Church architecture, pilgrimage and border history give excursions around Unterhaid different focal points. In Dolní Dvořiště, St. Giles is a protected cultural heritage church; the three marked circular trails known as Stezky poznání differ in length, elevation gain and theme. You can choose to focus on sacred architecture, railway history or the history of the border region.

Churches and Pilgrimage Sites

The Church of St. Giles in Dolní Dvořiště is protected as a cultural heritage site. Its original Gothic structure dates from around 1480. As a three-aisled hall church, it divides the interior into three naves; the choir is distinct and has a polygonal end. Its architecture thus combines a clearly structured interior with a separately shaped choir.

Near Dolní Dvořiště, the pilgrimage church of Svatý Kámen stands on a gentle rise. Six chapels line the only approach. The pilgrimage site also includes a hexagonal chapel dating from 1706, built over a spring with healing water. Svatý Kámen is also home to the Baroque church of Panna Maria Sněžná. It has a single nave and a choir with a three-sided end. Compared with the three-aisled hall church of St. Giles, its single-nave design offers a different architectural accent.

Choose Circular Trails by Length and Theme

Stezky poznání comprises three marked themed circular trails. The red trail is 9 km long, runs east of Dolní Dvořiště, has an elevation gain of 47 m and leads mainly to religious buildings. The green circular trail runs west and south of the village. It is 13 km long, has an elevation gain of 96 m and presents the history of the railway.

At 26 km, the yellow circular trail is the longest of the three and has an elevation gain of 110 m. Its main theme is the border region, shaped by the expulsion of the German population and the era of the Iron Curtain. The trail follows the former signal corridor road through the Horní Malše Nature Monument, designated to protect endangered animals. The circular trails therefore differ both in length and focus: religious buildings, railway history and the history of the border region each take centre stage. Check local trail conditions before setting out.

Railway Traces and an Excursion to a Fortress

The Koňská dráha educational trail starts in Dolní Dvořiště-Jenín, in a forest near the Czech-Austrian border. Along the route, an information board stands by a reconstructed railway structure—more precisely, by half of a reconstructed bridge pier. It provides information about the history of the horse-drawn railway that ran from České Budějovice to Linz. The green circular trail of Stezky poznání also presents railway history; the educational trail complements this theme with its specific connection to the horse-drawn railway and the reconstructed bridge structure.

Another possible excursion is Tichá Fortress. Its 28-metre-high tower is considered the southernmost castle observation tower in the Czech Republic. From Dolní Dvořiště, the fortress can be reached on foot via the red hiking trail in just under an hour, at a fairly leisurely pace. Visiting arrangements may vary; check trail conditions in advance and whether a visit is possible. This makes it easy to choose a route based on your preferred focus: churches and pilgrimage sites, historic railway traces or border history.

Discover more destinations: Tritesch, Zwickau, Chunzen, Podesdorf, Rosenberg, Rosenthal, Netrobitz, Kalsching.

See the overview of the wider region: Okres Český Krumlov.