Spálený

Spálený is a modest but distinctive peak in the Šumava mountains, rising just above the village of Srní in the Klatovy district. It reaches 1014 metres above sea level and sits about a kilometre northwest of the Srní village centre, within the range known as the Šumavské pláně (part of the broader Svojšská hornatina). It won't impress you with sheer altitude compared to Šumava's bigger summits, but its closeness to a well-known mountain resort and the industrial history hidden on its slope make it an easy and rewarding half-day target.

How do you get to the top?

Start at the tourist information centre in Srní, which marks the beginning of the most straightforward route. The path follows a road up to a water tank, then crosses a meadow heading north before entering a cleared corridor beneath power lines, which you follow further west. This comfortable stretch gets you to roughly 950 metres. The final 250 metres of elevation gain have to be covered across open, unmarked terrain — the only part of the hike that calls for a bit of route-finding. In total the approach measures about 1.2 km with 160 metres of elevation gain, which keeps it accessible to most walkers despite that last open stretch.

The mountain is also nearly encircled by an educational trail that traces the route of the old Vchynicko-tetovský timber canal, and the same path doubles as cycling route 2114. That makes it a good option for visitors who'd rather explore the surroundings than push all the way to the summit.

What's worth seeing?

The real highlight of Spálený isn't the summit itself but the history built into its western slope. Between 1799 and 1800, engineer Josef Rosenauer built the Vchynicko-tetovský plavební kanál here — an impressively ambitious piece of hydraulic engineering for its time, used to float timber down from the surrounding forests. Since the 1930s the canal's water has instead been piped to the Sedlo reservoir to feed a hydroelectric plant, and the canal's original end point is now dry and overgrown — but still recognisable to an attentive hiker as a trace of Šumava's old forestry economy.

Geographically, Spálený sits on the watershed between the Křemelná and Vydra rivers, which join further downstream to form the Otava, a tributary of the Vltava. The peak's topographic prominence of 155 metres puts it 55th among the most prominent summits in the Czech Republic, while by elevation alone it ranks 345th among Czech peaks over 1000 metres — a good illustration that Spálený owes its character more to how sharply it rises from the valley than to raw height.

When should you visit?

Summer and early autumn are the best time for the approach described above, since dry ground makes the final unmarked stretch much easier. In winter, Spálený changes character entirely: its slopes, together with the neighbouring Sedelský vrch, turn into ski runs, drawing a different kind of visitor to the area. Srní itself, spread across a plain above the Vydra valley right below the peak, is a year-round hub for Šumava tourism and a solid base for both climbing Spálený and exploring deeper into the Šumava National Park.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Spálený? The summit stands at 1014 metres above sea level, with a topographic prominence of 155 metres.

How long does the climb from Srní take? The route is about 1.2 km long with 160 metres of elevation gain — roughly an hour to ninety minutes one way at a moderate pace, including the final stretch across open terrain.

Is the trail technically difficult? No — almost the entire route follows a comfortable cleared corridor. Only the last 250 metres of elevation gain cross open ground without a marked path.

What's the interesting feature on the mountain's slope? The remains of the historic Vchynicko-tetovský timber canal, built around 1800 by engineer Josef Rosenauer to float logs downhill, now partly replaced by a pipeline feeding a hydroelectric plant.