Kounov: Stone Rows, History and Hiking Trails

Kounov brings together the Kounovské kamenné řady (Kounov Stone Rows), church architecture, pilgrimage traditions and regional natural history. Marked hiking trails are another specific feature of the area. If you are looking for a hotel in Kounov, you can decide in advance whether your stay will focus mainly on the stone rows and their documentation, the trails, or the area’s religious and architectural history. This will help you plan your trip around the topics that interest you most.

The Kounov Stone Rows

The Kounovské kamenné řady consist of fourteen regular rows of erratic boulders, weighing up to several tonnes. They are located on Rovina, a forested upland on the border between the Louny and Rakovník districts, at an elevation of 526 metres. In 1934, local teacher Antonín Patejdl discovered the stone rows. The year of discovery and the teacher’s name give this landscape formation a specific connection to local history.

The exhibition about the stone rows displays rare documents. These include the first article about the rows, published in 1934; the oldest known photograph, from 1936; and drawings from their archaeological investigation in the 1970s. The examples span different types of evidence and periods: an early article, a historical photograph and later investigation drawings.

Hiking Trails and Directions

The Kounov Stone Rows Nature Trail has been in existence since 1987, has eleven stops and is 4.3 kilometres long. The Špičák educational trail route starts at the exhibition about the Kounovské kamenné řady. The first route therefore has details on its length and number of stops, while the starting point is given for the second. Before your hike, check the facilities along the nature trail and the current conditions on the Špičák educational trail route locally.

The Chapel of St. Adalbert lies about 1.5 kilometres north of Kounov, on a marked hiking trail leading from Kounov to the Kounovské kamenné řady. There is a covered rest area with benches and tables by the chapel. If you plan to take this trail, check the route and facilities details before travelling.

Churches and Pilgrimage Traditions

The Church of St. Vitus has a nave that is probably Romanesque, adjoining a Gothic chancel dating from around 1400. Two distinct building phases are therefore represented, although the Romanesque classification of the nave remains explicitly tentative. The church thus offers two clearly distinguishable architectural clues for exploring its building history.

The Chapel of St. Adalbert near Kounov is an important pilgrimage site at the meeting point of the Rakovnicko, Žatecko and Lounsko regions. Its regional setting adds a cultural perspective to the route information: the chapel is not only a point on a marked hiking trail, but also a pilgrimage site in its own right.

The Svatovojtěšská pouť (St. Adalbert’s Pilgrimage) in Kounov takes place every year on the first Sunday after 23 April, the feast day of St. Adalbert. If you plan your trip around this date, confirm the arrangements for the relevant year in advance.

Natural History of Kounov

Palaeozoic fauna is also part of the area’s history: Trissolepis kounoviensis is considered the best-known representative of Kounov’s fauna. Antonín Frič discovered the species in the 1870s. The fossil discovery offers a distinct natural-history perspective on Kounov, alongside the stone rows, architecture and pilgrimage themes.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Mutějovice, Děkov, Šípy, Hracholusky, Oráčov, Mšecké Žehrovice, Václavy, Mšec.

For the main travel overview: Rakovník District.