The land of three hearts

Trail A1

Paseka - Sovinec - Rýmařov - Bruntál - Karlova Studánka - Petrovy kameny - Praděd
Option to connect to Trail B in the direction of Mravenečník

The Teutonic Knights arrived in Czech lands at the beginning of the 13th century at the invitation of the Czech king. Following the Battle of White Mountain the Order began to buy the property of Moravian Protestants and within a few years built an imposing domain including three castles and the lands connected to them: Bouzov, Bruntál, and Sovinec. Sovinec Castle guards the entrance to the Jeseníky Mountains. The route leads from Sovinec to Rýmařov.

In the original mountain town of Rýmařov, founded in the 13th century, visitors can visit a museum, several structural monuments, and a chateau from the 16th century. The road continues to wind upward toward the mountain spa of Karlova Studánka, which is located below the highest peak of the Hrubý Jeseník Mountains, the majestic Praděd.

The road to Praděd from Karlova Studánka passes Petrovy kameny, rock formations to which numerous legends are connected. Praděd is situated at 1,491 metres above sea level and has a television tower with an observatory.

We advice you visit:

Sovinec castle
The entire medieval castle is open to visitors. In addition to the castle itself there is also an independent exhibition of the Teutonic Knights. Not far from the castle in the area of a former gold mine is an enormous cave where a huge treasure of ancient coins was discovered in the 18th century, testifying the existence of a 2,000-year-old merchant trail leading from the north to the south.

Bruntál chateau
Bruntál was founded in the first half of the 13th century. Acastlefounded in the first half of the 15th century was rebuiltin to achateauin the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1621 the Bruntál domain was sold to the Teutonic Knights. In 1766 reconstruction was commenced on the chateau leading to today‘s appearance. The chateau houses a rich collection of historical furniture, paintings, weapons, and other works of art and historical documents. Preserved in Bruntál are parts of the town walls, old civic houses, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary parish church from the 13th century, a former Piarist monastery, and other monuments.

More in Czech version Trail A1.

Possible itinerary (by car):

08:00 – departure from Paseka to Sovinec Castle
09:00 – 10:30 – tour of Sovinec Castle
10:30 – 11:00 – transfer to Rýmařov
11:00 – 13:00 – tour of the town of Rýmařov
13:00 – 14:00 – lunch
14:00 – 14:30 – transfer to Bruntál
14:30 – 15:30 – tour of chateau in Bruntál
15:30 – 16:30 – transfer through Karlova Studánka to Praděd
16:30 – 19:00 – climb to Praděd past Petrovy kameny

We recommend spending the night near Praděd and touring the area the following day, enjoying the spectacular views and breathing the healthy air. Certain parts of the trail can be walked, but we recommend transferring between individual towns by car or public transportation so you can save your energy for the mountain climbs.

Length of tourist trail: 148 km.
Maximum height: 1,491 meters above sea level
Overall climb: 1,231 m