Train from Klatovy to Železná Ruda is a popular regional train from Klatovy to popular ski resort in Šumava. The route is scenic and the train terminate at the Železná Ruda-Alžbětín railway station divided between the Czech Republic and Germany.
There are many scenic stretches along the route, for example the train runs along the dam near Nýrsko.
Trains are operated by České dráhy and served by Regiofox multiple units. On weekends and summer or winter season trains are often overcrowded.
There are direct trains from Prague via Pilzen to Železná Ruda, but in most cases there is a need to change trains at Klatovy station.
Useful websites:
České dráhy – online shop
Travelling by train with bike
Train travel in the Czech Republic – a general overview
Most important stations
Klatovy – an interesting town located about 40 km south of Plzeň. The town’s most prominent landmark is the 81-metre-high Black Tower, built in the Renaissance period. Klatovy has a compact city centre with some worth-visit places, for example the Church of the Immaculate Conception and St. Ignatius is an important Baroque monument. The church has famous underground catacombs containing naturally mummified bodies of members of the Jesuit order and local benefactors. Parts of the medieval fortifications have survived. The town is famous for the cultivation of Klatovy carnations, a traditional local variety of carnation. It’s a nice city and regional railway junction but the main railway station is located about 3 km from the city centre.
Nýrsko – an average town. It’s interesting for architecture lovers, because almost all town’s centre was demolished in 60’s for socialist buildings. There are only two interesting monuments: Old Town Hall which hosts museum opened only once a week and Jewish Cemetery.
Špičák – a mountain resort and railway stop in the Šumava mountains, best known for skiing, hiking and its railway tunnel. In summer, the area is popular for hiking and cycling through the The railway line between Klatovy and Železná Ruda-Alžbětín passes through the 1,747-metre-long Špičák Tunnel, historically one of the longest railway tunnels in the Czech lands. Špičák station is situated high in the mountains and is an important stop for visitors arriving by train.
Železná Ruda – the principal Czech resort town in the western Šumava mountains, directly opposite Germany. Several ski areas operate around the town, including the large resort at Špičák. The highest mountain of the Bavarian Forest, Großer Arber (1,456 m), is located just across the border in Germany. The famous Čertovo jezero and Černé jezero are among the major natural attractions nearby. The Church of Our Lady Help of Christians is one of the town’s characteristic buildings. Železná Ruda is the terminus of the Czech railway line from Klatovy. At Železná Ruda-Alžbětín, the railway reaches the German border. The Czech station is directly adjacent to the German station Bayerisch Eisenstein; the two stations are separated by the international border.
Bayerisch Eisenstein – a German border village in the Bavarian Forest, directly connected with Železná Ruda in the Czech Republic. Bayerisch Eisenstein station is particularly famous because the Czech-German border runs directly through the station building. German trains from Plattling reach Bayerisch Eisenstein, while Czech trains continue towards Klatovy and Plzeň. The German route to the Plattling is considered one of the most scenic railway lines in Germany. The town is an important gateway to the Bavarian Forest National Park.
