Volary lies at an altitude of 760 metres in a basin of meadows, plains and forests, surrounded by the Šumava’s thousand-metre-high mountains. The town is in the Šumava Protected Landscape Area and on the border of Šumava National Park. In this setting, you can explore the town’s history and landscape through a range of themes: historic architectural styles, places of remembrance, and routes with views or traces of earlier work.
Log-house architecture and town history
Volary’s old town is an urban conservation area known for its log-house architecture. In the northern part of town, numerous preserved log and half-timbered houses in the Alpine style stand beside the stream. The “Alpská architektura ve Volarech” route passes through the town and offers a look at historic houses in this style. It is one way to explore Volary’s architectural heritage along a named urban route. St Catherine’s Church, an early Baroque landmark, stands in Volary’s square.
The Volarské Museum is also housed in a historic log house. Its five permanent exhibitions are titled “Pochod smrti”, “Staré Volary ve fotografii”, “Zlatá stezka”, “Střípky z historie” and “Křížové cesty”. You can combine a museum visit with a closer look at the historic houses that shape Volary’s townscape.
A separate place of remembrance is the memorial to the victims of the death march. It commemorates 95 Jewish women who died in Volary on 4 May 1945 while being marched from the Ravensbrück and Helmbrechts concentration camps. At the foot of Kamenáč, a Stations of the Cross also recalls the eventful history of local structures: it fell into disrepair after 1945 and was restored in 2008.
Routes offering views and historic structures
The “Alejí na vyhlídku” route is 4 km long, with an elevation gain of 110 m. It offers views of the Volary basin and the border mountains. The distance and elevation gain give you specific details to help plan your outing, with views of the landscape surrounding Volary along the way.
The “Lukami pod Bobíkem a Jedlovou horou” route offers a different focus. It leads to historic wooden hay sheds and also gives you the chance to see a former drying facility for cattle hides. This route focuses on the earlier use of structures, while “Alejí na vyhlídku” offers views of the basin and border mountains.
There is a public network of running and Nordic walking routes, including the 3.5 km “Menhiry” circular route. Volary’s running-route network covers 32 km in total. The running and walking routes pass through the Šumava Protected Landscape Area. You can choose between a named circular route and the larger network; the routes combine exercise with the protected landscape, without all being limited to the same section.
Events and trip planning
At the “Volarské slavnosti dřeva”, dozens of craftspeople demonstrate old crafts, some of which have nearly been forgotten. The festival also includes a traditional march in wooden clogs. If you would like to plan your visit around the event, check the latest dates before making arrangements.
Noc kostelů also takes place annually. At this public event, churches and other church spaces open in the evening and at night for guided tours, concerts and social gatherings. The event offers a different cultural focus from the local routes and exhibitions.
To help choose the focus of your trip, consider the different scales: you can concentrate on architectural history and the museum, select one named route, or explore the larger running-route network. Volary offers both urban themes and routes through the surrounding landscape.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Milesice, Kristanovice, Chvalovice U Netolic, Konopiste, Vimperk, Nová Pec, Außergefild, Strážný
Go to the overview of the wider region: Okres Prachatice.
