Discover Hrušková: Hiking and History

Hrušková lies at the foot of Krudum and on the medieval salt road towards Loket. The mountain and historic route give the place different points of reference: here, landscape and the long history of the connection to Loket come together. The subjects range from the hiking trail and observation tower to monuments and other historical traces in and around Hrušková.

Hiking trail and observation tower

A yellow-marked hiking trail runs through Hrušková. A route description published in 2021 leads to the Krudum observation tower and the remains of the Church of St Nicholas. Check the local trail markings before setting out. Krudum reaches 838 metres above sea level; the observation tower is ten metres high and opened on 11 September 1932. The two height figures refer to different things: the elevation and the structure. The route thus connects the mountain landscape with two historical points of reference, the observation tower and the former Church of St Nicholas.

Early history and the Church of St Nicholas

The Nothaft family founded Hrušková sometime in the second half of the 13th century. A document from 1253 mentions the already existing Church of St Nicholas. The settlement itself was first mentioned in writing in 1290, at that time under the name Nothaftsgruen. The early reference to the church predates the first mention of the settlement. These two dates represent different milestones in the history of the place. At the church site, a fortified structure is considered more likely, one that protected a section of the salt road in the deep forests. The site's function remains disputed.

Monuments and places of remembrance

The monument to the victims of the First World War was erected in Hrušková in 1938 and commemorates five fallen residents of the village. It is freely accessible; check the conditions on site before your visit. Directly opposite grows the protected lime tree “Lípa u pomníčku v Hruškové”. The lime tree's name refers to the neighbouring monument with “u pomníčku”; at the same time, it is a protected natural site in its own right.

The monument to the military oath near Hrušková was erected in 1947 on the former Prameny military training ground. It commemorates local members of the pre-war State Protection Guard units who lost their lives protecting the border shortly before the annexation of the Sudetenland by Germany. Unlike the monument to those who fell in the First World War, this memorial honours the border guards and the events preceding the annexation.

The reconciliation cross in the municipal forest

A stone reconciliation cross stands in the municipal forest on the former road to Loket, about 1.5 kilometres northeast of Hrušková. It was re-erected at the place where it was found on 6 September 2003. Its location in the forest outside the settlement distinguishes it from the monuments in Hrušková; the former road to Loket forms part of its historical context. Check the local route guidance before approaching through the forest.

For the broader travel overview: Sokolov.