Železná Way

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Prague, at the Basilica of St. James the Greater (Old Town) → Železná/Tillyschanz border crossing near Eslarn (Bavaria)
• Length: 259.2 km — of which 258.1 km are in the Czech Republic, with the last 850 meters in Bavaria
• Ascent/Descent: ↗ 4,566 m / ↘ 4,254 m — 17.6 m per kilometer; the Camino Francés has 17.9; not a single mountain; highest point 624 m in Český les; longest single climb 167 m
• Stages / Duration: 11 official stages (alternatives: 12, 10, or 9) — 9 to 12 days
• Classification: The Železná trasa, one of the six St. James routes in the Czech Republic; German pilgrim guide name: “Tschechische Nordroute” — the northeastern branch toward Nuremberg
• Operator: ULTREIA z.s., in cooperation with the Czech Tourist Club (KČT)
• Marking: NO separate, continuous signage—the trail uses the KČT's colored bars; scallop shells appear only on the signposts; with the Camino Ninja app you’re safe (complete route on board)
• Accommodation: Not a single pilgrim hostel along the route—about a dozen guesthouses, with gaps of up to 50 km between them; advance booking is required, not just recommended
• St James churches: eight — Prague, Zbraslav, Beroun, Žebnice, Plasy, Ledce, Kladruby, Hostouň; these are also the stamping locations
• Pilgrim credential: Czech Ultreia credential; about a dozen stamp stations along the route, one of which is an observation tower
• Best time: April through October — not because of snow, but because almost everything is closed in the Křivoklátsko region and the border area during the off-season
• To Santiago: 2,589 km from Tillyschanz, according to Ultreia's own calculations — 2,845 km from St. James' Basilica in Prague

Overview

Two numbers tell the story of this journey. The first: 17.6 meters of elevation gain per kilometer — The Camino Francés is 17.9, and in our route database, the two are listed right next to each other, ranked 120th and 121st out of 184 routes. So, per kilometer, this trail is just as challenging as the world’s most famous Way of St. James—only three times shorter—and yet nobody knows about it. And there isn’t a single mountain here: the highest point is 624 meters, and the steepest single ascent is 167 meters. This path doesn't have a profile; it has corrugated metal. — The 4,566 meters of elevation gain comes from the number of waves, not their height. That is exactly why it is underestimated.

The second feature: the starting point — it sits right at the door of the Basilika sv. Jakuba Většího , the church dedicated to the patron saint of the route, founded in 1232, which houses the largest organ in the Czech Republic. From there, you walk 259.2 Kilometers Westward: up the Vltava River, through the Bohemian Karst, past Karlštejn (right below the castle), sixty-five kilometers along the Berounka River through the biosphere reserve Křivoklátsko, six kilometers past Pilsen, through Stříbro—where the Golden Road crosses Charles IV's Road—and finally through the Český les to a tollgate: Železná/Tillyschanz, a border crossing, beyond which lies a hamlet with thirteen residents. Along the way: eight churches dedicated to St. James, four buildings designed by Santini—and zero inns. This route rewards those who plan ahead and punishes those who improvise, and we’ll tell you exactly where below.

Founded in 1232, built on water in 1720, demolished in the 1960s—eight St. James’s Churches up to the tollgate

Hardly any Camino de Santiago begins in front of its patron saint’s church—but this one does, literally. The Basilika sv. Jakuba Většího was 1232 donated by Václav I and 1374 completed under Charles IV; its organ, dating from 1705, has 8,277 pipes, the most in the Czech Republic, and according to legend, the mummified hand of a thief whom the Madonna caught hangs above the entrance. From this door, the path continues Eight St. James churches along a 259-kilometer route on — one every thirty-two, on average, and they also serve as the stamping points: The route is mapped out along its own patronage areas. The second, located in Zbraslav at kilometer 15.6, was the hospital of the royal monastery Aula Regia, in whose crypt some fourteen members of the Přemyslid and Luxembourg dynasties were buried until the Hussites desecrated the graves on July 30, 1420. The last one is located in Hostouň, right on the path; it was first mentioned in 1360—and was 2004 Officially designated as the “last point in the Czech Republic” in the northeast of the Svatojakubská cesta. This is also the earliest evidence of the revival of this route; no source mentions the year the marked trail was opened, and we are not going to make one up.

The second layer of this path is a Kaiserstrasse, which he crosses three times—and which he avoids three times. 1355 Charles IV declared the route Nuremberg–Stříbro–Pilsen–Beroun–Prague to be an imperial highway and banned all other trade routes between Bohemia and Franconia; According to tradition, he himself traveled along it 52 times, and in 1513 it was given its name in a report by a steward from Bärnau:"gulden straß". Your route intersects with this Golden Road in Prague, near Karlštejn/Beroun—and, after a 146-kilometer detour, back in Stříbro, on a stone bridge built between 1555 and 1560, whose gate tower—along with that of Prague’s Charles Bridge—is the only one of its kind in Bohemia. In between, it veers northward, toward the monasteries: Four buildings by Jan Blažej Santini Aichel are located along this route, and the most powerful one is in Plasy 5,100 oak stakes, which are kept permanently submerged so they won't rot—checked up to four times a day for over 300 years. The Latin inscription there serves as both a declaration of faith and a date: aeDIfICIVM hoC sIne aqVIs rVet. — “Without water, this building will collapse”; the capital letters spell out the Roman numeral 1720.

And the end? The end is the hardest part of the journey. The census of December 1, 1930, records for Železná—German: Eisendorf—"174 Häuser, 1.092 deutsche Einwohner, 35 Tschechen, 11 Ausländer"; 1905: market town; 1927: electricity; 1929: bus service. After 1946, the border region was evacuated, and in the the 1960s The Church of St. Barbara, built in 1718, was torn down, and a barracks was built in its place, In 2013, there were still about fifteen houses. On the other side of the barrier lies Tillyschanz—named after the general who 1621 had the earthworks against Bohemia rebuilt; in 1990, thirteen people lived there. 259 kilometers from a basilica with 8,277 organ pipes to a hamlet with thirteen residents—that’s not a flaw in this journey; it’s the point. It’s still a relatively new development: the “Cesta hvězdy” revitalization project was launched in 2009, and the first German pilgrimage guide—the “Tschechische Nordroute” a 140-page guide to a route that almost no one had described before—was published in 2023.

Other Names

For the organization ULTREIA z.s., this path is called Železná trasa, on the club's English website"The Železná Way" — named after the last Czech village Železná, German Eisendorf, whose name dates back to the iron ore prospecting of the mid-14th century. However, there is no such thing as a historic “Iron Road”: The path is named after a border village that today has fifteen houses, not after a road. In German, it is known as Tschechische Nordroute — that is the title of the only German pilgrim guide (Der Jakobsweg von Prag bis Tillyschanz/Eslarn — Tschechische Nordroute, Bahmüller/Kischel/Maier/Podlesný, 2023, 140 pages, ISBN 978-3-9812350-3-6); its counterpart is the southern route to Všeruby/Eschlkam, which we call the Všeruby Way. The sequel, set beyond the border, is titled Oberpfälzer Jakobsweg, and occasionally also Via Carolina. Three clarifications will help you avoid confusion: Ultreia itself refers to 257 km — that's the route up to the village of Železná; our 259.2 km is the track measurement up to the Tillyschanz border crossing. The Goldene Straße (Zlatá cesta) Charles IV’s route is a different one—your route intersects with it at three points and deviates from it in between. And there is no such thing as the “Norimberská cesta”: Nuremberg is the destination across the border, not the source of the name.

Who It's Ideal For—and Who It's Not So Ideal For

This route is for you if you're more interested in architecture along the way than in the company of fellow pilgrims—and if you want to leave a city of over a million people and arrive at a tollgate twelve days later. Along the 259 kilometers lie Eight St. James' Churches, Four of Santini's Buildings, two monasteries dating from 1115 and 1144, a royal castle from 1348, the cave of the first Bohemian hermit, and a trilobite site dating back 550 million years, right beside the trail. Add to that a tranquility that’s well-documented: A regional website calls it “one of the quietest and least-traveled routes of the Way of St. James” in the Czech Republic—and sixty-five kilometers of it take you along a river through a biosphere reserve.

To be honest, though, it's not for you if you want to rely on beds and signs. There are not a single pilgrim hostel Along the route—our database lists zero accommodations in all 58 locations, while the tour operator lists about a dozen guesthouses for eleven stages. Between Roztoky (km 76) and Kralovice (km 126) lie Fifty kilometers without a bed to sleep in, and Ultreia itself says that in the Křivoklátsko region it’s “harder to find lodging”—you plan around such gaps in advance, not while you’re on the road. There’s also no dedicated Way of St. James signage: you follow the colored bars of the Klub českých turistů; you’ll only find scallop shells on the signposts — with the Camino Ninja app it never turns into a game of hide-and-seek: it has the complete route on board. And if you think 259 kilometers without mountains is a walk in the park: 4,566 meters of elevation gain, 17.6 per kilometer — the same as the Camino Francés. It's just spread out over a hundred small waves instead of two passes.

Route & Landscape

You begin right at the entrance to the Basilica of St. James the Greater in Prague's Old Town, and the first thing you do is walk down the Vltava upward—past the Emauzy Monastery of Charles IV and under Vyšehrad. At kilometer 15.6, it says Zbraslav The first St. James Church after the starting basilica, once the hospital of the royal monastery Aula Regia; here, the Všeruby Way branches off to the south, but you stay on a westerly course. Behind Radotín (km 19.3) ends in Prague—twenty of the 259 kilometers are within the city—and the Bohemian Karst leads the way up to its limestone plateau: At kilometer 36.2 lies the Karlštejn Castle, right by the route, at 44.1, the monastery Svatý Jan pod Skalou in its gorge, right by the trail. From Beroun (km 49.6) takes over the Berounka and stays with you for sixty-five kilometers: The river has carved out a canyon-like valley, and the trail cuts across every bend in the river—that’s why the short stages in the Křivoklátsko (628 km², 62 percent forest, Křivoklát Castle 800 meters off the trail) the steepest section of the entire trail.

Behind Liblín (km 114.3) You leave the river behind and head into the open, rolling hills of northern Pilsen: Kralovice, Santini's Shrine Mariánská Týnice, St. James Church Žebnice, the monastery Plasy — four art history stops along a fifteen-kilometer stretch. Then the fourth-largest city in the Czech Republic comes into view and remains in sight: Pilsen is 6.3 kilometers away, visible from the Krkavec observation tower, and the trail doesn't lead into it. Across the dam Hracholusky At kilometer 196, you'll reach the old Silver City Stříbro — that's where the Golden Road intersects —, then the Santini Monastery Kladruby. The last sixty kilometers are borderland: Hostouň home to the last St. James Church in the Czech Republic, Bělá nad Radbuzou, and finally the increase in the Český les (Oberpfälzer Wald). The highest point along the entire route is at kilometer 254.6, at 624 meters — four kilometers from the border. After that, the trail leads down to Železná starts at and ends after 850 Bavarian meters in Tillyschanz.

Stages, Terrain, and Difficulty

Eleven stages These are the official route markers for Ultreia, and the trail is built around them—the kilometer measurements below are standardized based on the track measurements in our route database (total distance 259.2 km) and are labeled “approx.” Technically, there’s nothing difficult here: dirt roads, paved forest trails, river floodplains, and local roads. Statistics are challenging — and the route is deceptively challenging: The steepest stage is one of the shortest (Nižbor → Nezabudice, about 20 km, 28.2 meters of elevation gain per kilometer), while the longest is one of the flattest (Kladruby → Hostouň, approx. 33 km)—but there are 24 kilometers along the route without a single place to sleep. If you plan based on kilometers this way, you're planning wrong: The unit of measurement is the bed, not the distance.

1. Prague → Karlštejn — approx. 36 km — the longest stage; its flatter half runs through the city: along the Vltava River, at km 15.6 Zbraslav Featuring St. James’ Church and a trail marker (this is where the Všeruby Way branches off); from Radotín onward, the Bohemian Karst. Can be split into Zbraslav or Radotín (train).
2. Karlštejn → Nižbor — approx. 25 km — the one with the greatest concentration of art-historical sites: Svatý Jan pod Skalou featuring a hermit's cave and a bell from 1401, a steep climb out of the limestone gorge, then Beroun with St. James' Church on the square (stamp) and up the Berounka River.
3. Nižbor → Nezabudice — approx. 20 km — statistically the toughest stage (28.2 m/km): into the biosphere reserve Křivoklátsko, the steepest climb on the entire route up to the Křivoklát Castle (a good 800 m off the trail). Be sure to book accommodations in advance—this is where the 50-km stretch with limited lodging begins.
4. Nezabudice → Zvíkovec — approx. 18 km — Berounka River meanders, Týřov ruins, and, at km 90.8, the trilobite site"Pod Hruškou" right on the trail (Cambrian, ~550 million years); in Skryje The Barrande Memorial, free admission.
5. Zvíkovec → Kralovice — approx. 26 km — Saying goodbye to the river, across Chlum Up into the hilly countryside; in Kralovice, the Gryspek Church, built between 1575 and 1581. Be careful at km 111.5: Don’t miss the turnoff at the “U Rakolusk” sign (Ultreia warning).
6. Kralovice → Plasy — approx. 15 km — the shortest and flattest stage with the most to see: Santinis Mariánská Týnice (Stamp), St. James Church Žebnice (Seal), Monastery Plasy on 5,100 oak stakes (markers). The day when you're not supposed to walk any kilometers.
7. Plasy → Ledce — approx. 21 km — forest trails via Mrtník and Krašovice to St. James' Church in Ledce (Stamp); at the end, don't miss the left turn that leads directly to Ledce.
8. Ledce → Pňovany — approx. 23 km — the Pilsen leg without Pilsen: observation tower Krkavec (Stamp, the only view of the town 6.3 km away), dam Hracholusky, Destination: Plzeň–Cheb rail hub.
9. Pňovany → Kladruby — approx. 21 km — Stříbro featuring the stone bridge built between 1555 and 1560 and the intersection with Golden Street (stamp), then Kladruby featuring St. James' Church (stamp) and the Santini Monastery. Meals are not available until Stříbro, in the second half of the trip.
10. Kladruby → Hostouň — approx. 33 km — the longest stage; Ultreia itself calls this stage “královská” (royal) because there are no accommodations available along the entire route between the start and finish—specifically, 24 km with nothing between Staré Sedlo (km 210) and Mírkovice (km 235). Finish: Hostouň, the last St. James's Church in the Czech Republic (1360, stamp).
11. Hostouň → Železná/Tillyschanz — about 20 km — via Bělá nad Radbuzou (last bus connection) to the Český les: the highest point of the entire route (624 m), four kilometers before the border, then down to Železná — and the last 850 meters are in Bavaria.

For 12 days The most practical way to split the opening stage of the 36 is in Zbraslav or Radotín (both with rail access and accommodations in Prague) — The obvious split of Stage 10 of the 33-kilometer route in Darmyšl is not feasible because there are no available beds there; Mírkovice (km 235.3, Penzion Starý Mlýn) is the only practical option. For 10 days if you combine the short stages in the Křivoklátsko region (Nižbor → Skryje, about 30 km with 818 meters of elevation gain—the toughest single stage of all the routes, ironically in the section with the fewest lodging options), for 9 days You'll need four 30s in a row and a place to stay in Prostiboř—which doesn't exist. So our recommendation is nothing special: Stick to eleven. The route is designed for eleven, and the layout of the beds doesn't call for any experimentation. It's easy to hop on and off along the way: Karlštejn, Beroun, Nižbor, and Roztoky, as well as Plasy, Pňovany, and Stříbro, are all served by trains.

Highlights Along the Way

• Basilica sv. Jakuba Většího, Prague (km 0) — the starting point, right at the door: founded in 1232 by Wenceslaus I, completed in 1374 under Charles IV, with a vault spanning nearly 30 meters; In 1311, the wedding celebration of John of Luxembourg took place here; in 1378, the body of Charles IV was laid to rest here; the organ by Abraham Stark (1705) has 8,277 pipes, making it the largest in the Czech Republic; designated a minor basilica since 1974. According to tradition, the hand of a thief hangs above the entrance. Open every day except Mondays, only from 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.—be sure to arrive early enough on the first morning.
• Zbraslav (km 15.6, right on the trail) — The Church of St. James the Greater served as the infirmary of the royal monastery Aula Regia, which Wenceslaus II founded in 1292 as penance for an execution; About fourteen members of the Přemyslid and Luxembourg dynasties were buried in the crypt until the Hussites desecrated the graves in 1420. Baroque renovation by Santini and Kaňka. Guided tours are offered only on the first Sunday of the month at 2:00 p.m.
• Karlštejn Castle (km 36.2, right on the trail) — Founded in 1348 by Charles IV as a treasury for the imperial regalia; the Chapel of the Cross (consecrated on February 9, 1365) houses 129 panel paintings by Master Theoderich, the largest collection of its kind in the world. The path does not run “within sight” of it, but directly beneath it.
• Svatý Jan pod Skalou (km 44.1, right on the trail) — From the church, you walk directly into the cave where the hermit Ivan lived for about forty years around 850–900 (he was never canonized—that, too, is part of the truth). The church dates from 1661; in the tower is a bell from 1401 bearing the oldest surviving Old Czech inscription.
• Křivoklátsko, including Křivoklát Castle (km 61–114) — A 628-km² biosphere reserve, 62 percent forest, approximately 1,800 plant species; the Berounka River has carved out a canyon, and the steepest section of the entire trail (+167 m over 2 km) leads up to the Royal Castle, where the young Charles IV once lived—a good 800 meters from the trail.
• Trilobite from Skryje (km 90.8, right on the trail) — The “Pod Hruškou” site: Cambrian Period, approximately 550 million years ago. From here, the Frenchman Joachim Barrande described 3,557 species in 22 volumes containing 1,160 plates; his motto is a good one for every pilgrim: “C'est ce que j'ai vu”—that is what I have seen. Memorial site in Skryje, free admission.
• Kralovice (km 125.9) — The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, rebuilt in the Renaissance style between 1575 and 1581 by Florián Gryspek of Griesbach: unplastered dark red brick; his epitaph from 1593, beneath which lies the family crypt.
• Mariánská Týnice (km 127.7, right on the trail) — Santini’s Pilgrimage Church: Foundation stone laid in 1711, consecrated in 1777, dome collapsed in 1920, completion of the eastern cloister in 2018–2021. Santini’s plan was complete—310 years after the cornerstone was laid. Stamp mark.
• Plasy Monastery (km 140.5) — Cistercians since 1144; the Santini monastery stands on 5,100 oak piles that are kept permanently submerged, with the water level checked up to four times a day—for over 300 years. The chronogram “aeDIfICIVM hoC sIne aqVIs rVet” (Without water, this building collapses) yields the year 1720.
• Krkavec Lookout Tower (km 165.5, a few minutes off the trail) — a lookout tower serving as a stamp station, not a church, not a rectory: the only spot from which you can see Pilsen. The fourth-largest city in the Czech Republic remains 6.3 kilometers away—the path doesn’t lead into it.
• Stříbro (km 196) — First mentioned in 1183 as the mining settlement “Argentaria”; a royal mining town from 1240–1250; silver and lead mining continued into the 1980s. The stone bridge over the Mže River (1555–1560) features a gate tower that, along with the one on Prague’s Charles Bridge, is the only one of its kind in Bohemia—both of Bohemia’s bridge towers are located along this route. The Golden Road crosses here.
• Kladruby Monastery (km 206.4, a good 600 m off the trail) — Founded in 1115 by Vladislav I, rebuilt in the Baroque-Gothic style by Santini from 1712 to 1726: the church is 86 meters long, the dome 46 meters. Abolished in 1785; subsequently used as a military hospital and barracks; from 1825, it served as the Windisch-Graetz brewery. In the city, St. James’ Church features a stamp.
• Hostouň (km 238.5, right on the trail) — The last St. James’s Church before the border, first mentioned in 1360, is a Marian pilgrimage site: The miraculous statue of Our Lady of Sorrows was solemnly brought here in 1729, and some 200 healings have been documented. In 2004, the church was designated the “last point of the Czech Republic” at the northeastern end of the Svatojakubská cesta.
• Železná and Tillyschanz (km 258.1–258.9) — the destination. In 1930, Eisendorf still had 1,092 German residents; in the 1960s, the church built in 1718 was demolished and a barracks was built; in 2013, there were fifteen houses. 850 meters further on lies Tillyschanz, situated on a defensive rampart from the Thirty Years’ War (constructed in 1611, rebuilt by Tilly in 1621; remains are visible)—in 1990: thirteen residents. This is where the trail ends, and where the next one begins.

How Pilgrims Find Their Way onto This Path

The direct feeder service is the Zittau Way. It runs 192 kilometers from Görlitz through Zittau and Stará Boleslav to Prague—and ends at that same basilica, where this route begins. A handoff doesn’t get any smoother than this: You spend the night in Prague, walk past St. James’s Church the next morning, and you’re already on the next leg of the journey. Those coming from even further east or north enter via the four-way junction at Görlitz: That’s where the The Lower Silesia Camino from Glogau and the Via Regia Poland from the Ukrainian border; that's where the Via Regia Germany toward the west — and at Bautzen, you switch to the The Way of St. James in Saxony.

For those who aren't traveling on foot, it's easier here than at almost any other starting point: Prague is accessible from everywhere, and the The Central Station is a good ten-minute walk from the starting point. And if you're standing in front of the basilica and haven't made up your mind yet: The Všeruby Way — the southern route to Bavaria. The first 15.6 kilometers to Zbraslav follow the same route; they diverge at the first St. James Church — the Všeruby Way heads south toward Eschlkam, and the Železná Way heads west. This makes Prague the only place in our network where one Way of St. James ends and two begin.

Continue the pilgrimage?

This path doesn't end in Santiago, but at a barrier—and that's a transfer point, not the final stop. In Železná/Tillyschanz beginnt der Oberpfälzer Jakobsweg, also Via Carolina known as: 184 kilometers via Eslarn, Schwandorf, and Kastl to Nuremberg, maintained by the Franconian St. James Society of Würzburg, with seven more St. James churches. Seven in Bohemia, seven in Bavaria: fourteen St. James churches along the 443-kilometer route from Prague to Nuremberg—the transition is so seamless that both routes include both border towns in their lists of locations.

From Nuremberg, the Franconian network begins: the The Way of St. James: Nuremberg–Ulm south, the The Franconian-Swabian Way of St. James to the west, the The Way of St. James in Upper Franconia north, and the Via Imperii runs as a north-south thoroughfare. At the end of each of these chains lies the same path: the The French Way From Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Ultreia calculates it for you right at the border crossing: From Tillyschanz, it's still 2,589 kilometers to Santiago—and from the Basilica of St. James in Prague, it's 2,845. By then, you'll have the first 259 behind you, and per kilometer, they were just as exhausting as everything that's still to come.

Preparation & Practical Information

Navigation first, because that's where it all comes down to. The trail does not have its own continuous signage—it makes “maximum use” of the hiking trail network of the Klub českých turistů: red, blue, green, and yellow color bars that change color several times along the way. You’ll only find scallop shells at the signposts, but they point in the exact direction—“srdce mušle ukazuje směr do Santiaga a paprsky ukazují směr ze Santiaga”: the heart of the shell points toward Santiago, and the rays point away from it. In practical terms, this means: You navigate using color bars, not shells — and with the Camino Ninja app you always have the complete route of this way with you. Ultreia itself explicitly warns against taking the wrong turn at three points (km 111.5 “U Rakolusk” before Ledce, and after Hostouň where the trail changes from green to blue).

Then the beds—the most honest part of this journey. There is no chain of pilgrim hostels—not a single one along the 259-kilometer route. Ultreia lists about a dozen guesthouses, a college, and a campground, and there are some real gaps in between: fifty kilometers between Roztoky (km 76) and Kralovice (km 126) — right where Ultreia’s stage destinations, Nezabudice and Zvíkovec, are located—for which the club itself does not list any accommodations—thirty-seven between Plasy and Plešnice, and twenty-five between Staré Sedlo and Mírkovice. Make a reservation. Not for convenience, but to ensure that the leg of the trip goes smoothly. There are two official pilgrim lodgings in Prague (the Capuchin Monastery at Loreta and the Kunratice Parish)—both are expressly reserved for pilgrims with a credencial: “Ubytovaní mohou být výhradně poutníci s poutnickým pasem (credenciálem).”

The rest is easy to explain. Best time to visit: April through October—the highest point is 624 meters; snow is rarely a problem, but closed guesthouses and restaurants during the off-season are; when visiting the Křivoklátsko region and the border area, be sure to bring water and provisions for the whole day. The Czech Credencial You can find the German pilgrim guide “Tschechische Nordroute” (2023) by ULTREIA z.s. in bookstores. Three things to watch out for regarding opening hours: the Prague Basilica (except Mondays, open only 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 2:00–4:00 p.m.), St. James’ Church in Zbraslav (guided tours only on the first Sunday of the month), and the monasteries’ seasonal operating hours. Plan your daily stages in advance, because accommodations are small, unevenly distributed, and often open only by appointment—the easiest way to do this is directly in the Camino Ninja app, where you can put together your stages and plan suitable accommodations at the same time.

What the journey will cost you

The Czech Republic makes this route affordable—nothing here is expensive except for poor planning. Guesthouses along the route typically cost 500 to 750 kroner (20 to 30 euros) per person per night (as of August 2026); the pilgrim lodging at the Kunratice parish in Prague costs 200 crowns, about 8 euros. You can often get lunch at a restaurant for less than 200 crowns. For eleven nights, you'll end up paying about 6,000 to 8,000 kroner (250 to 320 euros) plus meals—significantly less than in Germany or France. On top of that, there are one-time expenses: the Ultreia credencial, the pilgrim’s guide for 12.40 euros, and travel to and from the destination. Admission fees are the exception, not the rule—the Barrande Memorial is free, and the guided tour in Zbraslav is by donation—but you should definitely set aside money and time for four places: Karlštejn, Plasy, Kladruby, and Mariánská Týnice. And for Křivoklát, if you take the 800-meter detour.

Getting Here

To Prague You can get there from any direction: Long-distance trains run from Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, Munich, and Nuremberg, the Prague Main Station (Praha hl. n.) is a good ten-minute walk from the starting point It is located near St. James' Basilica, the Florenc long-distance bus station (1.1 kilometers away), and Václav Havel Airport is a good three-quarters of an hour away by bus and metro. If you want to walk there, take the Zittau Way from Görlitz — it ends right at the starting point.

The trip back from Tillyschanz is the harder part, and that needs to be said. The hamlet has no train service. The nearest town with bus service is Eslarn, 4.6 kilometers continue; from there, the route goes via Vohenstrauß to Pastures in the Upper Palatinate, where the train goes to Nuremberg and Regensburg. On the Czech side is Bělá nad Radbuzou (km 245.4) the last town with a bus connection to Domažlice and a train to Pilsen and Prague. Or you can solve the problem the way this border crossing suggests: Just keep walking—the Oberpfälzer Jakobsweg begins right here.

• Getting to the starting point: Prague Main Station (a ten-minute walk from the starting point), Florenc long-distance bus terminal (1.1 km), Václav Havel Airport (bus + metro, approx. 45 min.); long-distance trains from Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, Munich, and Nuremberg.
• Return trip: From Eslarn (4.6 km past the finish line), take the bus via Vohenstrauß to Weiden i. d. OPf., then take the train from there to Nuremberg and Regensburg; Alternatively, from Bělá nad Radbuzou (km 245.4) by bus to Domažlice, then by train to Pilsen and Prague.
• Interim entry: Karlštejn and Beroun (Prague–Pilsen line), Nižbor and Roztoky (Beroun–Rakovník local line—this allows the Křivoklátsko section to be bypassed), Plasy (Pilsen–Žatec line), Pňovany and Stříbro (Plzeň–Cheb Line).