Doubravice: Pačíska, Fortifications and Museums

Doubravice between Landscape and History

Doubravice offers points of interest for a stay where nature, geology and cultural history come together. Pačíska south of the village combines a prominent hill with a geologically remarkable landscape. In addition, there is the fortified site of Ústupenice, several museums in the surrounding area and the freely accessible site of a windmill near Příčovy. If you would like to combine different interests during your trip, you can choose between exploring the landscape, visible traces of history and regional collections.

Pačíska: Hill, Valley and Geological Outcrops

Pačíska is a 504 m-high hill south of Doubravice in the cadastral area of Doubravice u Sedlčan. It shapes the gently descending valley of the Sedlecký potok. Near Pačíska are a former quarry and natural outcrops of metamorphic rocks from the Paleozoic Sedlčany-Krásná Hora island zone.

The old quarry near Pačíska exposes crystalline limestones, possibly from the Zbirov Formation, as well as metasiltstones, quartzites, metagreywackes and conglomerates. The Pačíska geological site is considered worthy of protection because it is one of the few occurrences of the youngest strata of the Central Bohemian island zone. The geological succession of Pačíska continues eastwards in isolated elevations near Šiberný south of Doubravice. This makes the site particularly interesting if you want to view geological formations not only as part of the landscape but also in their specific rock outcrops.

Fortifications and Visible Medieval Traces

Clearly recognizable remains of a medieval fortification are visible on the summit of Pačíska. Another historic site lies in the vicinity of Doubravice: Ústupenice is located about 3 km west of the village. The oval fortified site is surrounded by a ditch on its northern and eastern sides. The foundations of a rectangular building with wall remains are visible on the site; it was probably a palace. The two sites have different characteristics: at Pačíska, the visible remains on a summit are the main attraction, while Ústupenice can be recognized by its bank and wall structures.

Museums in the Doubravice Area

The Vysoký Chlumec Open-Air Museum preserves rural buildings, water-powered technical structures and small sacred objects in the vicinity of Doubravice, most of which date from the 18th to the early 20th century. Visitors can see nine buildings in total; seven of them are accessible through interior or special exhibitions or a seasonal exhibition.

The Sedlčany City Museum uses finds, documents and objects to show the development of the region from prehistoric times to the recent past. Its permanent exhibition covers seven rooms on two floors and is wheelchair accessible. This allows you to learn about regional history either in the open-air museum through preserved structures or in the city museum through objects and documents.

Orientation for Further Planning

Access to Pačíska is off-trail; the site is more than 250 m from the road. The Šiberný monument stands at the foot of the lookout hill on the side facing Pačíska. Another clearly described landmark is the windmill near Příčovy: its site lies on the red-marked route connecting Sedlčany and Nalžovice and is freely accessible. For your planning, it is therefore worthwhile to distinguish between geological outcrops, historic sites, museums and a destination on a marked route.

Further Destinations for Your Research

For further research, you can also view Korkyne, Kamýk Nad Vltavou, Pouste, Stara Hut', Pečice, Kosova Hora, Počepice and Starosedlský Hrádek .

For the higher-level travel overview: Příbram District.