Rybník: Nature and trails in Český les

Rybník lies in the heart of the Český les Protected Landscape Area. Forests and pastureland characterize the surrounding area. For planning your trip, the specific route details are helpful because they give different distances and starting points. The source of the Radbuza, a route to the Švarcava border crossing, and the area’s historical traces offer different ways to shape your stay.

Trails around Rybník and to the source of the Radbuza

The blue-marked tourist route from Rybník to Švarcava, just under 4 kilometers long, connects the Švarcava border crossing with Rybník, where it joins the red tourist route. As a border route, it therefore has two clearly named endpoints. Check the local trail signs before including it in your plans.

A marked trail leads from Rybník to the most accessible source of the Radbuza. Following the red trail markers, the total distance to the source is about 10 kilometers. The Radbuza rises in Český les below Lysá, at 869 meters above sea level, near Rybník in the Domažlice District. Another route description refers to the parking lot beyond Závist: from there, the source can be reached via a well-marked 1.3-kilometer trail. The distances have different starting points, so the shorter distance does not describe a route from Rybník. Check trail markers and parking conditions locally.

The surrounding trail network also includes cross-border connections: hiking and cycling routes here link directly to comparable routes in the Bavarian part of Český les. This broadens the view beyond individual routes. Your choice of route depends, among other things, on whether hiking or cycling is the main focus of your stay.

Landscape and watershed

Forests and pastures shape the character of the surrounding area. A notable geographical location is in Závist: house no. 17 stands directly on the European watershed. Rainwater from the roof flows on one side toward Nemanický Brook, the Danube, and the Black Sea, and on the other toward the Radbuza, Berounka, Vltava, Elbe, and North Sea. The building makes it possible to see how close together catchment areas can begin while draining into different seas.

The source of the Radbuza is another specific point of interest in this landscape. Its location below Lysá at 869 meters above sea level and near Rybník connects the river with Český les. Together with the different route details for reaching the source, this creates a practical distinction for planning: the starting point matters as well as the distance—whether you set out from Rybník or from the parking lot beyond Závist.

Castle ruins and regional history

Starý Herštejn is a castle ruin and observation tower near Pivoň and Rybník. An observation tower was built on the site in 2020. The castle ruin and tower therefore represent different historical layers of this place. Anyone interested in the history and landscape of Český les will find a notable landmark here, distinct from the route descriptions for reaching the source of the Radbuza.

The history of glassmaking is also part of the regional background: near Rybník, the glassmaking Schürer family founded the first historically documented glassworks in the southern part of Český les. This history adds an early industrial perspective to the landscape. Nature trails, the river source, and glassworks thus offer different themes to shape your stay in Rybník around.

For another historical perspective, it is worth exploring the vanished villages of Český les. Most are located along local roads or marked hiking trails. If you include these traces in your tour plans, check the trail markers and local conditions.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Pec, Ždánov, Mrákov, Otov, Kanice, Karlova Hut, Stankov, Krchleby.

Back to the main travel overview: Domažlice District.