Kalek: A Mountain Settlement with History and Nature

Kalek combines a picturesque mountain settlement with a multifaceted local history and a circular hiking trail that begins in the village. Preserved historic houses, the Church of St. Wenceslas and traces of traditional crafts stand alongside streams, meadows, forest clearings and bogs. Those looking for a hotel in Kalek can choose where to stay based on both cultural and natural interests.

The Village and the Church of St. Wenceslas

Kalek is considered a picturesque mountain settlement with numerous preserved historic houses. Babbling streams, meadows, forest clearings and bogs shape the landscape. Both the built environment and the surrounding landscape are defining features of the settlement.

The Church of St. Wenceslas in Kalek was completed in 1702. Together with the cemetery grounds, it is listed as a cultural monument in the Central List of Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic under registration number 18064/5-534. The access path to the church across the cemetery grounds was made of flat split stone. The year of construction, monument status and path material reveal different aspects of the site: its period of origin, its cultural designation and a specific detail of its construction.

Crafts and Local History

A look into Kalek’s past leads to metalworking. In 1555, the village had a hammer mill for making sheet metal, which probably processed iron ore mined locally. The name Kalek also points to the historical processing of raw materials: it derives from a lime kiln that supplied fine-grained limestone for smelting iron ores. Thus, traces range from sheet-metal production to a material used in ore smelting.

The historical development of Kalek also included the production of toys and wooden goods. Alongside iron and lime, wood and manufactured goods represent different branches of the village’s craft history.

Landscape and Hiking

The Bučina na Kienhaidě Nature Reserve lies nearby, west of Kalek; the Buky a javory v Gabrielce Nature Reserve is to the northeast. The two protected areas are therefore located on different sides of the village. Together with the meadows, forest clearings, bogs and streams, they contribute to the natural features that distinguish Kalek and its surroundings.

The Gabrielina Huť circular hiking trail begins in Kalek and is 17 kilometres long. The route passes the Volárenský Pond, goes through the Telč Valley and via Gabrielina Huť. It then returns to Kalek along the Načetín Stream. The return leg follows the stream upstream along the state border. The 17 kilometres refer to the complete loop; the pond, valley, Gabrielina Huť and stream mark the route’s sequence.

The Stezka Českem in the Chomutov area combines quiet forest sections with open views of the landscape. The route is aimed at tourists, families with children and cyclists. The two routes can be distinguished by different features: Gabrielina Huť starts in Kalek and is 17 kilometres long; the Stezka Českem in the Chomutov area combines forest sections and views and is intended for the groups mentioned above.

Discover more destinations: Bílence, Boleboř, Kryštofovy Hamry, Rokle, Nezabylice, Strupčice, Horní Halze, Černovice U Chomutova.

For the regional travel overview: Okres Chomutov.