Autumn hike to the top of the Novohradské Mountains

Circular trip across Kraví hora, Kuní hora, and Vysoká in the Novohradské Mountains

Starting point

Dobrá Voda near Horní Stropnice, free parking below the church. There is also parking a little higher up in Hojná Voda.
 

Description of the hike

The panorama of the most famous peaks of the Novohradské Mountains – Vysoká, Kraví, and Kuní Hory – is usually visible from Třeboň. In December, however, everything is hidden by a blanket of inversion fog, which only lifts beyond Nové Hrady. The sun breaks through the fog, the mountains stand out against the blue sky, and the road to them leads through sparkling frost-covered alleys, a winter fairy tale.

I leave my car in Dobrá Voda in the parking lot below the pilgrimage church of Our Lady of Consolation. The parking lot offers a wide view of the countryside, but today only Horní Stropnice is visible, and then just a thick fog. To the left, in the distance, the smoking towers of Temelín emerge from the fog. The church was built above healing springs, which were believed to have miraculous healing powers. The Buquoy family, owners of the estate, were responsible for the construction of the Baroque church in the 18th century, with part of the money coming from donations. In its heyday, tens of thousands of pilgrims flocked to the church not only from Bohemia, but also from Lower Austria, Germany, and other countries. Dobrá Voda was called the Lourdes of South Bohemia. Cars still stop at the springs, and people fill their bottles and canisters with water. 

Behind the church, a red trail marker leads up to Kraví Hora (953 m). I don't feel like taking the wide path, so I head straight through the forest, over moss-covered rocks, around layered granite boulders, and over fallen trees. The last section of the path to the lookout tower is paved with stones. 130 steps of a spiral staircase lead you to a metal platform offering views of the Třeboň Basin, Šumava, Slepičí hory, and Austria.

The green trail descends from Kraví hora to an interesting rock formation called Napoleon's Head. And indeed, from a certain angle, the rock resembles a head wearing a three-cornered hat. I continue on to the neighboring Kuní hora (925 m). When there is snow, there are great cross-country ski trails here. The turnoff to the top of Kuní hora is quite steep. In dry weather, it's no problem, but when it's wet and icy, it's hellishly slippery. In the upper parts, there are again round boulders, stone slabs, and a view of Kraví Hora. In the saddle below Kuní Hora stand the cottages of Staré Hutě (Althütten). Glass was manufactured and colored here, as commemorated by an information board at the chapel on the village green.

After a few dozen meters, the dirt road turns towards the abandoned village of Lukov (Lugau). Not much remains of Lukov – a white chapel with a bench, waterlogged meadows, wild gooseberries, a blue pot stuck in a tree. The last of the peaks is Vysoká (1034 m). It is one of 25 peaks in the Novohradské Mountains that exceed 1000 m, 6 of which are in Czechia and 19 in Austria. Vysoká is said to have the greatest prominence, the difference in height between the peak and the nearest saddle. There is not much to see from the top, but a narrow path marked with blue dots will lead you to two lookout points.

It's beautiful, with a sea of fog deep below me. Hojná Voda is just a short distance away. Hojná is the oldest village in the mountains. It all began when a wounded lumberjack's wounds healed thanks to the water from a spring. Saint Anne is said to have appeared to the man, and so in the 16th century, a chapel was built above the spring, then a church, and later a spa. The settlement was named Heilbrunn, meaning healing spring. The name Hojná Voda (Abundant Water) began to be used in the 19th century. After the war, the inhabitants, the vast majority of whom were German-speaking, were evicted and a forbidden border zone was created here. The economy fell into disrepair, many houses were demolished, and only the bell tower remained of the church. Today, most of the cottages are used for recreational purposes, and Hojná has only a few permanent residents.

It is only a few hundred meters back to Dobrá Voda along the road. The church in Dobrá Voda is worth visiting if only for its rich Baroque decoration. It is warm inside, and anyone who wants to can rest for a while, let their thoughts flow, or light a candle.
 

Difficulty

An easy walk, no exposed areas. Be careful at the lookout points.
 

Water availability

Springs in Dobrá and Hojná Voda. There is a restaurant or kiosk along the way, but it is only open during the season.
 

Sleeping options

In season, guesthouses, tourist area.
 

Mountain peaks

The route leads over the Vysoká, Kraví, and Kuní Hora mountains. Views of the Slepičí Mountains, Šumava, and Waldviertel Highlands in Lower Austria.
 

Danger

The route is not dangerous, but be careful when it is wet on rocks and lookouts. It can be very slippery.
 

Food

Restaurants are open during the season, but outside of the season it is better to bring a snack with you. There are shops and pubs in Horní Stropnice.
 

Attractions

The pilgrimage site of Dobrá Voda, formerly the Hojná Voda spa.