Tetin to Srbsko Walking Tour

From Srbsko to Tetin

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Tetin sits on the ridge overlooking  the Beroun River nearly 5km east of Beroun. It lies midway between Beroun and Karlstejn which was  built to be the royal treasury of Charles IV, the Holy Riman Enperor.  Tetin has historical origins that go back before the 10 th century as the seat of Czech nobility as it was the home of Kince Wenceslas IV, known chiefly in English Literature as the Good King who went out of the Feast of St Stephen to feed a beggar.

Tetin was the center of political and religious conflict, first as  Christianity was introduced into the country by Ludmilla  and  later as  Catholicism  came in conflict with Hussites.

St Ludmilla

The area is known for its historic monuments and the abundance of abandoned estates and castles which are now leading in tourism business.  Much of the land in the area is under State protection as National Forest, so it attracts  hikers, campers, bikers and climbers who come to explore the paths and ridges over the weekend, who are able to retreat to the nearby village of Srbsko for the evening in a local pub. The shallow swift river attracts fishermen who line the banks in the brush with their tackle and camping equipment.

Just 6km north of Tetin/Srbsko  lies St Jan under the Cliff and just a few kilometers beyond that local flying club with gliders, balloons and charter planes as well as some classic props which makes the area  extremely popular for  locals, but not well known for foreign tourrists outside of climbing clubs that appear to work on the Barrandov Cliffs.

Mines are scattered around the area of Tetitn, Karlstejn and Srbsko which have become habitat for wildlife and large birds of prey. It is  not unusual to see eagles and hawks wheeling overhead or hear falcoms mewing in the evening twilight. The mines are generally marked off with rope or tape to warn the trespasser of danger, but several older mines have become  the  summer swimming hole retreats for locals at Maly and Velke Amerika.   Mines in the area werwe quarried for limestone and silver and later under the Nazis for base construction metals for the war efforts. North of Tetin  under St Jan under the Cliff, there is a  mine with a restored  mining train and educational exhibit as an outdoor museum.

The return to Srbsko from Tetin is easy because it is nearly all downhill as I skirt around the mines to the east of the village. The way to Beroun is shorter, but my roundtrip train ticket is for Srbsko. There's only enough sunlight to walk back without adding the extra 12 km circuit to beround and then back to Srbsko along the riverside.

looking west toward Beroun across the mine

the rolling hills and fields looking east to Karlstejn

the house under the Barrandov Cliffs

evening on the Beroun