Even before 1350, the Church of St. Nicholas (Kostel Svatého Mikuláše) stood in Krásná Hora nad Vltavou. On 11 January 1351, Charles IV confirmed the town’s privileges as a royal mining town. Gold from Krásná Hora was used together with gold from Knín and Jílové to mint gold coins. This places an ecclesiastical and an economic and urban connection side by side in the early history of the town.
Church, mining and distinctive architectural forms
The clock tower of the town hall (Radnice) is a distinctive landmark of the square. The Marian Column (Mariánský sloup) features a different style: it is Baroque, rounded in shape and adorned with a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. It was erected in 1772. By contrast, the construction of the Kamenný korec is the main feature: the round, bowl-shaped measure rests on a square stone base and has a small opening on the side. The base is newer than the bowl and bears the year 1822. The buildings thus offer different details to identify: a landmark, Baroque design, and the combination of an older measure with a later, dated base.
Monuments and cultural connections
The monument Památník padlým stands between the church and the school and commemorates those who fell in the First World War. The monument Památník letců commemorates a different historical event: the deaths of three aviators in a fatal accident. On 5 September 1929, a reconnaissance aircraft and a fighter plane collided during a military exercise near Přední Chlum. One monument is dedicated to those who fell in a war, while the other commemorates an aircraft accident on a specific date.
The cultural connections also differ: the poet Karel Hynek Mácha’s ancestors lived in Krásná Hora. Ema Destinová visited the inn “U dvou čápů.” In Mácha’s case, the connection is through his family; in Destinová’s, through a historical visit.
Cycling routes and trails through the landscape
The three named cycling routes have different endpoints: Route 8138 connects Krásná Hora with Radeč; Route 111 connects Sedlčany with Krásná Hora nad Vltavou, and Route 301 connects Buš with Krásná Hora nad Vltavou. As route conditions can change independently of the route name, check the current route before setting off.
The path to the Viklan Vindiš erratic boulder passes the Obecňák pond and then follows a forest track marked with yellow hiking trail signs. The boulder is one kilometre from the town, above the valley of the Pivoňka stream and south of the summit of Na Krámcích (449 m above sea level). A sign at Viklan provides information about local history and native fauna and flora. The Lesní svět educational trail, also called the Vletická naučná stezka, runs in the area around the settlement of Vletice near Krásná Hora nad Vltavou. The trails therefore differ in their focus: the path to Viklan centres on a specific natural feature, while Lesní svět is an educational trail located near Vletice. Check the current hiking trail signs before setting off.
The wider area around Krásná Hora is also home to the Orlík Reservoir and the castles and castle ruins of Zvíkov and Vrškamýk. This regional context adds further natural and historical points of interest to the local churches, monuments and architectural forms, without linking them to a particular route.
Discover more destinations: Chotilsko, Korkyne, Dlouhá Lhota, Prčice, Čím, Lešetice, Brekova Lhota, Svatý Jan
For the overview of the wider region: Příbram District.
