Discover Unterhaid: Churches and Trails

For a trip to Unterhaid, you can explore sacred buildings, railway history and marked circular trails as distinct themes. The Church of St. Giles stands in Dolní Dvořiště; other churches and pilgrimage sites can be found in the surrounding area. The trails also vary in theme and length, so you can plan your trip around your interests.

Churches and Pilgrimage Sites

The Church of St. Giles in Dolní Dvořiště is listed as a protected cultural monument and was originally built in the Gothic style around 1480. It is a three-aisled hall church with a distinct, polygonally enclosed choir. “Three-aisled” describes the layout of the church interior; the choir is set apart from it and ends in several sides. Its architectural form and approximate date of origin provide two specific points of reference for understanding the church’s architecture.

The pilgrimage church of Svatý Kámen is situated on a gentle rise near Dolní Dvořiště. Its only approach is lined with six chapels. The pilgrimage site also includes a hexagonal chapel dating from 1706, built over a spring with healing water. Svatý Kámen is also home to the Baroque Church of Our Lady of the Snows. It has a single nave and a choir with a three-sided end. This means different architectural forms stand side by side: the three-aisled hall church of St. Giles and the single-aisled Baroque church in Svatý Kámen.

Circular Trails and Landscape

The Stezky poznání comprises three marked themed circular trails. The red trail is 9 kilometres long, runs east of Dolní Dvořiště, has an elevation gain of 47 metres and leads mainly to sacred buildings. The green trail runs west and south of the town. It is 13 kilometres long, has an elevation gain of 96 metres and explores railway history. The yellow trail is 26 kilometres long and has an elevation gain of 110 metres. Its main theme is the border region, whose history was shaped by the expulsion of the German population and the era of the Iron Curtain.

The three circular trails differ in both distance and elevation gain: the red trail is the shortest, the green is in between, and the yellow is the longest. Their elevation gains also increase in that order, from 47 to 96 to 110 metres. Their themes range from sacred buildings to railway history and the history of the border region. Check local trail conditions before setting out.

The yellow trail follows the former signal corridor road through the Horní Malše Natural Monument. The area was designated to protect endangered animals. The trail therefore connects a specific historical trace—the former signal corridor road—with a natural monument whose protected status helps conserve endangered animals.

Railway History and Tichá Fortress

The Koňská dráha educational trail begins in Dolní Dvořiště-Jenín, in a forest near the Czech-Austrian border. In the forests near Dolní Dvořiště, it provides information about the history of the horse railway that ran from České Budějovice to Linz. Along the trail, an information board stands beside a reconstructed railway structure—more precisely, beside half of a reconstructed bridge pier. The starting point, border location and railway history offer different points of reference for exploring the trail.

Tichá Fortress is also located near Dolní Dvořiště. Its 28-metre-high tower is considered the southernmost castle observation tower in the Czech Republic. From Dolní Dvořiště, the fortress can be reached on foot via the red hiking trail in just under an hour, at a fairly leisurely pace. Opening arrangements may vary, so check current visitor information before your visit.

When looking for a hotel for a stay in Unterhaid, choosing a travel theme can be a good first step: sacred architecture, railway history, or circular trails of varying lengths.

Discover more destinations: Malsching, Neudorf B. Berlau, Kienberg, Theresiendorf, Unterbreitenstein, Kirchschlag, Oberhaid, Zwickau.

For the regional travel overview: Okres Český Krumlov.