1. Trojmezí - Aš
Lenght: 16 km
Border checkpoints:
Trojmezí(Kaiserův Mlýn) – Dreiländereck (T)
Doubrava – Bad Elster (M)
Nové Domky-Neuhausen (T)
Hranice – Ebmath (T)
Aš – Selb(M)
Other sights:
Hranice –westernmost town in the Czech
Rep.(www.mestohranice.cz)
view-tower Háj,
Beneš´s glade – entrance ways signed by KČT (Czech Tourists Club)
Aš(www.mestoas.cz)
Description:
The Iron Curtain begins nearby Hranice, the westernmost village in the Czech Republic. The oldest settlement in this region is Trojmezí (Gottmansgrűn), where the borders of Saxony, Bavaria and Czech Republic meet. The heart of this settlement was an iron-mill (Kaiserhammer, first mentioned 1555) destroyed after 1947. Trojmezí was prosperous village with many houses, a school, a firehouse and five pubs and five civic associations in the end of 19th century. Historical boundary stone dated 1772 was replaced by 3 m high concrete pylon.
19 years old re-emigrants from Romania, Štefan Čitan a Jan Ondrejovič were killed at the border nearby Hranice in 1952. Czech intelligence service engaged a provocateur on them. He guided them straight into a trap. They were shoot by border guards without warning. The transgressors were punished in 1953, but the last of them left the prison after amnesty in 1957. A historical border stone from the year 1884 can be found nearby. The road from Trojmezí is signed by Czech Tourists Club (KČT) red marks. The old service road along the former signal wall starts 2 km from Trojmezí nearby Hranice. Not far from the crossroad, the old fortified emplacement for border patrols is placed. The road continues to the south along nature preserve Lužní potok (Flood – plain stream) and after 2 km comes to village Pastviny(Friedersreuth).. Pastviny were situated approximately 4 km southwest from Hranice.
The village was founded somewhere in 15th century. Pastviny were quite large village with almost 1000 villagepeople before the 1945. After that year, the German inhabitants were transferred. The village did not disappear though, but found itself tight to border barriers in 1950s. This resulted in extensive demolitions: almost 90% of houses were knocked down at the end. The period of socialism, on the contrary, "enriched” the village with unavoidable barracks for Border Patrols. Nowadays, the Pastviny counts to smallest and most god-forsaken settled localitiesv in the Aš region. There are only 15 residents and several other houses are abandoned or used as weekend houses.
The old service road continues from Pastviny to 3 km distant former settlement Újezd (Mähring). with nice outlook at the border. The settlement was founded during 16th century. The iron ore was mined here and the iron-mill was situated here too. A random build-up area without a village square was typical for the village. Several small settlements and a large number of hamlets in the surroundings belonged to the village (e. g. there were 6 mills on the borderline stream Rokytnice, but only one stands now on the German side). Almost 1000 people lived here before the 2nd World War, but a large number of houses remained empty after the Transfer. The borderline arose just behind the village in 1950s and 90 % of the house-building was demolished subsequently. There are only several residents recently and some houses serve for recreational purposes. Extensive premises of departed Border Patrol barracks dominate to the settlement. Opposite to the barracks, a former tavern is located, departed in the 1990th. There is a deserted building of cowshed nerby, which camouflaged hidden patrol strong-hold with an armoured loophole. Also, the remains of medivial fortress from 14th century could be find here.
The service road follows the Aš´s direction via the shoulder of Štítarský vrch (Štítary´s peak) (716 m above sea level). The village Štítary (Schildern) was located nerby. The settlement was mentioned in 1342 firstly. And lately, it was Zedwitz´s family property as many other settlements in the area. Štítary was smaller farm village with slightly over 200 inhabitans in 1930. The village remained basically empty after the Transfer of German inhabitants in 1945 and found itself tightly closed to the border barriers in 1950s. There is only one house from the former house-building which has remained till these days. Next to this remained building, there are two prefab housing-units built in 1970s. The entire former house-buildings disappeared without any significant signs.
The service road meets railway tracks to Hranice just before Aš. It follows tracks for about 1 km and than pass by the town of Aš and leads us to the border checkpoint Aš/Selb. This is where the old road has been replaced by road connecting Czech Republic and Germany.
You can visit the Holy Trinity evangelic church is Aš. This church dated 1622 was rebuilt in the Baroque style in years 1747-49. But only external walls and the eastern tower with saved vestry remained after the fire in 1960.