Circular trip via the Pajndl lookout tower in the Ore Mountains

Autumn trip around Nejdek in the Ore Mountains

Starting point

Nejdek, free parking in the city, no restrictions on weekends.
 

Description of the hike

I park my car in one of the parking lots right in the center of Nejdek (no restrictions on weekends). Charles IV Square is lined with two rows of houses with decorative facades, and at the end of the square is a small park with the red and white Church of St. Martin. Behind the church, you can see Nejdecká Rock with its castle tower. A small bridge spans the Rolava River and a path climbs up to Křížový vrch (Cross Hill). Here is one of the town's attractions – the Nejdek Way of the Cross. It was built in the mid-19th century from the estate of local patron Anna Häcklová, destroyed during totalitarianism, but sensitively restored after 1989. The 1.7 km long path leads visitors up winding roads to Křížový vrch, where there is a view of Nejdek and the surrounding hills. Along the way, it is possible to see the town from a different perspective from Rajmanova vyhlídka, which is dominated by the humming wool combing factory.

A yellow tourist trail leads from Křížový vrch. On the forest path is a small structure called Myší hrad (Mouse Castle), a miniature version of Nejdecká skála (Njezdice Rock) with a castle. It is a remnant of the ornamental structures of Vogelschutz Park, which stood here a hundred years ago. The path continues through the forest to the Na krásné vyhlídce (Beautiful View) restaurant, which has long been closed. Following the green trail, the route continues to climb towards Tisovský vrch. Fallen yellow maple leaves rustle underfoot. There are several beautiful old cottages in Tisová, moss-covered stone walls line the paths, and simple crosses stand at the crossroads.

The green trail continues through the forest and crosses the Krušnohorský Semmering railway line at Ovčí most, a railway line that connected the villages of the Ore Mountains with the valley. The name Semmering is derived from an Austrian village in the Raxalpe, where the line also winds between rocks and climbs several hundred meters in altitude. In nearby Nové Hamry, the train turns 180 degrees in a curve. On Tisovský vrch (formerly Peindlberg, 977 m above sea level) stands the stone Pajndl (Peindl) lookout tower. It is freely accessible, and after climbing 111 steps, you will reach a gallery at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level. The lookout tower offers a wide view of the Ore Mountains and the Bohemian Forest. The Berg Heil (Mountain Greetings) chalet used to welcome visitors at the lookout tower, but it is no longer there, so at least a cup of tea from a thermos will come in handy in the lee.

From Tisovský Hill, it is only a short distance to the village of Nové Hamry. A newly renovated chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows stands by the road. It is associated with a legend about a cottager who was returning from Hamry to Pernink. He saw a fire with several men sitting around it, staring into the flames. He approached them and asked the strangers for a light for his pipe. The men remained strangely silent, so he lit his pipe, thanked them, and left. However, the pipe did not draw, and when he wanted to clean it at home, a gold ring fell out of it. The farmer was devout and feared that the gold came from unclean forces, so he did not use it for himself, but had a chapel built in its place where he had met the strangers.

There are two interesting nature trails in Nové Hamry – the red Hamerský okruh (Hamerský Circuit), which commemorates life in the Ore Mountains, and the blue trail named after Rupert Fuchs, a local photographer who captured the landscape and life in the mountains in the last century. Several information boards display beautiful black-and-white photographs of villages and farms that have disappeared forever. From the church, I climb past the ski lifts to Dvorský vrch. At the top is one of the stops on the trail called the Memorial to Lost Homes, with photographs of displaced villages.

From Dvorský Hill, I descend through the forest to Rolava, which flows here in rapids over granite boulders. Then I take the forest path back up to Rudná, a village where ore has been mined since the Middle Ages. The landscape opens up here, with cows and sheep grazing in the pastures. The old cottages have mostly been converted into holiday homes. However, centuries-old trees and the remains of crosses at crossroads remain in the landscape. The autumn sun shines through the leaves of the maple and birch avenues, creating a beautiful landscape. From Rudná, the trail follows the yellow trail along an old cart track back to Nejdek.
 

Difficulty

The route mostly follows tourist trails or forest paths. A Czech classic – castle, hill, lookout tower, forests, meadows.
 

Water availability

In Nejdek, there are shops, convenience stores, restaurants, and occasionally a village pub with uncertain opening hours along the way.
 

Mountain peaks

The observation tower on Tisovský vrch offers views of the Ore Mountains.
 

Danger

The route is safe and ideal for families with children.
 

Food

Restaurants and shops in Nejdek, Nové Hamry, and Rudná pub, uncertain opening hours.