Lipno Lake Circular Trail

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Lipno Lake Circular Trail: Lakeside Loop Guide

Published 17 July 2025 Updated 5 June 2026

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HikeList Score

Lipno Lake Circular Trail scored 80/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.

Very Good

See score breakdownHide breakdown

Ideal length 66
Balanced challenge 60
Scenery & wildness 85
Varied terrain 83
Accommodation 100
Food & support 88
Path quality 80
Season flexibility 89

Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.

The Lipno Lake Circular Trail is an easy, roughly 80 km loop around Lipno Reservoir in South Bohemia, Czechia, near the Austrian border. It is best understood as a shared lakeside cycle circuit that can be walked: mostly flat asphalt, forest and farmland, with towns and ferries around the shore. Fit walkers or cyclists may complete the full circuit in 1 day; families walking it can take up to 4 days. It suits hikers wanting simple navigation, lake views and easy logistics rather than narrow mountain footpaths.

Route Overview

Most people start and finish at Lipno nad Vltavou by the dam, though Černá v Pošumaví or any lakeside village also works because the route is circular. The circuit follows the lakeside cycle route, including cyklotrasa č. 33 and connecting cycle ways, via places such as Frymburk, Horní Planá, Černá v Pošumaví, Nová Pec and Přední Výtoň. No fixed official hiking direction is specified. Three seasonal passenger ferries — Horní Planá–Bližší Lhota, Kyselov/Dolní Vltavice and Frýdava–Frymburk — can shorten the loop. If you want a more footpath-focused Czech walk, compare the Bílá Opava Valley Path, or for a longer Czech route see the Czech Greenways.

Lipno Reservoir and the Borderlands

Lipno Reservoir was created by damming the upper Vltava between 1952 and 1959 to regulate flow and generate hydroelectricity as part of the Vltava Cascade. Filling the valley flooded parts of riverside settlements, including Lipno nad Vltavou and Frymburk, and Dolní Vltavice was largely submerged. During the Cold War, the southern and western shores lay in the closed border zone with Austria, helping leave those banks quieter and more wooded today. Since the 1990s, Lipno has become one of Czechia’s main lakeside recreation areas.

Notable highlights

Lipno Reservoir: The largest body of water and dam reservoir in the Czech Republic, created on the Vltava and often nicknamed the “Czech Sea”. The route stays close to its broad, calm shoreline for much of the circuit.

Lipno Dam (Lipno I): A major dam with an underground hydroelectric power station and one of the area’s key technical monuments. It is the natural start or finish point if beginning in Lipno nad Vltavou.

Frymburk: A historic lakeside town with a square, the church of St Bartholomew and a ferry crossing. It is a useful stop on the busier northern shore.

Horní Planá: Birthplace of Austrian-Bohemian writer Adalbert Stifter. The Stifter educational trail and a reservoir ferry make it a practical and cultural waypoint.

Vítkův Hrádek / Vítkův kámen castle: An optional high detour above Přední Výtoň to a 13th-century ruin and viewing tower. It adds the route’s main steep climb but gives wide views over Lipno and the Šumava.

Lipno Treetop Walk: A paid family attraction above Lipno nad Vltavou, with an elevated wooden walkway and tower through the forest canopy. It is just off the route rather than part of the circuit.

Challenges to expect

The difficulty is distance and repetition, not technical terrain: expect long stretches of flat asphalt shared with cyclists, inline skaters and families, especially on the busy northern shore in summer. The southern and western shores are quieter and more wooded. Ferries are seasonal and charge small fares, so check crossings before relying on shortcuts. The optional Vítkův Hrádek climb is steep; otherwise, there is little hillwalking. For rougher Czech terrain, see the Golden Trail of the Czech Paradise.

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