Radeč

Radeč is a forested ridge in western Bohemia, best reached from the tiny hamlet of Sklená Huť at its foot. Despite sharing a name pattern with a settlement, Radeč is actually a mountain — and the tallest one for miles around.

Where is Radeč located?

The ridge rises northeast of Rokycany, within the Rokycany district of the Plzeň Region, forming part of the geomorphological unit known as the Křivoklát Highlands. The hamlet of Sklená Huť, administratively attached to the village of Přívětice, sits about 2.5 km southeast of Přívětice's centre, right below the slopes. The settlement is first documented in 1691, and its name — literally "glass furnace" — is a clue to its past: a glassworks once operated here, drawing on the surrounding woodland for fuel and on local sand for raw material.

How high is Radeč, and what's the view like?

The ridge itself runs roughly two kilometres and ends in a rocky outcrop. Its summit reaches 723 metres above sea level, making Radeč the highest point in the entire Křivoklát Highlands. Walking the crest from west to east, hikers first pass an unnamed 712-metre knoll, then the main summit at 723 metres, where the remains of an old wooden survey tower still stand, and finally a rise known as Brno (718 m), easily spotted thanks to a transmission mast over 60 metres tall. From the rocky top, the view opens wide over the Křivoklát forests, and on a clear day it stretches as far as the České středohoří hills and the Ore Mountains (Krušné hory) on the horizon.

What else is worth seeing along the way?

At the eastern end of the ridge, at roughly 680 metres, lie the ruins of a medieval stronghold known as Mitrvald — a natural add-on to a hike toward the main summit, through dense mixed woodland typical of this part of Bohemia. Closer to the hamlet, on a rocky spur branching off the ridge's southwestern edge about a kilometre east of Sklená Huť, stands a prehistoric hillfort called Bílá skála (White Rock). Traces of its ancient defensive earthworks have survived and the site is now protected as a cultural monument. The whole wooded area surrounding the ridge — summit included — carries the status of the Radeč Nature Park, which makes it a quiet destination for forest walks away from crowds.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Radeč? The summit reaches 723 metres above sea level, the highest point in the Křivoklát Highlands.

Is there a lookout tower at the top? Only the remains of an old wooden survey tower survive on the main summit — there is no operating public lookout tower, but the rocky peak itself offers wide open views.

Why is the hamlet called Sklená Huť? The name literally means "glass furnace," a reference to a historic glassworks that once operated in the surrounding forest.

What else can be combined with the hike? The ruins of Mitrvald stronghold on the ridge's eastern end and the Bílá skála prehistoric hillfort near the hamlet both make for worthwhile detours.

Is the area protected? Yes, the whole ridge and its surrounding forest form the Radeč Nature Park, which limits development and forestry to preserve the character of the landscape.