Lipno Treetop Walkway

The Czech Republic's first treetop walkway, opened in 2012 above Lipno nad Vltavou: a 675-metre barrier-free wooden path rising to 40 metres, ending in a viewing tower with a 52-metre dry slide and views to the Šumava forest and the distant Alps.

The walkway opened in July 2012, the first of its kind in the country, set into the forest above Lipno nad Vltavou in South Bohemia. The wooden footbridge climbs at a gentle 2–6% gradient to a maximum height of 40 metres, barrier-free the whole way, and built to take prams and wheelchairs.

The 675-metre route is sectioned with things to pause for. The Bird’s Path carries models of Šumava nests, wooden bird sculptures and a bird clock; nearer the top, at around 25 metres up, an open adrenaline net is strung across the structure for anyone wanting a less steady footing.

It ends at a viewing tower that looks out over most of Lake Lipno, the Bohemian Forest, the Novohradské mountains and, on a clear day, the peaks of the Alps. The quickest way down is the 52-metre dry toboggan that spirals through the tower’s core.

In July and August the walkway stays open until midnight; a night walk above the treetops is one of the more unusual things to do in the region.