Výlet na Mařský vrch v Pošumaví

Spring trip to Sudlavice Cave and Mařský vrch

Starting point

Village Bohumilice (in Bohemia), parking near the church, free of charge.
 

Description of the hike

I leave my car in the village of Bohumilice under the church. Bohumilice has an interesting emblem - a dove with two woodpeckers in its beak in a blue field with a star. The beams symbolize the confluence of the Spůlka River with the Volynka River, where Bohumilice is located. The seven-pointed star is reminiscent of the Bohumilický meteorite found near the village in 1829.

I set off along the Nature Trail of the Věnec micro-region towards Bošice. Behind the village begins a beautiful lime avenue. It was planted along the old wagon road from the castle, the trees are over 150 years old. The path swings over the hill and descends into the village of Bošice. By the dirt path stands an unusually tall stone cross, about four metres high, with painted figures of Jesus and Mary. I will meet several more of these on the way. I think about why they are so tall, and I can think of no other explanation than that 150 years ago a metre or two of snow might have fallen, and since the crosses often stood at crossroads, they needed to be visible even above the high snow cover. Anyone interested in a few words about the landmark significance of crosses in the landscape should look in the Interesting Facts.

From Bošice I continue first along the road, then along the stream and follow the blue trail to the hill Věnec. At Věnec I encounter the Celtic trail. On the top of the hill there was supposedly a fortress and a Celtic oppidum. Now there is a stone rampart with a fireplace and a nice view to the north. After a while, I descend the hill past the modern Celtic circle, or rather ring, onto the asphalt forest road to Budilov. Here you will be delighted by stones with painted Šumava animals - there is a badger, a lynx, an eagle and a wolf. A short detour leads to the Královácké Kamen, one of the ancient landmarks. It dates back to the 16th-17th century and defined the right of the Královaks, free inhabitants of Sumava. It is carved with an axe, a prism and a wheel for breaking limbs as a punishment for those who would move the milestone.

Behind the Královácké Kamen I climb up the meadows to Radhostický and Lště. Here is the pilgrimage church of St. Vojtěch, visible far into the countryside. From the church, I continue along the blue trail towards Mařské vrch. From the ridge you can see the Sumava hills Boubín and Libín. Here, too, there are two high crosses at the crossroads. Below Mařský vrch there is a parking lot and a strange modern sculpture named Peace. It was originally supposed to stand on the bus station in Vimpery, but people thought it was so ugly that they finally "cleaned it up" under Mařský vrch.

The asphalt road leads to the transmitter and from there it is only a few steps to the chapel and the lookout tower on the top. The last metres are lined with a new Stations of the Cross with a very abstract depiction of the Passion of Christ. The lookout tower is open, overlooking the rocky sea below the summit and the hilly landscape to the north. From the Mara Hill I head to the Volyňka valley. The last pearl on the way is the Sudslavice nature trail. At several stops there are reminders of limestone mining in the region, the remains of a lime kiln near Volyňka and the centuries-old Sudslavická lime tree. The upper branch of the trail leads under the rocks to the Sudslavice Cave, where the bones of prehistoric animals have been found.

After the cave you have to climb a few ladders (nothing difficult) and then along the track back to Sudslavice. The Czech Railways no longer run here, but in nearby Hoštice people still take pictures of the painted memorable stop from Sun, Hay..., where the train doesn't stop, just slows down :-) But for railway geeks, the orange-green train called Carrot, operated by a private company, may be interesting. I go back to Bohumilic past the horse farm and Skalice castle.
 

Difficulty

Czech classics, on marked and unmarked trails, are not dangerous places.
 

Water availability

Off season, there were not many snack options, preferring water and takeaway food. Restaurants in nearby Ckynia, Volyn, Vimperk.
 

Sleeping options

I didn't look, it is a day trip, there are guesthouses in Volare or Vimperk.
 

Mountain peaks

The hills Věnec and Mařský vrch offer views of Šumava.
 

Danger

The route is not dangerous, there are several easy ladders behind the Sudslavice cave (the child can manage).
 

Food

In the off-season, we recommend a takeaway.
 

Attractions

Crosses in the landscape
From time immemorial, people have marked road junctions and important landmarks, first with piles of stones and wooden posts, and later with the advent of Christianity with stone or metal crosses. Crosses marked reverence for God, some were erected as a sign of thanksgiving for rescue or healing, and reconciliation crosses are a separate chapter as a sign of repentance and reconciliation. Crosses were also used to demarcate the boundaries of territories; in German-speaking countries you often see the so-called Rotes Kreuz, translated as Red Cross, sometimes painted red. In this case, however, Rot is a corruption of the word Recht - right and marks the boundaries of the territory-right of the nearby municipality. Orientation crosses can have several colours, for example in the forests near Trebon you can find White, Blue, Green, Red and Black crosses. In mountains, saddles and passes, so-called Wetterkreuz (Wetter-weather) were erected where pilgrims and traders prayed or gave thanks for good weather on the way. An interesting Irish tradition is that suicides were said to be buried at crosses at crossroads. This was so that even after death their restless soul could not find its way, wander around the crossroads and not frighten the living.