Discover Ckyne: Culture, Hiking Trails and Landscapes

Čkyně combines cultural history with marked trails and a varied landscape. In Čkyně, a medieval church, a synagogue and historic cemeteries meet hiking destinations, a cycling tour and mountains in the surrounding area and the wider region. This makes it possible to shape a stay in different ways: cultural monuments give the town a historic character, while trails and hills provide inspiration for days outdoors.

Cultural History in Čkyně

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene dates from the last quarter of the 13th century. Its presbytery contains wall paintings; the oldest layer dates from 1330 to 1340. The church and its cemetery are listed as cultural monuments. The construction period, furnishings and preserved wall paintings come together here to provide a vivid insight into the town’s medieval history. Visitors who do not want to limit their visit to the exterior architecture will find a particularly tangible historical detail in the presbytery.

Another distinctive architectural monument is the Čkyně Synagogue. It was built in 1828 in a simple Neoclassical style. The Jewish Cemetery in Čkyně was established at the end of the 17th century. The three sites date from different centuries: the church was built in the last quarter of the 13th century, the Jewish cemetery was established at the end of the 17th century, and the synagogue was built in 1828. The wall paintings in the presbytery also add their own chronological layer to the church, dating from 1330 to 1340. The church thus combines a medieval building with evidence from the 14th century.

Hiking and Cycling Around Čkyně

Marked hiking trails lead from Čkyně to the Sudslavický okruh and Mářský vrch. The yellow-marked trail to Věnec adds a cultural and historical destination to these routes. There is also an option for a cycling tour: the 47 km-long Zlatá stezka (Volyňka) is a moderately difficult route for trekking bikes and passes through Čkyně. The cycling tour is therefore another way to explore the area alongside the hiking trails to Sudslavický okruh, Mářský vrch and Věnec.

Mountains and the Věnec Hillfort Site

The mountains of Kamenná hora, Včelenský vrch and Boubín are located around Čkyně. In the wider region surrounding Čkyně, there is also Popelná hora, another mountain. The Radomysl Mediumwave Radio Mast, a ruin, is likewise located in the wider region. A yellow-marked hiking route leads from the centre of Čkyně to the La Tène-period hillfort site of Věnec, situated on a 765 m-high hill above the Volyňka valley. The route thus combines movement through the landscape with a historic destination. The elevation and reference to the valley give the route a clear landscape setting, while the designation as a hillfort site points to the older history of the location.

Further Destinations

For further travel planning, you can also check Lužice U Netolic, Hracholusky, Lenóra, Vimperk, Stožec, Lčovice, Borova Lada and Žernovice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Prachatice District.