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Trip to the Princely Plains
Knížecí Pláně is one of the quietest and most secluded places in the whole Šumava. A vast plateau with a crumbling farmhouse, wide meadows and views all the way to Bavaria - this is a place where the tourist crowds do not arrive. If you are staying in Pension Helena Honesová in Horská Kvilda, you have a great starting point to this forgotten corner of Šumava. Here's everything you need to know before you set off.
Route from Pension Helena Honesová to Knížecí Pláně
From the Helena Honesová Pension you can take a car towards Borova Lada via Kvilda. The journey is approximately 18 km long and takes about 25 minutes. At Borová Lada you can park in the central car park in the village.
From the car park you can walk along the marked hiking trail towards Knížecí Pláně. The trail leads mostly along forest and dirt paths through open countryside, which is typical for this part of Šumava - alternating wet meadows, remnants of old avenues and scattered groups of trees. The destination of the trip is the Hájenka Knížecí Pláně, a secluded place standing in the middle of a vast plain at an altitude of approximately 1,000 metres.
The hiking trail from Borová Lada to Hájenka Knížecí Pláně is approximately 6 km in one direction. The terrain is moderate, without significant inclines, but the path is not asphalted - expect an unpaved surface, which may be muddy in places after rain. We therefore do not recommend this trip with a stroller.
Alternatively, you can stick to the cycle path 127, 1040 for the whole trip - this makes the route to Hájenka passable even with a stroller. Read more information in the map link.
A landscape that disappeared from the map
Knížecí Pláně is not just a tourist destination - it is one of the strongest reminders of what happened in Šumava after the Second World War. Until 1945 there was a lively settlement with dozens of houses, a pub, a school and a chapel. Mostly German settlers lived here and for centuries they made their living by breeding cattle, woodcutting and working on the manor farms.
After the expulsion of the Sudeten Germans in 1945-1946, the village became depopulated. The houses gradually fell into disrepair and were demolished. The landscape swallowed up the foundations of the buildings, the gardens became overgrown and practically only a farmhouse and a cemetery with a few tombstones remained. Knížecí Pláně became one of dozens of extinct Šumava villages whose story still resonates in Czech and German memory.
To walk through Knížec Plani is to walk through a place where eighty years ago people lived, children went to school and beer was on tap in the pub. Today there is only wind, grass and silence.
Knížecí Pláně: The Last Witness
The Knížecí Pláně farmhouse is the only surviving building from the original settlement. It stands alone in the middle of the plain and its silhouette against the backdrop of the Šumava hills is one of the most iconic scenes of the entire national park.
The building has undergone partial restoration in the past and serves as a reminder of the vanished village. In its surroundings you will find information panels describing the history of the settlement, the life of its inhabitants and the circumstances of its demise. It is worth stopping to read them - they add depth and context to the whole trip that you would otherwise easily miss.
The remains of an old cemetery with several preserved tombstones are located near the hájenka. The inscriptions on them are German and commemorate the families who lived here for generations. It is a quiet, dignified place that impresses most visitors more than any mountain view.
Atmosphere you won't experience elsewhere in Sumava
Knížecí Pláně is fundamentally different from other trips in Šumava. There are no wooden footbridges, nature trails or benches with a view. There's just a vast, open landscape that makes you feel small. Meadows stretch on all sides, lined with dark strips of spruce forests. In clear weather, you can see all the way to the Bavarian Alps.
In spring, the meadows are waterlogged and full of yellow marshmallows. In summer, they buzz with insects and smell of hay. In autumn, the whole plain is shrouded in mists that roll over the hills, creating a scene like a black and white photograph. In winter, the landscape is snow-covered and utterly deserted - if you arrive here on cross-country skis or snowshoes, you'll have the whole of the Knížec Plains to yourself.
The emptiness and silence is what draws people here. There is nothing to "do" in the classic tourist sense. But there is something to feel - and that is rarer in Šumava than any lookout tower.
Practical tips for your trip
- Total time of the trip: approximately 5-6 hours (car journey from Horská Kvilda + walking route there and back + time for sightseeing of the hájenka and its surroundings).
- Length of the walking route: approx. 12 km round trip from the car park at Borova Lada.
- Difficulty: medium easy. Moderate difficulty.The elevation gain is minimal, but the path is longer and the terrain is unpaved in places (unless you follow the cycle path).
- Parking: central car park at Borova Lada. In high season there are usually enough spaces, but it is worth going in the morning.
- What to take: Sturdy shoes (not sandals - the trail can be wet), plenty of drinks and snacks. In the season you can refresh yourself in the Hájenka on Knížecí Pláně. In summer repellent, in autumn and winter windproof jacket - it is windy on the plains.
- Best time to visit: late spring to autumn. In winter, the trail is skiable on cross-country skis, but walking can be more challenging due to snow.
Why include the Princely Plains in the plan
If you have already visited Šumava Chalupská Slat, which is also not far from Borová Lada, Knížecí Pláně will offer you a completely different type of experience. It's not a walk along a nature trail - it's a journey into a landscape with a story that won't leave you cold.
From the Pension Helena Honesová in Horská Kvilda, Borová Lada is easily accessible and you can easily manage the whole trip in one day. In the evening you will return with the feeling that you have seen a part of Šumava that most tourists do not know.
