Source of the Vltava in Šumava
The Šumava national park is worth more than just one visit as there is so much to see and do. In particular, I recommend hiking up to the source of the Vltava River from Kvilda. Although it may not be ‘off the beaten path’ for Czechs, this might not be so well known to the expats. You can make your hike or biking longer by visiting
This region has a complicated history as part of the Iron Curtain large areas were stripped of human settlement. The unique circumstances led to preservation of this region making it a beautiful place to visit. And if it gets a little too hot in Prague, this area around Kvilda is known as one of the coldest areas in all of central Europe.
Both the villages of Modrava and Kvilda are a tourist destination for bikers, hikers, skiers and has plenty of accommodation and restaurants. There are also a few places to rent bikes and the trails through Šumava are paved with some dirt trails in great condition.
If you decide to take a couple days in Šumava I recommend also staying in Železná Ruda at the Orea Resort Horizont which has amazing views of the area. An important attraction on this trip is “Černé jezero” (Black lake) with its natural beauty, nature specialty, and dark history. It is the only lake in which a relict from the ice age, the critically endangered Šídlatka jezerní (Isoetes lacustris) is still surviving. As for the dark history, in the year 1964 the communist secret police pretended that it recovered secret documents from the times of Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. Some political figures in Germany resigned or even committed suicide as they were afraid of the secrets from the war times would come to light.
Activity level: Because this is a protected area, bikes and hiking are the only way to really get in to see much of the park. I would suggest that biking is the best to see so much of the park and there are bike rental places in the main villages.
