Explore the ravine where Baron Trenck hid
Follow the footsteps of the legendary Pandur leader to the romantic valley of the Bobrůvka river
Legend has it that the colonel and adventurer Baron von Trenck once spent a period of disgrace north of Brno in a forgotten region far from people. As we know, the famous warlord defended the Habsburg monarchy against the invading Turks, won dozens of battles and in those days there was no one who did not know his name. You're in for a trip to places that practically invite you to play soldiers, villains, and heroes. Go on a trip to the picturesque valley where the Bobrůvka river in the Vysočina region changes in maps into the Loučka river in the South Moravia region.
Plan a trip to the Eldorado of the tramps and today's scouts
This peaceful region is characterised by small villages surrounded by fields, meadows, ponds and scattered woods. The surprisingly deep and long valleys of streams and rivers has attracted numerous tramps like a magnet since the 1960s.The Libochůvka, Svratka and Loučka are a concept. Even today, it is easy to disappear from the world and wander for days in the quiet nature. The unique Trenckova ravine is where a tiny stream gurgles through a moss and fern-covered revine and eventually forms several cascades and waterfalls before confluencing with the Loučka river. The atmosphere of the place is completed by the rocks towering over the meander of the river, the highlight of the romance is the log cabin aptly named Orlí hnízdo (Eagle's Nest). It is perched on a rock outcropping, hidden above the treetops. The cabin is privately owned, but that doesn't mean you can't climb the path to it and take a look out over the valley.
Bring sausages, but be careful with the fire
Pack some sausages, marshmallows or anything else you like to roast on the fire. There's a fire pit right below the ravine in a picturesque spot right next to the river. There's plenty of wood everywhere, but if it's dry, building a fire in the woods is literally playing with fire. In any case, whatever you bring with you, take it back with you. The garbage men don't come here and plastics, cans and glass belong in the right container. Anyone who disobeys the instructions should beware of the ghost of Baron Franz von der Trenck!
And how did Baron von der Trenck actually end up?
Baron Trenck, the leader of the Pandurs, was famous for his courage, command ability and unique battle strategy. Despite this, he gained a rather negative reputation in South Moravia. He was an impetuous, undisciplined and cruel commander. He was even expelled from the army several times and more than once sentenced to death, from which he always managed to escape thanks to his eloquence.
The Baron was imprisoned at the end of his life at Špilberk. After a year in the dungeon, old wounds flared up, he took to his bed, and finally died on October 4, 1749. Three days later, according to his wishes, he was buried in the crypt of the Capuchin monastery in Brno. Go there to see and hear the whole legend.
How to plan your trip?
This time especially, the journey is the destination. Trenckova ravine itself will be just the icing on the cake, no matter which way you approach it. The picturesque path winds through the forest along Loučka from Šafránkův Mill, which was built in 1666. It now operates as a restaurant and guesthouse. From the mill, head upriver - Take the red trail.
Another variant starts higher upstream and leads from the Podmitrov recreational area with a guesthouse of the same name also still along the river.
The shortest possible route starts in Drahonín.
WARNING: Wherever you start from, be aware that the red trail around Trenckova ravine crosses several difficult places, climbs high up the slope here and there, and in wet or icy conditions you may slip faster than Trenck would draw his pommel.
Where you're already in the Vysočina region, there's no reason to rush home
If you're driving, you can visit one of our country's most photogenic castles near Trenckova ravine. Pernštejn is rightly one of the most frequently pictured castles in the film industry.
Another continuation of the trip can be the conservation area in the village of Doubravník, where the historical core, along with the remains of the fortifications and the rectory, is dominated by the church in the late Gothic and Renaissance style, which the Lords of Pernštejn had built here as their ancestral tomb.
