Hrušková: At the Foot of Krudum and on the Salt Road

Hrušková combines a medieval trade route with the landscape at the foot of Krudum. The village lies on the medieval Salt Road toward Loket and at the foot of the 838-metre-high Krudum. Those who want to combine nature, views and regional history on a trip will find several different points of interest here: a yellow-marked hiking trail, historical traces and monuments closely connected with the history of the village.

History on the Salt Road

The history of Hrušková dates back to the Middle Ages. Its foundation by the Nothaft family is dated at some point to the second half of the 13th century. Hrušková was first mentioned in writing in 1290 under the name Nothaftsgruen. The reference to the Church of Saint Nicholas is even older: a document from 1253 explicitly mentions it as already existing; it therefore proves that it existed earlier, not that it was founded in that year.

The site of this church probably contained a fortified structure that protected a section of the Salt Road in the deep forests. The historical significance of the place is therefore conveyed not only by a single building, but also by its location on a former transport route. For visitors interested in the history of medieval settlements, Hrušková thus offers a tangible connection between the landscape and the past.

Hiking Trail to Krudum

A yellow-marked hiking trail passes through Hrušková. It leads to the Krudum lookout tower and also to the remains of the Church of Saint Nicholas. The trail thus connects two very different destinations: the view from the mountain and the historical traces in the village. The lookout tower on Krudum is ten metres high and was opened on 11 September 1932.

Krudum itself reaches an elevation of 838 metres above sea level.

Monuments and Protected Nature

Among the visible memorial sites in Hrušková is the monument to the victims of the First World War. It was erected in 1938 and commemorates five fallen residents of the village. The monument is freely accessible. Opposite it grows the protected linden tree “Lípa u pomníčku v Hruškové”.

Another historical site lies outside the immediate village centre: in the municipal forest, a stone reconciliation cross stands on the former road to Loket, about 1.5 kilometres northeast of Hrušková. The reconciliation cross near Hrušková was re-erected at its discovery site on 6 September 2003. The designation of the road as former is part of its historical classification and does not describe a current transport route.

Remembering the History of the Border

The Military Oath Monument also stands near Hrušková. It was erected in 1947 on the former Prameny military training area. The monument commemorates local members of the pre-war units of the State Protection Guard who lost their lives protecting the border shortly before the annexation of the Sudetenland by Germany.

For the general travel overview: Falkenau on the Eger.