Praskolesy combines a long history with sacred architecture and a landscape shaped by the ÄŚervenĂ˝ potok, floodplains and wooded slopes. The buildings date from different centuries; the marked hiking trails also have different connections to the municipal area. This allows you to decide whether cultural history or the landscape should be the focus of your stay.
Churches, Chapels and Architectural History
Praskolesy was first mentioned in 1216. The parish Church of St Nicholas stands on a slight rise in the centre of the village, south of the village square. Its foundation stone was laid in 1620, and the church was completed in 1710. A covered staircase on the north side of the church hill leads to the cemetery wall. At the foot of the stairs stands a memorial cross made of cast iron on a stone pedestal.
The Chapel of St Procopius lies south of the church. It has a rectangular floor plan with a three-sided end, as well as Gothic windows and a Gothic portal. Inside are a statue of St Procopius from the late 14th century and wall paintings by J. Scheiwl. Deans of the Karlštejn Chapter were buried in the chapel.
The Chapel of St John of Nepomuk stands on a small island in the middle of the village square. It is a small Late Baroque building dating from 1832. Inside is a statue whose pedestal bears the year 1758. The two dates refer to different things: 1832 to the construction of the chapel, and 1758 to the statue or its pedestal inscription.
The deanery and the rectory also add distinctive features to the architectural history. The deanery is a Baroque building from the late 17th century and was formerly the residence of a dean of the Karlštejn Chapter. It is in the northwestern part of the municipality, by a bridge over the Červený potok. The rectory is a two-storey Baroque building from the first quarter of the 18th century. It lies northeast of the Church of St Nicholas, with an extensive garden stretching to its south and southeast.
Beyond its individual buildings, the built-up area of Praskolesy is classified as a Category UAN I archaeological area. It includes a village, a settlement and a burial site dating from the Middle Ages to the modern period. The historical perspective therefore encompasses not only buildings but also settlements and burial sites from different periods.
Landscape and Hiking Trails
Praskolesy’s landscape features include the important watercourse Červený potok, with its riparian and adjacent greenery; a valley floodplain landscape with alluvial woodland, ponds and wetlands; and adjoining wooded slopes. Alongside its architectural history, these features give the area a distinctly landscape-focused character.
Koupaliště u skály is a functioning, combined local biocentre covering 5.4 hectares. Its features include a former swimming pool, ponds, an ash and alder alluvial forest, and woodland with rock outcrops above the right bank of the Červený potok. The name of the former swimming pool should not be taken as an indication that swimming is available there today.
Another landscape feature is the LBK.55-56 ÄŚervenĂ˝ potok biocorridor in Praskolesy. It is mostly functional, 1,290 metres long and covers 3.6 hectares. These figures describe a biocorridor, not a hiking trail.
The marked hiking trails have different relationships to the area: the blue-marked trail runs along the Ĺ˝ebrák–Chlustina–Praskolesy–OtmĂÄŤe–Lochovice route through Praskolesy. By contrast, the green-marked trail touches only part of the southern tip of the cadastral area near the Pohodnice farmstead. Check the local signage if you plan to follow a marked route.
The multi-purpose sports field is in operation and intended for recreational use by residents and local sports clubs.
Discover more destinations: HĂ˝skov, Malá VĂska, Ĺ˝elezná, Chrustenice, OtroÄŤinÄ›ves, NesvaÄŤily, VinaĹ™ice, Komárov.
For the broader travel overview: Beroun District.
