St. John's Rapids

This rocky trail above the Vltava (Moldau) River, between Třebenice and Štěchovice, leads you through places rich in history and gorgeous nature. Once a white-water canyon and the bane of raftsmen, the rapids have kept a lot of their charm to the present day, even after the Štěchovice Reservoir was built to tame them. Because of its unique atmosphere, the site became popular among hikers and campers, who established one of their first settlements here: the well-known ‘Ztracenka’. The original educational trail was in an abysmal state, but was completely restored in 2013 by the Zvoneček chapter of the ČSOP, thanks to the NET4GAS Closer to Nature programme.

The St. John’s Rapids trail is 8.5 km long and features 15 stations devoted to the surrounding nature; to the wildlife in the stream, on the cliffs, and in the game park; to the raftsmen and their trade; and to the history of tramping, of the reservoirs, and of the neighbouring villages. Children will enjoy four interactive elements that have been installed with them in mind – a riddle-board for recognising local birds, a clever string connecting adults and larvae of insects, a rope climbing frame and a throwing-through wooden owl statue. Two resting areas were installed along the trail, and signs and waymarks have been added. The information panels now also feature QR codes, allowing visitors with smartphones to listen to campfire classics or to browse an extensive gallery of photographs. All material may be accessed on the website of ‘Zvoneček’, the local chapter of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation (ČSOP) – www.cev-zvonecek.cz. The educational trail is open year round. Cycling is strongly discouraged, as there have been a number of serious accidents in the vicinity in the past in which cyclists were badly injured.

place:Štěchovice, Třebenice, District of Praha-západ, Central Bohemian Region
Way there:The starting points of the educational trail lie in Štěchovice and Třebenice, respectively, both of which can be reached by bus. We recommend departing from Třebenice, as the buses run more frequently from Štěchovice. GPS: N 49°51.10867', E 14°24.38907'
Practical information:
Hiking
Distance8,5

Endangered animals:

Slowworm
Slowworm
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