Lochovice: Castle, Healing Spring and Paths in the Litavka Valley

Lochovice lies in the Litavka Valley and combines historical traces with opportunities for walks and nature experiences within a small area. Lochovice Castle, the Church of St. Andrew, the Na Stráži earthworks and several paths in the surrounding area offer different points of interest for a trip. Accommodation in Lochovice is particularly suitable as a starting point for your research if you would like to combine local history and landscape.

Lochovice Castle and Its Historical Traces

The four-winged late Renaissance Lochovice Castle was built on the site of an earlier fortress and later remodelled. Today, it is protected as a cultural monument. The castle grounds include a park, gardens and a pond. To the north lies the Šance entrance garden, which was laid out on the site of the original fortifications. The castle grounds themselves also reveal historical depth: Lochovice Castle is an archaeological site with documented or well-founded suspected archaeological finds.

The documented access conditions are important for your planning: The castle is open to the public only in connection with one-off cultural events. It should therefore not automatically be planned as a castle that can be visited at any time. Nevertheless, the castle area remains a defining reference point for the history of Lochovice and makes the town particularly interesting for travellers who do not wish to limit their cultural discoveries to well-known interiors.

Church, Chapel and Healing Spring

The Church of St. Andrew stands on a lawn in the western part of Lochovice Square. The present Baroque church dates from 1654. Its predecessor was a Gothic church dedicated to St. Stanislaus, which was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War. South of the presbytery stands a sandstone column with a statue of the Virgin Mary. The arrangement of these architectural and memorial features makes the square a place where several chapters of local history can be read side by side.

The history of the former spa town of Lochovice includes a healing spring that still lies beside a chapel on the grounds of Domov Lochovice. A chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built at this healing spring in 1757–1758. The spring and chapel thus point to the town's former spa tradition, without implying that a spa operation or current services are available today.

Earthworks and Paths around Lochovice

The Na Stráži earthworks lie on the southern edge of Lochovice. The archaeological site is located on a spur above the right bank of the Litavka, between the Litavka and the road to Lhotka. The site covers approximately 7 hectares and consisted of three parts. Anyone interested in both landscape and history will find another distinctive site here alongside the castle and the town centre.

There are also several documented points of interest for walks and longer routes. The Lochovická Třicítka starts in front of Lochovice railway station. The “From Jince to Brdy's Olympus” circular route and educational trail can also be accessed from Lochovice. The nearby forests on Plešivec, Ostrý and in Koncipudy offer opportunities for pleasant walks. When choosing your accommodation in Lochovice, you can therefore consider whether the focus of your stay should be on the town's historic sites, signposted paths or peaceful woodland landscapes.

Further Places for Your Research

If you would like to compare other destinations in addition to Lochovice, you can also include Nizbor, Měňany, Bykoš, Olešná, Skuhrov, Králův Dvůr, Hředle and Cerhovice in your travel planning.

For the higher-level travel overview: Beroun District.