Stage 7. Stará Boleslav – Praha Prosek
From: Stará Boleslav
To: Praha Prosek – St. Wenceslaus Church
Length: 22,3 km
Height profile: 
252 m 
131 m
Route description
This stage, approximately 21 km long, is special because it follows the historic Via Sancta pilgrimage route. It leads from the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary through the Basilica of St Wenceslas in Stará Boleslav all the way to the Church of St Wenceslas in Prague’s Prosek district. Traditionally, Via Sancta is walked in the opposite direction — from the centre of Prague to the Church of the Assumption, where the Palladium of the Czech Land is kept: a sacred metal relief of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus.
According to legend, St Methodius brought this relic to Great Moravia and presented it to St Ludmila at her baptism. Emperor Rudolf II later proclaimed the relief to be the Palladium of the Czech Land. During the difficult years of the Thirty Years’ War, the first pilgrimage to the Palladium took place in 1638. This marked the beginning of the Holy Way, which led from Prague’s Poříčská Gate to Stará Boleslav. In the second half of the 17th century, noble patrons financed the construction of 44 chapels along the route. Today, only 16 of them remain, many of which stand in fields or away from the main road, as the route of the highway between the two towns has changed over time.
The stage itself begins in Stará Boleslav at the bus station and follows the green trail, crossing the Elbe River towards the Renaissance château in Brandýs nad Labem, which saw its most famous days during the meeting of Emperors Franz Joseph I and Wilhelm II at the twilight of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. From Brandýs to Prague–Vinoř, the route continues along the red trail, passing the old execution site and synagogue, then through a quiet park and along a historic sunken path via Popovice to Dřevčice.
Just before the village, the path descends into the valley of the Vinořský Stream and reaches Dřevčice fortress, whose appearance recalls its historical role as a granary. Dřevčice is the only larger settlement between Brandýs and Prague offering several options for refreshments. After crossing the main road near the Šternberk Chapel, the route leads through tree-lined paths across open fields to the ruins of Jenštejn, a former Gothic water castle with a striking black tower.
The way then passes a series of shaded ponds and a prehistoric settlement at “V Obůrkách”, before briefly following the yellow trail by Pohankův Pond in Vinoř. From the main Mladoboleslavská Street, the route continues to Prosek without tourist waymarks. Along the edge of a golf course, two preserved niche chapels can be seen. Upon entering Kbely, the path passes through the park, away from the main road. Two of the original eight chapels of the Holy Way remain here, and the district is gradually rebuilding replicas of the lost ones near the park.
After returning to the sidewalk along Mladoboleslavská Street, the path passes the Aviation Museum and the historic Klíčov bus depot, with its characteristic arches, before reaching the Romanesque stone Church of St Wenceslas in Prosek — the endpoint of this stage.
Points of interest
Stará Boleslav – Our Lady of Assumption Church
Stará Boleslav – bazilika sv. Václava
Stará Boleslav -St Clement Church
Brandýs nad Labem