The blue-marked, just under four-kilometre tourist route from Rybník to Švarcava connects the Švarcava border crossing with Rybník, where it joins the red tourist route. If planning this route, check the trail signs on site. Other trails vary in length and starting point—a useful comparison when planning your stay in the Český les.

Landscape and Trail Network

Rybník lies in the heart of the Český les Protected Landscape Area. The surrounding area consists mainly of forests and pastureland, with nature and open spaces shaping the setting for hikes in the area. Near Rybník, hiking and cycling trails connect directly to comparable routes on the Bavarian side of the Český les. If you would like to include cross-border trail connections in your travel plans, this offers a specific regional connection.

Hiking Routes and Trail Lengths

The red-marked Baarova cesta is seven kilometres long; the round trip is 14 kilometres. This distinguishes the one-way distance from the round-trip distance—a helpful difference when planning a day hike. By contrast, the just under four kilometres of the Rybník–Švarcava route describe the length of this connection between the border crossing and Rybník.

Trails to the Source of the Radbuza

The Radbuza rises in the Český les below Lysá, at an elevation of 869 metres above sea level, near Rybník in the Domažlice District. A marked trail leads from Rybník to the Radbuza’s most accessible source. The trail from Rybník to the source along the red-marked route is about ten kilometres in total. As markings can change, check the trail signs on site.

Another starting point is the car park beyond Závist: from there, a well-marked trail leads 1.3 kilometres to the source. This distance is measured from the car park, not from Rybník. This makes the starting point important when planning a hike. Check both the trail signs and parking conditions on site.

Watershed and Regional History

In Závist, house no. 17 stands directly on the European watershed. Water from the roof flows on one side towards Nemanický potok, the Danube and the Black Sea, and on the other towards the Radbuza, Berounka, Vltava, Elbe and North Sea. This single house clearly illustrates two different directions of water flow.

Starý Herštejn is a castle ruin and lookout tower near Pivoň and Rybník in the Český les. The lookout tower was built in 2020. Another chapter in the region’s history began when the Schürer glassmaking family established the first historically documented glassworks in the southern Český les near Rybník. Alongside trails and landscape, visitors can therefore explore the castle ruin and the history of glassmaking.

Discover more destinations: Ždánov, Kolovec, Újezd U Domažlic, Otov, Hlohová, Němčice, Spáňov, Pivon.

For the broader travel overview: Domažlice District.