On The Trail Of Edward VII

I TRAVELLED to Mariánské Lázně with Paul Stokes, a fellow member of Battersea Chess Club.
This morning we walked the 5.7kilometre Edward Trail, named, in a somewhat impertinent fashion, after Britain's King Edward VII.
The trail quickly ascends into forested hills, with splendid views overlooking the town.

Looking down on Mariánské Lázně through firs

This was supposedly the king's favourite walk in the Marienbad area, which suggests he was rather fitter than images of him would imply (but then I doubt if the trail was snow-covered or blocked in several places by fallen trees when he walked it).
One thing that certainly was on the trail when King Edward walked it was the Lookout Tower on Hamelika hill.

Hamelika Lookout Tower used to overlook the town but the view today is obstructed by pines

But it had not been there long - the tower is a folly constructed on a whim in 1876 by local builder Fridrich Zickler.
The trail continues to the Royal Golf Club Mariánské Lázně, opened by the king in 1905.

The club is variously described as the oldest in Bohemia and the oldest in the Czech Republic

Judging by our walk today, it is definitely a good idea to start, as recommended on a trails map obtainable for free from tourist information offices, at the plush spa hotel Nové Lázně.
There are some parts early on that are quite tricky, at least when the ground is covered in snow and ice, but the trail forms a loop, and doing it this way means a much gentler descent.
The higher ground near the golf club looks quite bleak at this time of the year, but is popular with cross-country skiers who set off from the club's car park.

Believe it or not, this is a colour photograph

The club was closed for the winter, so we had to wait till we got back into town for a much-desired coffee.
Two espressos and a rich slice of chocolate-and-banana cake set me back just under £6.50, including a tip, at the Nové Lázně's Wiener Café.
This evening - it was a 5pm start today as there was a rapidplay in the morning - I beat a 1785 in round two of the Seniors.