Chotilsko at Slapy Reservoir

Chotilsko combines the Vltava’s present-day lake landscape with observation towers, museums and historic paths. Near Chotilsko, the Vltava now forms the water surface of the Slapy Reservoir. Along the flooded Vltava Valley, the reservoir gave rise to several recreational areas. This creates a diverse picture for planning your trip: you can explore the landscape from above, learn about the region’s history, or follow marked paths and cultural traces.

Experiencing the landscape from observation towers

A 42-metre-high steel tower stands on Veselý vrch near Mokrsko. Its observation platform is located at a height of 25 metres and can be reached via 137 steps. From there, the view extends across the landscape along the Vltava to the blue bends of Slapy Lake. The observation tower thus offers a clearly described perspective of the river landscape and reservoir.

The Drtinova rozhledna has a different architectural and landscape character. It was rebuilt in 2014 on the foundations of its previously damaged predecessor. The wooden structure has a covered observation platform at a height of 21 metres and can be reached via 109 steps. From a height of 20 metres, it offers a view of the landscape of the middle Vltava region.

Vltava history and rural life

Chotilsko is home to the permanent exhibition “Z historie staré Vltavy”. It covers the stretch of river from Zvírotice to the former Svatojánské proudy rapids. The exhibition is also accessible to wheelchair users and covers approximately 200 square metres. The building also houses a museum of balloon flight. The exhibition venue therefore focuses both on the historic Vltava landscape and on an independent aviation-related subject.

The Špýchar Museum in Prostřední Lhota is housed in a four-storey Baroque building dating from 1770. It presents the life of the rural population of the middle Vltava region in the 19th and 20th centuries. The archaeological section of the exhibition covers the region’s early history in connection with the mining and processing of gold. The Museum of Rural Life in Prostřední Lhota can be reached from the II/102 main road, via the Zlaté Psí hory educational trail and along a blue-marked hiking trail. The Zlaté Psí hory educational trail provides further insights into the regional history of gold mining through old and new mining facilities.

Church, cycle route and protected landscape

Živohošť also adds to the cultural character of the surrounding area. The Church of Saints Fabian and Sebastian is one of the region’s oldest ecclesiastical monuments. It was originally Romanesque, converted to the Gothic style in the 14th century and remodelled in the Pseudo-Romanesque style in 1860. The church is located at the beginning or end of European cycle route No. 7, the Vltavská Route.

On the left bank of the Vltava between Smilovice and Kobylníky, the Vymyšlenská Pěšina Nature Reserve protects warm rocky slopes with stands of dwarf oak and rocky steppe. The Vymyšlenská Pěšina educational trail runs along the edge of the nature reserve of the same name. For families with different interests, the choice of location can therefore be considered according to the desired focus: waterscapes, viewpoints, regional history or a path through a particularly described landscape.

Choosing accommodation in Chotilsko with a specific focus

When looking for accommodation in Chotilsko, you should take the location of the individual experiences into account when making your choice. The destinations are located in Chotilsko, near Mokrsko, in Prostřední Lhota and Živohošť, as well as in the area between Smilovice and Kobylníky. This makes it clear whether your stay should focus primarily on the “Z historie staré Vltavy” exhibition, views of the Slapy Reservoir, historic monuments, or the themes of gold mining and nature conservation. Another important point for current planning is that the TEPfactor location in Chotilsko is being permanently closed and relocated abroad; reservations are accepted in Prague.

Further local pages for orientation

For additional local research, you can also visit Trhové DušníkyTrhové Dušníky, HájeHáje, OsečanyOsečany, CetyněCetyně, OhrazeniceOhrazenice, NestrašoviceNestrašovice, VozniceVoznice and Svatý JanSvatý Jan.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Příbram.