For a stay in Stráž, you can balance cultural history and nature according to your interests. St. Wenceslas Church shapes the skyline; the archaeological site of Nový hrad lies west of the town, and the Jewish cemetery is about 1.5 kilometres to the northwest. Valcha Nature Park adds a focus on the landscape. The Sycherák leisure centre offers opportunities for swimming, camping and fishing.

Cultural History and Historical Traces

St. Wenceslas Church is the defining landmark on Stráž’s skyline. A specific historical date is 23 August 1331: on that day, Stráž received a royal privilege granting, among other things, a weekly market on Saturdays. The townscape thus brings together a visible landmark and a datable reference to medieval history.

The Jewish cemetery lies about 1.5 kilometres northwest of Stráž. It is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Bohemia and is documented in written sources from 1450. Its features include a stone perimeter wall, 21 surviving gravestones, the pillars of the former gate and a pedestrian entrance. Both aspects are informative for understanding its history: the early written record and the surviving elements of the cemetery.

The archaeological site of Nový hrad lies west of Stráž. It has an irregular square ground plan, a partly water-filled moat, a raised acropolis and a massive rampart. A scholarly interpretation published in 2019 describes Nový hrad as a possible watch station or customs post dating to around the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. The landforms and the cautiously worded historical interpretation offer two different ways to approach the site.

Valcha Nature Park and Leisure Activities

Established in 1980, Valcha Nature Park covers the cadastral areas of Stráž u Tachova, Borek u Tachova, Bernartice u Stráže, Strachovice u Bernartic, Olešná and Bonětice. Its landscape features include large granite boulders and rock formations created by frost weathering. At the edge of the settlement of Valcha, the nature park lies along a yellow-marked trail towards Borek u Tachova. If you plan to follow this trail, check local trail conditions before your trip. This lets you consider the rocky landscape and the marked trail as separate points of interest when planning.

The Sycherák leisure centre offers opportunities for swimming, camping and fishing. This provides a leisure option with three different activities alongside local history and rocky landscapes. These themes offer different focuses: historical sites, striking natural formations or activities at the leisure centre.

Getting There and Finding Accommodation

When choosing a hotel, you can first decide what you want your stay to focus on: history, with the church, cemetery and archaeological site; nature, with Valcha Nature Park; or leisure, with swimming, camping and fishing at Sycherák. Stráž is connected to public bus and rail services. If you plan to travel by bus or train, check the relevant timetables for your travel dates. This way, you can include travel arrangements as well as planned activities in your decision.

Discover more destinations: Bezdružice, Skapce, Přimda, Vranov U Stříbra, Butov, Lestkov, Kostelec U Stříbra, Kšice

See the overview of the wider area: Okres Tachov.