Tips in the surroundings

The Terčino or Tereziino Valley National Natural Monument can be found southwest of the town of Nové Hrady, in the valley of the Stropnice River. This area was declared protected in 1949, covers an area of 138.29 ha and is at an altitude of 500 - 540 m.

The Terčino valley is mainly a landscape park. The park was founded in the second half of the 18th century by Count John Buquoyo, following the wishes of Countess Therese Buquoy, whose name the park bears. At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the park was modified, exotic trees were planted in addition to native ones, and a number of romantic buildings serving spa purposes were built (Hamr, Lázničky, Blue House, Swiss House). The picturesque scenery of the valley is completed in the western part of the park by an artificial waterfall on the embankment leading from the Stropnice River. On the eastern edge of the park, the ruins of the Gothic fortress of Cuknštejn stand on an elevated site in almost their original form. A nature trail and a walking circuit pass through the park, introducing visitors to the history of the park and all the interesting sights that can be found here.

The first mention of the Novohrad castle dates back to 1279. It was founded by the Vítkov family to protect the Vitoraz Trail. It was conquered, burnt down many times and was also affected by an earthquake. After all these events, however, the castle was rebuilt in the early 17th century and served as a military fortress. The fact that it was a very good fortress is evidenced by the deep walled moat, which is unparalleled among Czech castles. Nevertheless, the castle was recaptured and became the property of the Buquoy family until 1945. An extensive exhibition is now open to the public. In the interiors of the castle are exhibited family portraits, weapons and armour and much more.

The resort and pilgrimage place Dobrá Voda is situated on the northern slope of the Novohradské hory at an altitude of 695 m. The village, 7 km southwest of Nové Hrady, belongs to the České Budějovice district. The dominant feature of the village is the pilgrimage church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, a valuable Baroque building built on a terrace above a slightly radioactive spring. The church, harmoniously integrated into the surrounding landscape, was built between 1708 and 1715. In the church there are rare ceiling paintings dating from 1729, partially repainted during the renovation in 1888. The furnishings are original from the 18th century. The healing effects of the water from the radioactive spring were discovered as early as the 16th century and the village was sought after as a health resort.

From the terrace of the church there is a good view of the Novohradsko region and part of the Třeboň basin.
The church is also one of the stops of the educational trail Memory of Novohradsko.

The hill (953 m) in the Novohradské hory mountains is about 1 km west of Hojná Voda and 10 km southwest of Nové Hrady. On the top there is a viewpoint from which you can see the whole Novohrad region. On the hillside there is a large granite rubble field, partly overgrown with trees. In the forest parts there are bizarre rock formations, among which the most famous is the Napoleon stone. Kraví hora is accessible by the red trail from Hojná Voda (about 1.5 km) or by the green trail from Dobrá Voda. It is also accessible by the blue trail from Trhové Sviny (about 20 km).

In 1698, the glory of Hojná Voda faded away, as a new spring was discovered a little lower, under Kraví hora. The place and the settlement around it was named Dobrá Voda (German: Brünnl). The chapel above the miraculous spring soon became too crowded for the pilgrims and in 1706 Count Albert Karel Buquoy began the construction of the pilgrimage and parish church of Our Lady of the Assumption. The builder is unknown. The consecration ceremony took place in 1715. The priests working there were chosen by the count from the Vyšebrod monastery. The growing village was granted the freedom of the market and a coat of arms - a hill covered with a blue shield with a spring flowing from it. In a fire in 1949, the church suffered, but unlike the surrounding houses, it was miraculously preserved. The Baroque church has an elliptical plan in the middle, pierced by a short transept, with two towers attached to it, the sacristy adjoining the eastern one. The church is surrounded by an ambit with two chapels. A double staircase adjoins the façade, below which is a three-part open chapel, in the centre of which is a reservoir with a healing spring. On the main gilded altar in the interior of the church (completed in 1718) is a painting of Our Lady of Consolation (a copy of the painting from Graz).

The Mandelstein lookout (Austria) - a lookout worth visiting, just over the border, you can choose between 2 routes, the shorter of which even small hikers can manage.

An easy hike from the car park below Mandelstein (you can find the car park between Haarbach and Heinrichs) - even small children can manage it, there is also a bell tower on the way that will interest children. The hike from the car park takes about 20 minutes with children . Not passable by carriage. Free parking.

The village is one of the oldest in the Novohrad region, mentioned as early as the 13th century. It is one of three preserved fortified villages in Europe. The fortification, probably dating from 1612-18, with six cylindrical bastions protected the whole village and the manor. The parish church of St. John the Baptist was mentioned as early as 1332. It was built on the village square and its exterior is very interesting, as it is designed according to the model of the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague. The presbytery was vaulted between 1370 and 1412, but, like the whole church, it was destroyed by the Hussites in 1423. It was rebuilt in 1455 as a four-nave nave on a square plan. Gothic fortress from the 15th century, rebuilt in the 17th century in a manner close to Italian country castle architecture. It was successively in the hands of different owners, from 1618 it became the property of the Novohrad manor. It was further modified in the 19th century and in the 1970s. The pond below it was also restored and filled. Today the fortress is in very good condition and offers a museum exhibition of folk painted furniture.

New Farm shop with organic meat in Besednica. Every Wednesday to Friday from 14:00 to 17:00 is looking forward to lovers of quality meat.Besednice, Družstevní 336.

You can dig your own Vltavín from the real original layer, where it was deposited by geological processes 15 million years ago, at an experience mining in Besednice https://www.vltaviny.cz/muzeum/zazitkova-tezba/