Habakladrau – Moor Landscapes and Historic Sites

At the foot of Podhorní vrch lies Ovesné Kladruby, a place where protected moorlands, volcanic landscapes, and notable reminders of local history come together. This creates a destination with a range of attractions for families and other travelers who wish to combine nature experiences with cultural discoveries.

Nature Between Moor and Volcano

PP Podhorní slatě near Ovesné Kladruby contains some of the best-preserved complexes of wetland and moorland vegetation in the Slavkovský les Protected Landscape Area. Several orchid species grow there, along with woodland lousewort and the rare marsh lousewort. The area is also home to numerous protected bird and butterfly species. A route designated by AOPK to PP Podhorní slatě begins at Ovesné Kladruby railway station and is approximately 4 kilometers long.

Another natural destination is the Milhostovské mofety. They lie in the cadastral area of the municipality of Ovesné Kladruby and can be reached via a 2.5-kilometer-long, yellow-marked local trail. The two different trail lengths provide clear guidance when comparing nature excursions. The Milhostovské mofety are a protected natural monument established to protect sulfurous gas emissions. Their circular craters, usually no more than 0.5 meters deep, release sulfurous gases.

Podhorní vrch is 847 meters high and is considered the highest mountain in the Tepelská vrchovina. At the same time, it is an extinct volcano. Together with the moorlands and mofettes, it shapes the area's distinctive natural character.

Local History and Architectural Heritage

Ovesné Kladruby was already mentioned as a parish center in 1242. The Church of St. Lawrence is a single-nave Baroque church with a rectangular floor plan and a prismatic tower. It dates from 1748 and was remodeled into its present form in 1747–1748. The church stands on the site of an older religious building that burned down.

The historic villagescape also includes the single-story rectory and the war memorial. The rectory was built in 1830 by Antonín Thurner from Teplá Monastery, modeled on Baroque farm courtyards. The war memorial has a restored original inscription, plaques bearing the names of those who fell in the First World War, and a restored eagle sculpture. The village school also served the municipalities of Milhostov and Vysočany and had three classes with 120 pupils.

Small Monuments with Their Own Stories

Near Ovesné Kladruby stands a stone Renaissance wayside shrine, erected around 1600 at a crossroads on the road to the former execution site on the hill called Am Galgen. Its chapel contains reliefs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ with the Calvary group, and the Flagellation of Christ. The rural homestead “Venkovská usedlost” is also noteworthy. It dates from the third quarter of the 19th century and is an exceptional example of a rural residence with an arcade.

A reconciliation cross without an inscription or relief stands on the road from Ovesné Kladruby to Mrázov. Such small testimonies complement the larger buildings and add historical richness in detail to an exploration of the village.

Other Places to Compare

If you would like to compare different places at the same level for further travel planning, here is a compact selection: Asch, Nebanitz, Großloh, Schönbach Bei Asch, Fleißen, Trebendorf, Scheibenreuth and Haslau.

For the overview of the wider area: Eger District.