vinoř to Castle Jenštejn, offering flat terrain, rock caves, and rivers that invite onlookers to jump in.
The journey to the trail is simple. Beginning on the yellow B line, travel to Rajska Zahrada. After exiting the metro, bus stops are directly in front of the station. The 201 bus to Satalice will drop you just around the corner from Vinorsky Street. Roughly a quarter of a mile up the road, a pocket of the trail lined with trees and a rocky path welcomes hikers.
The nature reserve offers two main trails to decide between: the red trail and the green trail. The green trail offers a hike of variety, including nine picturesque pit stops along the way to the castle, which takes a little under three hours to reach.
Moments before stumbling upon a small village, a rock formation with a view of the bog below gives a relaxing moment to sit and enjoy one’s surroundings. The formation ebbs and flows with curves, red and tan colors among a grainy surface, and a relatively flat top about thirty feet above the trail to see the extent of the water.
The bog invites creatures such as countless herring and carp hiding just below the murky surface. Travelers can get a closer look with a rope swing located to the right of the bog that sways directly over.
Wandering into the village, the silent residential streets are only interrupted by the occasional bark hiding behind a waist-high fence, creating a nice reprieve from the noise of the city streets.
To the left of the trail crossing, a quick stop to refuel with a beer and some fries is common before continuing to the castle. If water and an energy bar are more enticing, potraviny line the small village streets as well.
After a few hours of wandering the forest, the 14th-century Czech castle ruin offers a breathtaking view, stretching miles due to the flat landscape of lush greenery. To see these elevated views, the Jenštejn castle offers admission into the ruins for 60 crowns per adult or 95 crowns for a family.
Some describe the final destination as underwhelming, but it’s better depicted as fitting. A quiet walk on flat terrain with simple yet beautiful landscapes leads to a Gothic castle from the 1300s. There are no bright-colored trail markers or skyscrapers, just a simple relic of history to enjoy after a long shaded walk in the wilderness.
