Dlouhá stoka

Dlouhá stoka is one of the great technical monuments of the Karlovy Vary Region: an artificial water channel cut through Slavkov Forest that has carried the story of mining, water and landscape for almost five centuries. Today it is a national cultural monument and a rewarding walking route, where engineering detail appears quietly between peat bogs, forest tracks and views across the Slavkov Forest uplands.

History and engineering

The channel was created because the tin mines around Horní Slavkov and Krásno needed reliable water for machinery, ore processing and timber transport. Construction began in 1531 under surveyor Hans Roßmeisl and was completed in 1536, an impressive achievement for its time.

Its precision is the real wonder. Over a length of about 24.2 km, the channel drops only around 0.35 m per 100 m, so the water moves by gravity without pumping. The system once included stone bridges, sluices and side channels; at its height it supplied dozens of mills and mining facilities and helped float timber from more distant forests toward the mining works.

Dlouhá stoka was listed as a cultural monument in 2003 and became a national cultural monument in 2014, the highest heritage protection in Czech law.

Walking the channel

The most popular starting point is Kladský rybník near Mariánské Lázně, where information panels introduce the history and technical features of the waterwork. The full channel runs from the area near Kladský rybník at about 820 m above sea level to the confluence with the Stoka near Krásno, but many visitors choose a shorter section from Kladská.

Main access points include:

• Kladská - near Kladský rybník, closest to Mariánské Lázně
• Prameny - useful for the middle part of the route
• Nová Ves - western section
• Krásno - eastern end near the confluence

The terrain is generally easy, with minimal elevation gain, and a shorter walk from Kladská takes roughly 2.5 hours at a relaxed pace. In winter, expect slippery or snowy stretches.

What to notice

A walk along Dlouhá stoka combines water engineering and protected nature. Look for old stone bridges, overflow structures, sluices, sections of stone-lined bank, small later hydro structures, peat-bog habitats and wide views across Slavkov Forest. The channel is not a single dramatic monument; its strength is the way it keeps appearing, working and disappearing into the landscape.

Practical information

• Admission: free
• Access: year-round, without fixed opening hours
• Trip length: about 2.5 hours for a shorter section, or a full day for the whole channel
• Difficulty: easy, mostly level terrain

Directions and contacts

• Website: dlouhastoka.cz
• Information point: OMKS Horní Slavkov, Pluhova 211, 357 31 Bečov nad Teplou
• Phone: +420 352 688 130
• Nearest common starting point: Kladský rybník near Mariánské Lázně
• GPS start point at Kladský rybník: 50.0264, 12.6682