The educational trail “Na cestě k Trojstátí” begins at Masarykovo náměstí in Hranice. It combines a route through the countryside with themes relating to border history.
Hiking and cycling
The educational trail forms a circular route of about 18 kilometres. Its nine main information panels cover the local landscape, settlement of the border region and the history of the Iron Curtain. The hike therefore has a clear thematic focus; its approximate length is a useful guide when planning an excursion.
Several cycling routes also pass through Hranice or connect the town with nearby destinations. EuroVelo 13 passes through Hranice, enters Czechia at Trojstátí and connects with cycle route 2058 near Pastviny. Cycle route 2057 starts at the Ebmath border crossing, passes through the centre of Hranice and continues via Pastviny towards Aš and Skalka u Chebu. Cycle route 2058 starts near Krásňany, runs through the centre to Trojstátí and links up with EuroVelo 13 at Pastviny and cycle route 2057 at Aš. These connections help you understand the routes’ different directions and junctions.
Another option is the cross-border Mockelbahn cycle route. It starts at Hranice railway station and follows the former Mockelbahn railway line through dense forest, past the former Freiberg station, to Adorf (Vogtland). The route is 8.52 kilometres long. Its course along a former railway line distinguishes it from the cycling connections that pass through the centre.
Nature in Smrčiny Nature Park
Hranice lies amid the expansive landscape of Přírodní park Smrčiny Nature Park. In the Karlovy Vary Region, the park extends particularly across the Aš salient and reaches into neighbouring Germany. Coniferous forests, peat bogs, headwaters and lively streams shape the landscape; the terrain offers opportunities for hiking and cycling.
Nearby, Hoher Stein is a striking hiking destination: this 636-metre-high rock formation has a preserved stone observation tower and can be reached from Hranice via hiking trails. The Bystřina – Lužní potok area offers a different kind of natural setting. Its landscape includes natural dystrophic lakes and pools as well as communities of moisture-loving tall-herb fringes. Species found there include the marsh fritillary, brook lamprey and freshwater pearl mussel.
Churches and local history
The Evangelical Church of St Martin dates back to the 14th century. During an extensive reconstruction in 1719, the main nave was designed in the Romanesque style. The building also contains an original clock mechanism from 1881, which is considered a technical monument. The Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary acquired its present Neo-Romanesque appearance in 1894.
The Knihovna a Muzeíčko, relocated in 2026, houses a small local museum that shares its premises with the adult library. The ground floor also contains an information centre and a café. This makes it possible to combine a museum visit with practical information in one place.
The surrounding area also preserves traces of different eras. The historic main border marker I/1 marks the Czech-Bavarian border and bears the year 1844. In the wooded setting of the former cemetery in Trojmezí, two graves remain near preserved war memorials. At the Old Cemetery in Studánka, mostly old German gravestones bear witness to the town’s earlier history and culture.
The former settlement of Kaiserhammer was established in the early 15th century as a water-powered hammer mill specialising in iron ore processing. Remains of an iron ore adit survive at the former site, recalling its industrial past. Nearby, a stone wayside cross stands by a stone bridge at the junction of the roads towards Prex, Hranice and Trojstátí.
Visits by appointment
Nearby, the freshwater pearl mussel breeding centre in Huschermühle offers visits by prior arrangement. Its focus is the conservation of the freshwater pearl mussel.
Discover more destinations: Pastviny, Altwasser, Neuberg, Großloh, Nebanitz, Neukirchen, Eger, Marienbad.
Back to the main travel overview: Eger District.
