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Hard Hiking Trails in Šumava National Park

There are 18 hikes in Šumava National Park in our database that fit. They average 41.7 km and 917 m (3,009 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 192 km.

That is 38 percent of the 48 routes we map in Šumava National Park. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 41.7 km against 19.4 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 917 m (3,009 ft) on average versus 430 m (1,411 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Hard

[Č] Sušice - Roklanský potok

Šumava National Park · Plzeň Region

Distance
31.6 km
/ 19.7 mi
Elevation gain
696 m
Typical duration
8 hr 8 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Czech Trail

Šumava National Park · Upper Austria

Distance
102 km
/ 63.1 mi
Elevation gain
2,233 m
Typical duration
27 hr
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Via Czechia - Jižní (9. Šumava)

Šumava National Park · Upper Austria

Distance
192 km
/ 119 mi
Elevation gain
4,226 m
Typical duration
51 hr
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Hard

Zlatá stezka

Šumava National Park · Bavaria

Distance
16.2 km
/ 10.1 mi
Elevation gain
356 m
Typical duration
3 hr 57 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

[M] Bučina - Horní Vltavice

Šumava National Park · Bavaria

Distance
17.8 km
/ 11.0 mi
Elevation gain
391 m
Typical duration
4 hr 22 min
  • Waymarked route
Expert

[M] Klostermannova cesta

Šumava National Park · South Bohemian Region

Distance
45.9 km
/ 28.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,010 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Waymarked route
Hard

[M] Černý Kříž - Lenora

Šumava National Park · South Bohemian Region

Distance
18.2 km
/ 11.3 mi
Elevation gain
401 m
Typical duration
4 hr 30 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

[Z] Radešov - Zhůří

Šumava National Park · Plzeň Region

Distance
17.3 km
/ 10.7 mi
Elevation gain
380 m
Typical duration
4 hr 14 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

[Č] Kašperské Hory - Pláně

Šumava National Park · South Bohemian Region

Distance
16.8 km
/ 10.4 mi
Elevation gain
369 m
Typical duration
4 hr 6 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

[Ž] Rejnštejn - Lipka

Šumava National Park · South Bohemian Region

Distance
29.1 km
/ 18.1 mi
Elevation gain
641 m
Typical duration
7 hr 27 min
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
[Č] Černé jezero - U pramene VltavyŠumava National Park39.6 km871 m10 hrExpertApril to October
[Č] Sušice - Roklanský potokŠumava National Park31.6 km696 m8 hr 8 minHardApril to October
Czech TrailŠumava National Park102 km2,233 m27 hrExpertApril to October
Via Czechia - Jižní (9. Šumava)Šumava National Park192 km4,226 m51 hrExpertApril to October
[Č] U pramene Vltavy - Svatý Tomᚊumava National Park77.3 km1,700 m20 hrExpertApril to October
Zlatá stezkaŠumava National Park16.2 km356 m3 hr 57 minHardApril to October
Zlatá stezka Mauth - Kašperské HoryŠumava National Park42.6 km936 m11 hrExpertApril to October
Zlatá stezka Trojmezí - Černý Kř힊umava National Park16.2 km356 m3 hr 57 minHardApril to October
Zlatá stezka Zwiesel - HartmaniceŠumava National Park17.3 km380 m4 hr 14 minHardApril to October
[M] Bučina - Horní VltaviceŠumava National Park17.8 km391 m4 hr 22 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with [Č] Černé jezero - U pramene Vltavy, [Č] Sušice - Roklanský potok, [Č] U pramene Vltavy - Svatý Tomáš. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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