In the footsteps of Švejk

Písek and South Bohemia are inextricably linked with the travels of the Good Soldier Švejk. You can walk from Písek to Putim, where Švejk was arrested and interrogated at the gendarmerie station.

From the Putim Gate, where there is an information board with a map of Švejk's Budějovice anabasis, walk along the river to the 'U Smetáka' outing tavern with a rest area. Continue on foot along the so-called 'Devil's Path', accompanied by the Otava River, to the Zátavský Bridge. From there you continue to the confluence of the Otava and Blanice rivers, from where it is only a short walk through the forest to Putim. This 10 km route can also be done by bike.

A bronze statue of Švejk himself greets you at the bridge over the Blanice. Nearby is the gendarmerie station, famous from the film version of Hašek's work. The landmark of the village is the two-nave church of St. Lawrence. The local cemetery contains the grave of Jan Cimbura, the real-life hero of the novel by Jindřich Šimon Baar. You can also visit the local family run zoo Zvířátkov.

Along the Podkostelní pond you can reach the railway line. Hikers can return to Písek by train, which runs about every hour. More experienced hikers and cyclists can return via the Hůrky and Smrkovice forests.