Rabstejn nad Strelou

Rabstejn nad Strelou has a population of around a hundred and has held town rights since the fourteenth century, which is the basis for the claim, made locally and repeated widely, that it is the smallest town in Central Europe - a claim that depends on how town status is counted and which is disputed, but the scale is real. It sits at the bottom of a steep gorge of the Strela with the road dropping sharply in from both sides, a castle above it, a chateau built into the castle site, a Servite monastery, and a stone bridge of the fourteenth century over the river, one of the older bridges in the country. The slate quarried here roofed buildings across Bohemia. Most of the buildings are private. The gorge is walked and the setting - a handful of houses in a cleft with a castle over them - is why people make the detour.

The main sights

• About a hundred inhabitants - with town rights held since the fourteenth century.
• A steep gorge - the road dropping sharply to the Strela from both sides.
• A fourteenth-century stone bridge - among the older bridges in the country.
• A castle and monastery - above and beside the handful of houses.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

What to expect

There is almost nothing open - the chateau is private and the interest is the setting. The approach roads are steep and narrow with very limited parking. Services amount to a pub or two in season.

Nearby

Manetin and its street sculpture are eight kilometres away.

Key facts