Drahouš: Between the Chapel, Tvrziště and Landscape

Drahouš lies in a sloping valley of the Drahoušský potok. The village combines rural history with distinctive landscape features and excursions in the surrounding area. If you would like to combine a stay with culture, nature and regional discoveries, Drahouš offers several distinct points of interest for this.

Chapel, Village Square and Medieval Traces

The Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk is the dominant landmark of Drahouš village square. It was built in 1728 by František Josef Richtersohn, secretary to Count Černín. Another historical trace can be found in the village of Tlestky, which belongs to Drahouš: the Tvrziště Tlestky cultural monument is located there. It lies on the eastern edge of Tlestky on the road to Drahouš and remains clearly visible behind the last houses, numbered 20 and 9.

The Tvrziště Tlesky was cleared in 2015 of non-original fill material and vegetation and equipped with an information board and a seat in the forest. Archaeological investigations confirmed that the site was destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 15th century. The Smrk archaeological site also preserves a circular medieval Tvrziště on the edge of the forest called “Šance”. The circular Motte-type Tvrziště there has a central mound approximately 20 metres wide and a ditch roughly 2 to 2.5 metres deep.

Avenues, Ponds and Distinctive Landscapes

The 2-kilometre-long Plávečská Chestnut Avenue in Drahouš ends at the Chapel of Our Lady of Altötting. This chapel was formerly a frequently visited pilgrimage site. There are three ponds in the village: one on the village square and two directly in the course of the Jesenický potok. The Rakovnický potok originates 2 kilometres east of Drahouš at an elevation of 578 metres. Its surroundings have been cleared, and an information board was also installed at the source.

Drahouš lom is also a registered significant landscape feature forming part of the village’s character. It is home to heat-loving communities in rocky habitats. Pivovar Kokeš, a small family brewery in Drahouš that uses local water from Drahouš for brewing, provides a distinctive regional accent of its own.

Excursions between Tlestky and Svatý Hubert

The “Za Tleským pokladem” circular route leads from Jesenice through Tlestky to Drahouš. Another option is the “K zámku Svatý Hubert” excursion from Jesenice to the former Svatý Hubert hunting lodge. It can be undertaken on foot, with Nordic walking poles or by bicycle and also leads to the Přírodní památka Plaviště natural monument. The Svatý Hubert hunting lodge is currently not open to the public.

Kámen svatého Huberta lies about 300 metres from the hunting lodge on a blue-marked hiking trail. At the former hunting lodge, the tower windows provided views of the long avenues used by the estate for parforce hunting; an observer in the tower gave the hunters signals indicating the position of the game. The surrounding area thus combines nature observation, a historic landscape and physical activity.

More Destinations in the Same Regional Selection

For further orientation, you can also discover Lhotka-Ostrovec, Hřebečníky, Kounov, Oráčov, Ruda U Nového Strašecí, Panoší Újezd, Nesuchyně and Krty .

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Rakovník.