Čilá: Hiking and the Way of St. James

Čilá is located right in the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area. When planning your trip, the wooded hills, hiking and cycling trails, and historical traces in the town and its immediate surroundings are the main features to consider. If you are looking for a hotel in Čilá, you can choose your destination based on whether you want to focus on walking trails, the Way of St. James, the Berounka River or local history.

Landscape along the Berounka River

Apart from farmland and pastures, the area around Čilá is heavily forested. Mature mixed forests of beech, oak, spruce, larch and pine are predominant. The town lies in hilly terrain above the right bank of the Berounka River, at an elevation of 332 m above sea level. Below Čilá, as far as Roztoky u Křivoklátu, the river has steep, narrow banks with rocky sections. Forest, farmland and the river valley are therefore distinct aspects of the landscape that shape your stay in Čilá.

Hiking and cycling trails

A cycling route runs through Čilá. A red-marked hiking trail also passes through the town: one direction leads to Rakovník, the other to Roztoky u Křivoklátu. For hiking, both the trail marking and the two destinations are specified. When planning, you can first consider which of these destinations best suits your plans.

Another hiking option is the northern branch of the Way of St. James. It runs through the valley below Čilá, near Slapnice. In the Czech Republic, this branch runs from Zbraslav near Prague to Železná, where it crosses the Czech-German border at Park smíření and connects to the route to Nuremberg. This places the section near Čilá within the wider course of the Way of St. James.

The Čilá–Skryjská jezírka–(Ostrovec)–Zbiroh route leads to Skryjská jezírka, where hikers can learn more from the information boards. Trail conditions can vary; take this into account when planning your route and check current conditions before setting out. This helps ensure your choice of route reflects the conditions on the trail.

Skryje and historical traces

Skryje is 2.5 km from Čilá. It can be reached via a paved road through the valley of the Zbirožský potok (Slapnice) or via a marked hiking trail through Skryjská jezírka. These two options are described differently: one follows a paved road through the valley, while the other takes a marked hiking trail past Skryjská jezírka. Skryje is also home to the distinctive Baroque Church of St. Michael the Archangel, dating from 1713.

Čilá itself also offers specific points of interest for exploring the town’s history. Historic residential and farm buildings were made of wood and thatched with straw. At the centre stands a wooden cross on the site of a former bell tower. A monument to the victims of the First World War is also located in the centre. The buildings, cross and monument represent different aspects of local history: earlier building styles, the site of the former bell tower, and remembrance of the war’s victims. You can complement your exploration of the landscape and trails with a look at historic Čilá.

Discover more destinations: Strašice, Terešov, Kamenný Újezd, Hlohovice, Mešno, Svojkovice, Trokavec, Cheznovice.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Rokycany.