Arnoštov – Nature, Forest Railway and Glassmaking History on the Blanice

Arnoštov combines a distinctive river landscape with traces of the region’s industrial and transport history. The village lies in the Šumava Protected Landscape Area (CHKO Šumava) and at the same time on the Blanice, where the Puchéřský potok flows into it. This makes it a destination where nature observation, hiking routes and historical discoveries are closely intertwined.

River Landscape and Protected Nature

The Blanice National Nature Monument is located in the surroundings of Arnoštov. It consists of an extensive area of meadows, peatlands and forests in the Blanice catchment area. These different landscapes give a stay several facets: open meadows, wet peatland areas and forest all lie within a natural setting shaped by the river.

Walks along the banks of the Blanice and Puchéřský potok near Arnoštov offer the opportunity to observe white-throated dippers, kingfishers and black storks. In recent years, beavers have built dams on the Puchéřský potok near Arnoštov. Families can incorporate observations like these into their shared exploration of the landscape without having to structure the day around a single excursion destination.

Hiking and Cycling with Different Destinations

Hiking Route No. 3 leads from Arnoštov via Sedmidomí and Čtyři domy to Na Skále. It therefore offers a specific opportunity to include the village in a hike with several stops. A red-marked hiking trail also leads via Spálenec and Arnoštov to Volary, passing places connected with the former narrow-gauge railway. This allows you to combine a hike through the landscape with a search for historical traces when planning your trip.

There is also a described cycling connection: Cycle Route No. 1252 leads from the turnoff near Křišťanov via Arnoštov and the Záhvozdský potok to Pernek. The two routes represent different ways of getting to know the surrounding area. While Hiking Route No. 3 links Arnoštov with Sedmidomí, Čtyři domy and Na Skále, the cycle route continues beyond the village towards Pernek.

Memories of the Forest Railway and Glassworks

The Arnoštov forest railway is part of the village’s historical heritage. Three steam locomotives named Wilma, Ludvík and Lisel operated on it. The former forest railway is commemorated by the original railway track bed with remnants of sleepers and an old stone bridge in Arnoštov. Together with the red-marked hiking trail that passes places connected with the former narrow-gauge railway, these features make the area’s former transport history tangible in several locations.

A second historical trace leads to the former glassworks. The glassworks in Arnoštov was finally closed in 1945. The only surviving structure is the owner’s villa, known as the Zámeček. The Zámeček is an early 19th-century building and was the former villa of glassworks owner Wilhelm Kralik. Arnoštov therefore preserves two different forms of local history side by side: the memory of the forest railway and the surviving building from the glassworks era.

Other Places in the Same Area

If you would like to extend your search to other places in the same higher-level area, you can find Hradiště, Vitějovice, Chlumany, Zbytiny, Babice U Netolic, Vlachovo Brezí, Hracholusky and Radhostice here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Prachatice.