Photo: Via Czechia
Jan Hocek is an enthusiastic traveller, tourist guide and columnist, who has completed some of the world’s most challenging trails. In 2020, he created a comprehensive network of long-distance tourist and pilgrimage routes leading through the country, called Via Czechia. The trails cover some 10,000 kilometres, passing through the lowest and highest points in the country and offering countless opportunities to explore its natural and historical landmarks. When I met with Jan Hocek to discuss Via Czechia, I started by asking how he got the idea for the project:
“I have always been hiking and spending time outdoors. It is my passion and a part of my life. I also travel abroad a lot. In 2019 I was visiting Bhutan in the Himalayas to hike the Snowman Trek, which is supposed to be one of the hardest trails in the world. And that’s where the idea came to me.
“We had been in the mountains for about a month, far from civilization, so it was the ideal moment to dream about things and new ideas. So that’s how the idea came to me.
“When I came back home, I started to work on the system of hiking and biking, and also cross country skiing and water craft trails in Czechia.”
See the rest here.
Author: Ruth Fraňková