Otovice U Broumova: Baroque, Mill and Fossils

Otovice U Broumova is a destination for travellers who want to discover cultural history and distinctive landscape features together. Characteristic folk architecture shapes the appearance of the built-up area. It is complemented by Baroque religious buildings, a historic mill, monuments and palaeontological sites in the Stěnava valley.

Baroque Buildings and Places of Remembrance

The Church of St Barbara was built in 1725–1726 to designs by the Baroque architects Dientzenhofer, father and son. Its oval floor plan is complemented by side chapels that project from the exterior walls. Another notable sight is the single-storey, masonry late-Baroque water mill from the 1770s. It stands beside a millrace that has since been filled in. The Baroque undershot mill has a portal bearing the monogram AB and the year 1776.

Even smaller monuments tell the story of the locality. The war victims’ memorial from 1926 originally commemorated 30 local men who fell on the fronts of the First World War. It bears the dedication “Obětem válek”. The ensemble with the Column of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, together with statues of saints and angels, is an unusual sculptural work from the second half of the 19th century. On 17 October 2014, the Ministry of Culture declared the ensemble a cultural monument. Otovice is also home to a Marian column dating from 1639.

Fossils and Protected Landscape along the Stěnava

Otovice offers unusual insights into the history of the Earth. Ve strži is a Permian palaeontological site in the cadastral area of Otovice u Broumova. U školy is a site containing plant fossils in the dark limestones of the Olivětín Beds, also in the cadastral area of Otovice u Broumova.

The geology can be explored in greatest detail at the Hoprich outcrops. They extend from the footbridge below the church to the bridge near the school in Otovice. The strata contain fossil impressions of Walchia conifers and ferns, as well as occasional fossil remains of ray-finned fish. Hoprich is a palaeontologically interesting Permian outcrop in the Stěnava valley. U zastávky is also home to one of two small protected areas along the Stěnava in Otovice; both areas lie within the first zone of the landscape protection area.

Hiking, Cycling and Navigation

A blue-marked hiking trail leads from the railway station in Otovice to Božanov and on to the Broumovské stěny. Train service to Otovice was discontinued on 11 December 2005. An information board for orientation on cycle route 4020 Stolové hory is located in the shelter at the bus stop. The route is 126 km long. In addition, the 36-km blue-marked cycle route 4002 Javoří hory runs through the area and connects to cycle route 4020 in Otovice. The connecting route between Šonov and Otovice offers valuable views of the landscape.

Further Places for Your Research

If you would like to explore further destinations in the Czech Republic in addition to Otovice, you can find Jaroměř, Brzice, Borová U Náchoda, Šestajovice U Jaroměře, Mezilesí, Náchod, Velký Třebešov and Velká Jesenice here.

For the overview of the wider travel region: Náchod District.