CZ, Český Les Forest – On the Branka Nature Trail – VIDEO

I start in a small game park near Tachov, on the edge of the PLA Český les. Spring is already in the air and a pleasantly warm breeze blows. After a while I come to the village Branka, where the nature trail officially begins.

For a while I enjoy the beautiful wetland at the confluence of the Mže and Prudký brook just above the local pond. Then I head to a completely deserted area towards the border.

The majestic spruce trees alternate with moss-covered beech forests, and part of the path leads along the meadows. On one of them I find a beaver dam, the beavers left a huge trigger here. Unfortunately, I do not see any of them.

At the crossroads of the Celnice, the nature trail connects to the asphalt road, which used to serve the Iron Curtain. Today, there is almost nothing left of the physical frontier, and you can go to West Germany as you wish. Yet there was much left after the curtain. I pass several extinct villages and rural buildings. After the war, everyone had to get out of here, and most of the houses were torn down.

Even thanks to the curtain, the local nature has been preserved so wild and intact. At the former Pavel's glassworks, the nature trail starts to follow the magnificent mountain stream called Sklářský potok, whose name clearly suggests what the local glassworks used to serve.

If you are looking for peace and tranquility in the woods and mountains, I can only recommend Czech Forest. NS Branka itself will serve as an ideal afternoon walking tour - the journey takes about 4-5 hours. In addition, the area provides ideal conditions for cycling. Stop in the pleasant town of Tachov with a castle and a preserved historic center and fortifications.

GPS: 49°23'00.2"N 12°47'04.8"E

Text, photos, and video: Matouš Vinš