Chotilsko: Vltava Landscape and Regional History

When planning a stay in Chotilsko, you can begin by distinguishing between landscape, views, and regional history. The Vltava and the Slapy Reservoir shape the landscape theme; observation towers offer different heights and views. Exhibitions and educational trails explore topics such as life along the Vltava, the history of gold mining, and the work of František Drtina.

The Vltava and Slapy Reservoir

Near Chotilsko, the Vltava now forms the water surface of the Slapy Reservoir. The reservoir created several recreational areas along the flooded Vltava Valley. The landscape can also be seen from the observation tower on Veselý vrch near Mokrsko: its view extends across the Vltava landscape to the blue bends of Slapy Lake. This makes it possible to consider the water both as part of the landscape around Chotilsko and as a broader subject of the view.

Observation towers and their heights

The steel tower on Veselý vrch is 42 metres high; its observation platform is 25 metres above the ground and can be reached via 137 steps. Drtinova rozhledna, by contrast, is a wooden structure. Its covered platform is 21 metres high, and the view of the landscape of the central Vltava region is from a height of 20 metres. The ascent involves 109 steps. These details make the towers easy to distinguish: for one, both the total height and platform height are given; for the other, the height of the covered platform and the height of the viewpoint are specified.

Drtinova rozhledna was rebuilt in 2014 on the foundations of its previously damaged predecessor. It therefore combines a specific building history with views of the landscape. If you want to take both views and history into account when planning your trip, you can consider these details alongside the different platform heights as separate criteria for choosing a tower.

Exhibitions on the history of the Vltava

Chotilsko is home to the permanent exhibition “Z historie staré Vltavy” (“From the History of the Old Vltava”). It covers around 200 square metres and is also accessible to wheelchair users. Its subject is the stretch of river from Zvírotice to the former Svatojánské proudy rapids. The area covered, the named endpoints, and the historical status of the Svatojánské proudy help put the exhibition’s subject into context: it focuses on a specific stretch of the old Vltava, not the entire river course.

The exhibition building also houses a museum of ballooning. Check the museum’s current visitor arrangements before your visit. The permanent exhibition and the ballooning museum should be considered as separate exhibition topics.

Regional history and educational trails

In Prostřední Lhota, the Špýchar Museum is housed in a four-storey Baroque building dating from 1770. Its exhibition covers the lives of rural people in the central Vltava region during the 19th and 20th centuries. The archaeological section focuses on the region’s early history in connection with gold mining and processing. Architectural history, everyday life, and archaeology each provide a different focus.

The Zlaté Psí hory educational trail offers another perspective on gold mining: using old and new mining installations, it provides insights into the region’s gold-mining history. The Vymyšlenská Pěšina educational trail runs along the edge of the nature reserve of the same name. On the left bank of the Vltava between Smilovice and Kobylníky, the reserve protects warm rocky slopes with dwarf oak forests and rocky steppe. The trail and the protected area are not the same: the trail runs along the edge of the reserve.

The Prof. PhDr. Františka Drtiny educational trail was marked out in Chotilsko in memory of its namesake. It provides information about the life and work of František Drtina. Its subject is therefore distinct from both the exhibitions on the Vltava and the educational trails focusing on mining history and the nature reserve.

The church in Živohošť and trip planning

The Church of Saints Fabian and Sebastian in Živohošť is one of the region’s oldest ecclesiastical monuments. It was originally Romanesque, was remodelled in the Gothic style in the 14th century, and was converted to the Neo-Romanesque style in 1860. This sequence of architectural styles provides a distinct historical focus. The church is also at the start or end of European Cycle Route No. 7, the Vltavská Route. If you plan your ride around this route information, check the current route signage before setting out.

Access to the Museum of Rural Life in Prostřední Lhota is listed via main road II/102, as well as via the Zlaté Psí hory educational trail and a blue-marked hiking trail. Check these access details again before your trip. It is also advisable to check the latest information about the TEPfactor location in Chotilsko: it is expected to close permanently and relocate abroad; reservations are being accepted in Prague.

Discover more destinations: Brekova Lhota, Kosova Hora, Rozmital - Skuhrov, Láz, Čím, Doubravice, Nalžovice, Čenkov.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Příbram.