Plesná — also known as Lackenberg (1,338 m a.s.l.) — is the kind of summit that rewards the curious rather than the thrill-seeker. Sitting right on the Czech-German border at the northern edge of the Bavarian Forest National Park, it offers no rocky crown, no summit cross and no sweeping panorama. What it does offer is raw, quiet wilderness.

The highest point is a boggy, mossy clearing surrounded by dense spruce forest — peaceful, slightly mysterious, and completely off the tourist radar. The mountain shifts character with the seasons: fresh and resinous in spring, deeply green in summer, glowing with autumn colours, and buried under heavy snow in winter. Just to the north lies Lake Laka (Lackensee), the smallest and highest of the five glacial lakes of the Bohemian Forest — well worth combining with your visit.

• From Zwieslerwaldhaus — trail via Ruckowitzschachten, a long and demanding route suited to experienced hikers.
• Along the border path — following the former Iron Curtain line, today a quiet cross-border trail accessible from both the Czech and German sides.

• The summit lies exactly on the Czech-German state border — you will cross between two countries during the hike.
• The summit area is marshy and waterlogged — sturdy waterproof hiking boots are essential.
• There is no summit marker, cross or register box — the highest point can be tricky to identify on the ground.

Until 1990, the border path here was a deadly route — it ran along the Iron Curtain. Today it is a peaceful, almost forgotten trail through one of the quietest corners of the Bohemian Forest.