The Bohemian Forest, a beautiful and protected area, stretches across southwest Czechia and southeast Germany. This forest bears a striking resemblance to the forests in Bavaria. Having spent a significant part of my childhood there, I cherish returning to revisit the familiar spots hidden within the forest, just like my mother and I used to when I was kid up to 14 years old. So, the Bohemian Forest in the Czech Republic was our next stop on our European trip with three kids and two energetic dogs. It turned out to be an excellent choice for our little adventurous tribe!
We spent a week in Bohemian Forest, Southwest Czechia. As I mentioned in previous posts, plans with kids often go awry. In our case, our four-year-old boy fell ill with the flu (who gets the flu in the summer, especially on holidays?!). This meant we had to rearrange many activities, including canceling our booking for a famous Czech kids’ concert. Instead of exploring new hikes and showing the kids at least one of the five beautiful lakes in Bohemia, we ended up having relaxed days at a mountain cottage with Jacob’s parents.
Once Lucas started feeling better, Jacob, the twins, and I set out for a longer hike to ‘Tříjezerní slať,‘ an old protected area in the Bohemian Forest. We took our border collie cross, while our older dog stayed at Jacob’s parents’ cottage to have a more relaxed afternoon and evening. We chose a milder hike as we set out quite late, so our chosen spot was ‘Tříjezerní slať’ in a protected zone of Šumava National Park. I definitely think that the hike to Tříjezerní slať’ from Modrava is a great option for beginners, as you can reach the final destination with about an hour’s walk. Haha, in our case, it took quite a bit longer since we had one-year-old twins, a pram, and a border collie cross with us!
In Modrava, we found a spacious car park where we left our UK car and set off for our hike. Summer in Central Europe is usually accompanied by sunshine, and we finally felt the warmth of a real summer day! The hike from Modrava to Tříjezerní slať offers a beautiful path through the distinctive forest of the national park. The first half of the hike was smooth, but the last kilometer was quite challenging with its steep ascent. Imagine pushing a pram uphill while carrying twins and managing a border collie! (Do your babies also have days when they refuse to sit in the pram, leaving you pushing an empty one?)
Before tackling the final uphill stretch, we paused for a short break. Jacob snapped some pictures of me with Victoria and Charlie in a lovely spot filled with wild grass and blooming purplish-pink heather, surrounded by pine forest. This rich, wild landscape reminded me of what I sometimes miss in England. Since taking up photography, I have come to appreciate the beauty of European continental landscapes and nature much more than before. While we were taking photos, Ollie napped in the pram, but he woke up shortly after. To avoid his usual post-nap grumpiness, I carried him in a Tula carrier and breastfed him.
As we hiked uphill, Jacob and I laughed a lot, agreeing that this hike was like an intense hour at the gym. At one point, we even questioned our decision, wondering why we weren’t relaxing on a mountain cottage terrace with chilled drinks. But we wanted an active holiday, didn’t we? Suddenly, we reached the peak of the hill and were rewarded with a stunning view of the picturesque valley below. The sky danced in pastel colors as the sun began to set.
At the top, we found an old peat bog with many unique and protected species of plants and insects. The small peat bog is surrounded by ancient pine trees and accessible via a wooden path, creating a unique experience. I remember the twins wanted to be held by me, so I carried one in the carrier and the other in my arms, swapping them often. Ollie, with his wild personality, ran along the path for a while before I scooped him up to avoid any mishaps with the deep waters. Carrying twins this way was not something I would recommend, as the next day I could barely move due to back pain! This moment made me realize that our babies were growing up and needed more independence, but for safety, it was easier to carry them at that time so Jacob could manage our dog, who had to be kept on a leash to prevent him from jumping into the peat bog, and the pram.
As the sunset deepened, we had to move quickly. Jacob carried one of the babies while our dog, finally able to run free again, bounded ahead with joy, making the descent down the hill easy and relaxing. We reached the valley just as the sky transitioned to a deep, dark blue and the first stars appeared. Exhausted, we put Victoria in the pram (she wasn’t thrilled) and played English cartoon songs on our phone (10 Little Speckled Frogs), which made us laugh as passersby looked surprised at the unexpected forest concert. This sped up our pace, and we returned to the car park sooner than expected. On the drive home, the babies finally fell asleep, and our toddler slept soundly in Granny’s arms at the cottage.
I will never forget, nor regret, this hike! Even though I had back pain the next day, it quickly disappeared with some cream and a lazy day spent playing with the kids in bed while listening to the sound of rain outside. Perfect for a restful, cozy day in the Bohemian Forest!
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