A walk through the woods to the St Procopius chapel (1 km away).
If you walk along the forest road to Sázava, it is worth stepping off the main road to see the lookout point with a cross which reminds the old, moving story of a love that is described here. Then you can take the scenic road over the river and after a while you come across the oldest surviving building – the St Procopius chapel. It was restored on the site of an older building in 1798.
You will walk for a while along an alley of small-leaved lime and large-leaved lime trees that are over 200 years old.
Just a few more steps and you will be welcomed by the Sázava Monastery – a monument dating back over 1,000 years (2 km away).
The third oldest monastery in Bohemia is located in the place where a hermit named Prokop settled at the beginning of the 11th century in a cave above the Sázava river. After some time, a community of hermits gathered around him which around 1032, thanks to Přemyslid dukes Oldřich and his son Břetislav, turned into a Benedictine monastery. Special features of the monastery throughout the 11th century included Slavic liturgy and development of Slavonic literature. The monastery thus continued the former legacy of Cyril and Methodius, missionaries who came to Great Moravia. The Slavic Benedictines created a number of important Slavic written documents here. The monastery is also famous as a place where the poor and sick found support and healing.
It is worth it to walk through the town of Sázava and visit the František Glassworks – Glass Art Centre (3 km away).
t was created from the former František Glassworks, built in 1882 by Josef Kavalier, who named it after his father. After the new glassworks plants were constructed, the importance of the František Glassworks declined and it slowly fell into disrepair. An objective to preserve it was established by the Josef Viewegh Foundation – František Glassworks, which operates the Glass Art Centre in it. The Centre houses an interactive exhibition of glass, including beautiful pieces created by the well-known artist Bořek Šípek. It also includes workshops and studios for creation and active presentation of the glassmaking craft for both artists and the general public. In the vicinity of the František Glassworks is the former glassmaking settlement Na Kácku.
Is the walk too short? Or do you have a bike?
Well, take the red trail from Sázava through Rataj and you will get up to Český Šternberk. In the opposite direction, there is a red trail leading from Pyskočely along the Sázava river, past the famous Na Marjánce restaurant (1 km away), then through Chocerady and Čtyřkoly to Čerčany, Kamenný Přívoz and Davle.