A trip from Bečov nad Teplou to the sights of Slavkovský les

A trip via the Krásenský vrch lookout tower in the Slavkov Forest

Starting point

Parking in Bečov is paid (100 CZK/day). Free parking spaces can be found further away from the center.
 

Description of the hike

 After touring the square, I head back to the train station. The bridge is decorated with an interesting blacksmith sculpture called Wind, Faithful Servant, the result of the Blacksmith Symposium held here every year. After the war, a demarcation line ran around the train station, with the Americans to the west and the Russians to the east. There were many German families in Benešov who had to leave the country after the war, including the family of the last owner of the castle. The green tourist trail leads up the road to Nová Ves. Hidden in a bend in the road is a small Jewish cemetery, destroyed during the war and later restored. A few hundred meters along the asphalt road and then along a forest path towards Prameny. The path is overgrown in late summer; not many people seem to walk here.

The scent of tansy, wormwood, and yarrow fills the air, while rose hips and rowan berries ripen. The trail winds up and down through hilly countryside, sometimes through forests, sometimes across meadows and pastures. In the forests, there are moss-covered stones and so-called serpentine rocks, the largest of which is Dominova skalka, a short distance from the road, about an hour's walk from Bečov. A short distance beyond it is a peat bog with a round well and the ruins of the former Novoveská kyselka bottling plant. Yellow signs warn against entering the waterlogged terrain, as there may be increased CO2 concentrations and a risk of loss of consciousness.

From Kyselka, it takes about an hour through the forest and across meadows to reach the Three Crosses natural monument. Heather moors, rocks, and three crosses on a hilltop look as if they have been transported here from the Scottish Highlands. The place appears in most brochures about the Karlovy Vary Region, but surprisingly, there is only one car parked here, whose passengers we successfully pass by. The history of the crosses is unknown, but one of them bears a message of thanks for healing and the year 1849. There is also a wide view of the countryside, the Slavkovský les plateau at 700-800 meters above sea level.

A short distance from Křízky, a boardwalk leads to a meadow where globeflowers, arnica, and other specific plants bloom in spring and summer. Another interesting feature of the Slavkov Forest is the Dlouhá stoka waterworks. This artificial canal was built five hundred years ago to supply tin processing workshops with water and wood. The ingeniously designed canal winds along the contour line for 30 km, collecting water and feeding it into ponds by gravity. In the past, wood was floated here, and the flow was regulated by sluice gates. You can walk along the bank of the canal, and there is also a cycle path nearby, but even here there is no one around.

A path branches off from the bike path to the Krásenka lookout tower. The lookout tower is hidden in the forest until the last moment, and then suddenly the Tower of Babel appears in front of you. The observation tower was built in the early 1930s from stone brought here from the surrounding area. Thousands of stones were stacked in a circle, and a spiral staircase on the outside takes visitors up to a view of the Ore Mountains. From the lookout tower, the yellow trail descends along the Dlouhá stoka canal, and you can return to Bečov along an unmarked trail through pastures. I would also like to mention the panoramic trail around Bečov, which, although overgrown, offers very nice views and two local hills – Šibeniční and Zlatý. A themed nature trail leads to Šibeniční vrch – a very interesting story about punishments, executioners, and gallows. Zlatý vrch is adorned with another blacksmith's work, Dotknout se nebe (Touch the Sky) – a cross with a center made of real gold.
 

Difficulty

The route mostly follows marked hiking and cycling trails. You can also drive to the lookout tower and Three Crosses. An ideal area for cycling.
 

Water availability

Refreshments are available in Bečov and other villages along the way. There was a mobile food stand at the lookout tower over the weekend.
 

Mountain peaks

The Krásenský vrch lookout tower offers beautiful views of the Slavkovský les forest and the Krušné hory mountains.
 

Danger

The route leads along wide roads or trails. There are no dangerous sections. 
 

Food

Food in Bečov or surrounding villages. Refreshments – mobile stand near the lookout tower, probably only during the season.
 

Attractions

The town of Bečov nad Teplou is mainly known for its castle and chateau and the history surrounding the Reliquary of Saint Maurus. It is a story that could be the subject of a separate episode of Indiana Jones – a golden chest with a religious relic, a chateau owner collaborating with the Nazis, a treasure hunter, university professors, and secret service agents. But Bečov also has a picturesque square with half-timbered houses, St. George's Church, and surrounding hills offering beautiful views of the town in the valley of the Teplá River.