Želnava – Village History, the Vltava Valley and Nature Trail

Želnava Between Village History and the Vltava Valley

Želnava combines village history with landscapes and trails through the Vltava Valley. The originally Gothic Church of St. James dates from the 14th century. The village square is home to an unusual historic waterworks structure in the form of a large stone cylinder. Medieval architectural history and early 19th-century infrastructure thus meet in the same place.

The water distributor from the early 19th century conveyed spring water through wooden pipes and, using gravity, to the individual buildings in the village. This turns a technical detail into a vivid trace of local history for you.

Nature and Historical Traces

Želnava is easily accessible via the main road between Volary and Horní Planá. West of Želnava, the Houska Nature Reserve lies in the Vltava Valley. It protects a peat bog that transitions into bog pine forests and waterlogged spruce forests.

The region's timber production is also connected with the landscape. The Želnavský smyk made it possible to transport timber from the forests to the Vltava. As a result, the Schwarzenberg Floating Canal retained its importance even after the end of the Vienna timber rafting operation at the end of the 19th century, in its section more than 22 kilometers long between Rasovka and Světlá voda near the Bavarian border. The connection between the forest, timber transport and waterway adds an economic aspect to the natural and local history.

Waltershausen Castle was built in the 1360s on a prominent hill between Želnava and Pernek. It was intended to protect the Zlatá Koruna settlements occupied by Vyšehrad.

Nature Trail to Želnavský vrch

The Naučná stezka Želnavskem nature trail leads to the 815-meter-high Želnavský vrch and offers views from the summit. The NS Želnavskem nature trail is a nearly seven-kilometer circular route that starts and ends at the Church of St. James in Želnava. Information panels provide information about the local nature and history. The combination of a circular route, information panels and a summit destination connects natural topics with local and regional history.

Želnavský vrch reaches a height of 815 meters and is the highest point of the Vltavická brázda. From the summit, there are panoramic views of the meanders of the Vltava, the Bohemian Forest and the church of Želnava. This allows you to choose between a local-history tour and a landscape perspective; the route length helps you plan your own day.

Agriculture and Regional Products

In Slunečná, a settlement belonging to Želnava, you can visit the animals at Biofarma na Slunečné, learn about its farming methods and buy homemade organic products such as meat, milk, cheese, eggs, honey and potatoes. This complements the cultural and natural themes with an insight into local agriculture.

When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore weigh village history, natural areas, the nature trail and regional agriculture as different focal points. Other places for your research include Olšovice, Lenóra, Pravetín, Vlachovo Brezí, Stožec, Chroboly, Ceske Zleby and Zdíkov.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Prachatice.