Although I doubt anyone reading my blog will ever do this hike I’ve decided to share it with you as it’s a traditional route typical for the village of Valašská Bystřice which makes it special for me. The nature in this region is well-known for its beauty so apart from this hike I highly recommend any other you’ll ever have the opportunity to go for. On a normal day you can complete it in about two hours, however, to enjoy the Valašsko region at its best join the locals and go for it on the 31st of December. Just make sure you don’t need to drive on the very same day…
Starting at the centre of Valašská Bystřice, it’ll take you straight uphill where the forest, picturesque views and old fairy-tale-like cottages begin. There’s a catch though – the friendly locals following the same route aren’t just ordinary Czechs. They’re known for their alcohol appetite and on this special day every group you meet has a bottle of homemade slivovice that they’re happy to share with other groups they bump into. And it gets even better! The tradition says you have to have a shot at every crossroad or fork you pass through all the way to the pub in Santov (8th kilometre) so you may need more than one bottle.
Long story short, you end up drinking all hike long, making lots of friends, falling over a few times and some might even stay on the floor for a while to better connect with the nature. The only drawback is that some parts of the hike may slip out of your memory so feel free to repeat it the very next day and pick up whoever was left behind.
If drinking while hiking is not your cup of booze there’s a little trick to use when there are several shots heading your way. Just tell the smiley Czechs with red cheeks and noses that you’re driving or you’re pregnant. This usually helps…
Btw. the route as I recorded it is not set in stone and some families have a different variation. So feel free to make any alternation you like and don’t forget to start early in the morning…
