Walks in the Park...     Walking and bicycle routes around the area

There are several great walks around the Chateau, and we will be happy to loan you a bicycle for some of the longer bicycle paths ("cyklostezky" in Czech)

Footpath of Princess Almerie | Jabkenice - Loučen tour | Smetana Walk

The Footpath of Princess Almerie

History

The sylvan footpath, established around 1869, linked the Chateau Loučeň and the Chateau Mcely. It was named for the wife of the prince Hugo Maxmilian Thurn-Taxis. He bought the Chateau Mcely in 1869 and he joined Chateau to the manor of Dobrovice-Loučeň.

According to period witnesses, the princess Almerie took unselfish care of the family and home in Loučeň. However her worldly husband left her very often, spending a lot of time in political circles and with unrestrained society in Prague, Vienna, Budapest and in the other cities in Europe.

Almerie loved her walks, frequently gathering plants and minerals from the forest. She established a route which took her from Loučen to the Chateau Mcely - frequently the residence of the younger aristocratic generations. At Mcely she would visit the family of her brother Edmund. (Edmund was married to Terezie, who in turn was the sister of Almerie's husband Hugo!) Thereafter, she visited the family of her oldest son Alexandr.

After Hugo’s death, Alexandr and his family relocated to Loučeň and princess Almerie spent summers in Chateau Mcely and winters in the palace in Mala Strana in Prague.

Even in old age, she remained a devoted enthusiastic "hiking grandmother".

Location of the footpath

The footpath of Princess Almerie begins in the wood nearby the central northern gate of the Chateau Mcely.

The most interesting and well-preserved portion leads around the former chateau waterworks across the Louceň ridge through the wood. Then you will walk around a natural mud spring „Jizera“ to the sandpit in the village of Studec. Then you will continue through the wood „Sychrov“ across the camp of summer cottages to the park in the Chateau Loučeň.

The footpath is very narrow and not suitable for horses or bicycles as it is frequently crossed by rugged forest terrain.

Jabkenice - Loučen Tour

For a longer excursion of about 15 km, suitable for walking or bicycling, try the loop from Mcely through Jabkenice and Loučen.

From Mcely follow the orientation sign to "Hraběcí aleji" around "Jabkenicka obora" and the mill pond (Mlynsky rybnik) to the village of Jabkenice. The main attraction of the village is a museum dedicated to Bedřich Smetana (and a small but excellent restaurant). Leaving Jabkenice follow the red marked trail where you will come to a spring called the 'water of God' (Boží voda) and forester's house "Loučeňka". From here make your way to the small town of Loučen where you can explore the chateau and its park, restaurants and if it is a warm summer afternoon you will appreciate the "Ice Cream Paradise"! To return to Mcely follow the road through the village of Studce.

Smetana Walk

This is a lovely 3.5km loop through the Jabkenice park. It starts and ends near the gamekeepers lodge at the main entrance to the park. The walk takes you though the forrested areas and lovely lakeshores, and across a picturesque wooden bridge. At its apex a charming gazebo has been erected near the spot where the famous composer would often sit for hours seeking inspiration in the surrounding nature.

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