Around the Rocking Stone

Info: along the route you will find numbered information boards and yellow tourist trail markers

Village of Slatina (remains of the Jewish ghetto with synagogue and Jewish cemetery, manorial farm) > (13) Devil's Gate and the Great Devil's Bracelet (protected natural formations of large granite boulders) > (12) Sacrifice Stone (protected natural formation of large granite boulders) > (11) Small Devil's Bracelet (protected natural formation of large granite boulders) > (10) View of the Countryside, Meadows and Pastures (a place with a very fine view of the surroundings) > (9, 8, 7) Village of Kadov (parish church of St. Wenceslas, baroque rectory, Renaissance stronghold, Chapel of the Finding of the Holy Cross with the count's tomb, the Kadov Rocking Stone and rock basins in granite boulders) > (6) Rock Basins in Granite Boulders (protected natural formation of large granite boulders) > (5) Fishpond Management (view of Velká Kuš, history of the local pond system) > (4) Village of Vrbno (Chapel of St. Anne) > (3) Amphibians, Water Birds (information on the occurrence of individual species) > (2) Forests (information on forests) > (1) Hydrobiological Station Velký Pálenec (a satellite workplace of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University, Prague).

Route length: 7.2 km
Difficulty: easy to moderately demanding (cyclists — trekking/MTB bikes)
Paths: paved, natural paths, forest and field paths
Accommodation: —
Catering (refreshments): (Slatina, Kadov, Vrbno)

There are many attractive places for walks in the Slatina area. The most interesting, however, is the approximately 7 km long nature trail 'Around the Rocking Stone'. It combines a pleasant walk through charming countryside with viewing unusual natural formations. Along the way you will also find many spots with a beautiful view of the Šumava peaks and in the late afternoon a view of the setting sun. In winter, with suitable snow cover, the whole trail can also be done on cross-country skis. In summer the walk can be combined with mushroom picking.

The nature trail begins at the Slatina chapel. From here you set off along a field path towards the village of Kadov, which is about 2.5 km away. The trail is marked with a yellow tourist marker. Natural formations and other interesting sites are indicated by information boards along the trail.

Information board no. 13 — The Great Devil's Bracelet and Devil's Gate. The first natural formation you encounter, after about half a kilometre, is the largest of the so-called devil's stones — the Great Devil's Bracelet. The formation of granite blocks came about through the faster weathering of some of its parts. With appropriate care it is possible to climb to the top and enjoy a pleasant view of the surroundings. Several legends are associated with the devil's stones:

"Once upon a time there lived in the nearby village of Slatina a rich farmer. He had a pretty daughter, with whom a poor young man fell in love. The farmer was opposed to their marriage and declared he would agree to it only if the young man could, in a single night — before the cock crowed at dawn — remove the enormous boulders from the farmer's field. Since the young man loved his girl deeply, he was willing even to make a pact with the devil to help him complete the task. And so he pledged his soul to the devil. When the girl heard of this, she woke the cock from sleep in the night, and it crowed at exactly the moment when the devil was carrying the second part of the boulders from the field. At that moment he had to leave the stones where the cock's crow had caught him. And so the devil lost again and the young man was saved."

"It was a long time ago that two rich but very miserly farmers lived in Slatina. Both shared a boundary with one plot of land. One day one of them decided to dig up the boundary stone at night and move it a few paces into his neighbour's field. The next morning the second farmer came to his field and noticed he had been robbed of a strip of land. Without delay he took a mattock and moved the stone a few paces into his neighbour's field. This was repeated several times, until at last the two misers met at the boundary stone one night. They set upon each other and fought ferociously. One of the greedy men called on the devil for help. He promised to give him his soul if the devil would plant the boundary stone so firmly in the neighbour's field that no one could move it, and if he would scatter large boulders over the neighbouring field. The devil was delighted at obtaining a human soul so cheaply and granted the wish. He quickly rose up and flew to the Brdy Hills. There he broke off a piece of rock and returned to Slatina. On the way back he heard that the prayer was already drawing to a close, and so he hurried. In his haste and rush, one boulder fell from his bag and sank into the ground near the village of Pole so deep that he vainly tried to lift it. He left the imprint of his hoof on it but the stone did not move. This delayed him, and he had barely arrived with his load before Kadov when he heard the children saying 'Amen'. This so enraged him that he flung the stones to the ground, threw his travel bag down nearby and vanished, for he knew he had lost the bet."

(from the book Čertovy kameny [Devil's Stones] by Jiří Sekera)

Before you reach the Great Devil's Bracelet, however, you must pass through the so-called Devil's Gate, which serves as a kind of entrance gateway to the Bracelet.

Information board no. 12 — Sacrifice Stone. This stone is not one of the devil's stones. You will find it about half a kilometre from the Great Devil's Bracelet in the direction of Kadov, 100 metres from the path, in the forest on the left side. On the surface of the stone there are bowl-shaped hollows. Some archaeologists believe it was used by pagans as a sacrifice stone. Others are convinced that the hollows formed through the gradual weathering of the non-uniform rock. The stone is approximately 2 m high.

Information board no. 11 — Small Devil's Bracelet. The smaller of the devil's stones, situated in a small patch of forest about 50 m to the right of the field path near the village of Kadov. This formation measures 16 metres in circumference and closely resembles the Great Devil's Bracelet. It formed through the gradual weathering of granite rock. A legend is also associated with this formation.

"Many years ago there was a young schoolmaster at the school in Kadov. He taught diligently and the children liked listening to him. One day he was telling them something exciting, when a boy in the back row suddenly called out: 'The devil!' From out of nowhere, a black, horned figure stood at the window, signalling with its finger for the teacher to come out. They argued for a long time. The next day the villagers heard that the devil had made a bet with the teacher as to who would be faster. The devil claimed that he would bring an armful of stones from the Brdy Hills before the teacher and pupils could recite the Lord's Prayer. He already saw himself the victor and master of the teacher's soul. He flew off with an enormous sack to the hills to fetch stones. On his way back, he heard that the prayer was drawing to a close, and so he hurried. In his haste and rush, one boulder fell from his sack and sank so deep into the ground near the village of Pole that he vainly tried to lift it. He left his hoof print on it, but the stone did not move. This delayed him, and he had barely arrived with his load before Kadov when he heard the children say 'Amen'. This so enraged him that he flung the stones to the ground, threw his travel bag down nearby and vanished, because he knew he had lost the bet."

(from the book Čertovy kameny [Devil's Stones] by Jiří Sekera)

Information board no. 10 — View of the Countryside, Meadows and Pastures. This spot is just about 50 m from the Small Devil's Bracelet and offers a beautiful view of the surroundings. In ideal conditions the peaks of the Šumava range and the Brdy Highlands are visible.

Information boards nos. 9, 8 and 7 — Chapel of the Finding of the Holy Cross with the count's tomb, Kadov, Rocking Stone. After a further 50 m you will reach the village of Kadov, where you will find a large number of interesting sites. Around the village there are three information boards in total, offering information about the Chapel of the Finding of the Holy Cross, the history of the village of Kadov and finally about the Kadov Rocking Stone.
The best-known of the stone formations in the vicinity of Kadov is undoubtedly the Kadov Rocking Stone, which is also the largest and best-preserved rocking stone in Bohemia. It is a protected natural formation. It is located at the end of the village of Kadov, about 20 metres from the road leading to the village of Vrbno. It is a large granite boulder with a circumference of 11 m, height of 1.5 m and weight of 30 tonnes, which rests on a small surface area on another boulder. The formation came about, as with the other stones, through the faster weathering of the less resistant parts of the rock. Formerly it was possible for one person to gently rock the upper boulder without toppling it. Unfortunately a group of vandals at the end of the 19th century managed to rock the boulder to such an extent that it fell. The boulder was restored to its original position by Ing. Pavel Pavel of Strakonice in 1983. After a second toppling and restoration in 1987, the Kadov Rocking Stone was secured with wooden wedges.

Information board no. 6 — Rock Basins in Granite Boulders. From the Kadov Rocking Stone head towards the village of Vrbno and after about 100 m information board no. 6 is placed by the roadside. Rock basins are oval hollows on horizontal or gently sloping rock surfaces. Formerly these formations were considered to be man-made, but they formed through the gradual weathering and removal of the rock.

Information board no. 5 — Fishpond Management. After approximately 200 m you will reach the next information board. From this spot you will have a fine view of the nearby Velká Kuš pond, which is the largest pond in the local Lnáře fishpond system. Its history is described on the information board.

Information board no. 4 — Vrbno and Mráčov. A charming South Bohemian village surrounded by many beautiful ponds with interesting names, including: Velká and Malá Kuš, Velký Pálenec, Malý Pálenec, Hadí, Žabinec, Nadýmač and others. A notable monument is a two-chamber stone building, most probably a drying house for fruit, grain or other products, located about half a kilometre from Vrbno (on the road from Vrbno to Blatná, turn right at Žabinec pond). If you wish to continue on the nature trail, you must return to Vrbno and from there head to Velký Pálenec pond.

Information board no. 3 — Amphibians. The abundance of water bodies and wetlands provides an ideal habitat for the development of various species of amphibians. And it is here that you can learn more about them.

Information board no. 2 — Forests. Don't rush on your way — step into the forest. Savour the calming silence. Breathe in the scent of the tree bark and draw some energy from it. Do you hear the pleasant rustling of the treetops and the distant call of the Common Buzzard? Linger a little while longer.

Information board no. 1 — Hydrobiological Station Velký Pálenec. And here you are at the finish. You are standing before the Hydrobiological Station Velký Pálenec, established as early as 1925 in the building of a former gamekeeper's lodge by Prof. Karel Schäfferna. The station is a satellite workplace of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University, Prague.