Mukařov can be explored via trails with very different lengths and themes. The NS Mukařov-Žernovka educational trail is about 1.5 km long; the Cesta kocoura Mikeše (Mikeš the Cat Route) runs for 25 km from Hrusice to Mukařov. There is also a route through six villages and the Church of the Assumption of Mary, with its Neo-Gothic architecture. Trail length, literary connections, and architectural history therefore offer different points of reference when choosing what to explore.
Trails with different focuses
At about 1.5 km, the NS Mukařov-Žernovka educational trail is the much shorter option compared with the 25 km Cesta kocoura Mikeše. The latter runs from Hrusice to Mukařov. At its 14 stops, you will find panels with excerpts from Lada’s book about Mikeš the cat; stone kilometer markers stand between the stops. The Cestou kocoura Mikeše educational trail connects literary motifs with real places where Mikeš’s stories take place. The literary connection is therefore not just a theme of the trail, but is linked to specific places and stops.
Another route, the Po stopách kameníků educational trail, passes through Mukařov and forms part of a connection between six villages: Louňovice, Struhařov, Svojetice, Srbín, Mukařov, and Žernovka. Mukařov is thus part of this village connection and also the destination of the route from Hrusice. The trails differ not only in length, but also in whether their focus is on connecting villages or on the stories surrounding Mikeš.
Putování s Mikešovým pasem (Travelling with Mikeš’s Passport) is also part of the themed offering around the cat: the activity takes place year-round. Before your trip, check whether it is still available. This lets you plan the route and the activity separately without assuming a particular length of stay.
Church and getting your bearings in Mukařov
The present-day Church of the Assumption of Mary was built between 1890 and 1893 on the site of a medieval church. It is a single-nave, oriented Neo-Gothic church with a polygonal presbytery and a prism-shaped tower. “Single-nave” describes a layout with one main nave; a polygonal presbytery has a multi-sided floor plan. Together with the tower, these features give a concrete sense of the building’s design. The Neo-Gothic church offers a different cultural focus from the trails shaped by literature: here, the emphasis is on architecture and the sequence of an earlier medieval church followed by a later church building.
TIC Mukařov, an information center and gallery, is located at Příčná 11. If you plan to visit, check the current service information beforehand. When choosing activities, you can start by considering their themes: the shorter educational trail, the 25 km Mikeš Route, the connection through the six villages, or the church’s architectural history. The differences between these options make it easier to shape your stay in Mukařov around the interests you would like to pursue.
Discover more destinations: Vyšehořovice, Kuří, Žernovka, Doubek, Lhota, Mochov, Hovorčovice, Herink.
For the overview of the wider area, see: Okres Praha-Východ.
