Krkavec

Krkavec is a forested hill rising to 504 meters, straddling the boundary of the Ledce municipality northwest of Plzeň. It tops the extensive woodlands that stretch north of the city, making it the highest point in that forest belt — second in the wider area only to Radyně, the hill overlooking Plzeň itself.

How to get there?

Krkavec lies roughly 6.5 km from central Plzeň, with its summit ridge marking the boundary between Ledce and the neighboring village of Chotíkov, while its eastern slopes fall within the cadastral areas of Záluží (part of Třemošná) and Bolevec (a district of Plzeň). The easiest approach is by car from Ledce, or on foot or by bike from Plzeň's Košutka district — a dense network of marked hiking and cycling trails crosses the hill and surrounding forest, making it a favorite short escape for Plzeň residents who don't want to travel far from the city.

What will you see?

The summit is covered in spruce forest and mixed pine-spruce woodland, sheltering the atmospheric remains of long-abandoned quarries where sandstone and kaolin were once extracted. This mix of untamed greenery and traces of old mining activity is a large part of what draws walkers and day-trippers to Krkavec.

At the very top stands a television transmitter alongside an 18.2-meter stone-and-brick lookout tower dating from 1900, with an adjoining mountain cottage. From both of the tower's viewing galleries, visitors get a sweeping view over the Plzeň basin, and on clear days the distant ridgelines of the Šumava mountains and the Český les (Bohemian Forest) become visible to the west. That view has long been the main draw for hikers, and climbing Krkavec is often one of the first proper day trips people take from Plzeň.

The lookout tower's history

The stone tower on Krkavec's summit was ceremonially opened by Plzeň tourists in 1901, shortly after its construction, making it one of the region's earliest lookout towers built specifically for public visitors. A quarter-century later, in 1925, the adjoining tourist cottage opened next to it, and it has served ever since as a resting point and shelter for hikers finishing the climb. Both the tower and the cottage remain administratively part of the Ledce cadastral area, even though the surrounding forested slopes belong to neighboring municipalities.

When to visit?

Krkavec can be visited year-round, since it's primarily a destination for forest walks and cycling rather than a seasonal attraction. Spring and summer are well suited to longer routes linking the hill with other viewpoints in the region, while autumn tends to be quieter, with fewer visitors on the trails. In winter, clear days can offer an especially crisp view from the tower, though the approach through snow-covered forest takes a bit more effort.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Krkavec? The hill reaches 504 meters above sea level and is the highest point in the forests stretching north of Plzeň.

What is on top of Krkavec? The summit holds a television transmitter and a stone-and-brick lookout tower from 1900, along with an adjoining mountain cottage built in 1925.

What can you see from the tower on Krkavec? Both viewing galleries look out over the Plzeň basin, and on clear days the Šumava mountains and the Český les are visible in the distance.

Are there any traces of past industrial activity near Krkavec? Yes — the hill's slopes still hold the remains of abandoned quarries once used to extract sandstone and kaolin.