Dunajovická hora

Dunajovická hora is a forested hill above the village of Dunajovice in the Jindřichův Hradec district of South Bohemia, roughly 7 km northwest of Třeboň. At 504 metres above sea level, it is the highest point of the Třeboň Basin, and it draws both pilgrims and casual hikers looking for wide views over the surrounding lake country.

How high is Dunajovická hora and what can you see from it?

The hill tops out at 504 m above sea level, making it the highest elevation anywhere in the Třeboň Basin, even though its slopes are gentle rather than dramatic. From the summit area, near the site of a former lookout tower, walkers get sweeping views across the Třeboňsko landscape of ponds, forests and meadows.

What is the old quarry, and who was Jakub Krčín?

On the hill's eastern slope lies a disused quarry that once produced muscovite-biotite granite. The earliest record of stone extraction here appears in the Rožmberk family archives from 1458. It was this quarry that supplied stone to master builder Jakub Krčín for the foundations of the Rožmberk pond dam, one of Central Europe's largest fishponds. Quarrying finally stopped in 1963 once rising groundwater made the pit unworkable. Today the flooded quarry functions as a recreational spot, popular with anglers.

What does the pilgrimage route on the hill look like?

A Stations of the Cross path, almost a kilometre long, winds up the slope past 14 stone chapels depicting scenes from Christ's Passion. It was built in 1885, funded by donations from residents of the surrounding villages. At the top stands a Baroque Chapel of the Holy Spirit dating from the 18th century, raised over a natural spring once believed to have healing properties. Every year, on Whit Sunday (Pentecost), the hill hosts a pilgrimage mass along with stalls and other attractions for visitors.

Whatever happened to the lookout tower?

A wooden observation tower was erected on the hill in 1939, but it vanished during or shortly after the Second World War. Its concrete base can still be seen near the ninth station of the cross, and local residents have long been trying to raise funds to rebuild the tower.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Dunajovická hora? The hill reaches 504 m above sea level, the highest point in the Třeboň Basin.

How do you get to Dunajovická hora? It sits about 7 km northwest of Třeboň, near the village of Dunajovice, and can be reached on foot via marked trails, including a route starting directly from Třeboň.

What is there to see on site? A flooded former granite quarry, an 18th-century Baroque chapel built over a spring, a 14-station Way of the Cross dating from 1885, and the remains of a prewar lookout tower.

Is this the same Dunajovická hora as the Dunajovické vrchy near Mikulov? No. This is a separate location in South Bohemia (Jindřichův Hradec district, Třeboň region), unrelated to the wine-growing area of Dolní Dunajovice and the Pavlov Hills in South Moravia.

When is the annual pilgrimage held? The pilgrimage mass takes place every year on Whit Sunday (Pentecost).