The best hiking routes in Plzeň Region

The Plzeň Region offers a clear choice between the dense, high-elevation spruce forests of the south and the gentler, historically shaped woodlands of the north and east. On the southern border, Národní park Šumava dominates the landscape with its vast peat bogs, glacial lakes, and granite ridges. Walking here means navigating boardwalks over wet mires and gravel forestry tracks through areas recovering from bark beetle damage. The terrain is high and exposed, where snow often lingers into May, creating a stark contrast to the lower, more sheltered river valleys elsewhere in the province.

In contrast, CHKO Křivoklátsko in the northeast presents a deeply dissected landscape of deciduous woodlands, dominated by oak and hornbeam, where paths cling to steep shale hillsides above the Berounka River. The underfoot conditions here are mostly packed dirt, leaf litter, and rocky river-bluff trails. Further northwest, CHKO Slavkovsk les features a rolling plateau of pine forests, peat cutouts, and mineral springs, where the paths are generally flatter and easier on the feet, though often damp underfoot.

This region does not offer alpine peaks or dramatic limestone gorges. Instead, walkers will find a transition from the damp, moss-covered granite boulder fields of the southern border to the drier, agricultural valleys and mixed woodlands closer to Plzeň itself. Well-known trailheads near the national park can become busy on autumn weekends, while the quieter forest paths of the northern protected areas remain peaceful throughout the year.