Hejnice: Pilgrimage Church, Monastery and Hiking Trails

Hejnice combines Baroque sacred history with distinctive landscape experiences. The long-distance hiking route Via Czechia passes directly through the town, while other trails begin or end here. This brings together culture, long-distance hiking, shorter excursions and seasonal orientation in one place.

Baroque Pilgrimage Church and Franciscan Monastery

Hejnice is home to the Baroque Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary together with an extensive Franciscan monastery. The single-nave church was built between 1722 and 1729. Since July 1, 2018, the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary has been a national cultural monument. Its history goes back further: On February 12, 1692, the Archbishop of Prague, Bedřich z Valdštejna, solemnly declared the local Church of the Virgin Mary a monastery church and entrusted it to the care of the friars of the Franciscan Province of St. Wenceslas.

The monastery adds a contemporary cultural program to the architectural history. Concerts, exhibitions and lectures take place there. This places historic architecture, church history and changing events directly alongside one another.

Hiking Trails with Different Stages

The long-distance hiking route Via Czechia passes directly through Hejnice. The restored, nearly 200-kilometer-long pilgrimage trail VIA NISA ends at the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary in Hejnice and is divided into eight full-day stages. The two routes therefore offer different forms of hiking: Via Czechia passes through the town, while VIA NISA reaches Hejnice as the destination of a longer pilgrimage trail.

For shorter distances, a 9.3-kilometer hiking trail begins in Hejnice and passes the Velký Štolpich Waterfall. The Štolpichy National Nature Reserve includes gorges, streams with waterfalls and old beech trees. The 9.3 kilometers of this route contrast with a 20-kilometer hike from Liberec to Hejnice. The different distances and starting points make it easier to plan hiking days when a shorter loop or a longer connection between two towns is intended.

Nature Experiences and Seasonal Orientation

The Velký Štolpich Waterfall draws attention to the landscape around Hejnice, while the Štolpichy Nature Reserve, with its gorges, waterways, waterfalls and old beech trees, provides a distinct focal point. In winter, a regular ski bus service runs to Smědava, the starting point for Hejnice. This seasonal connection supplements the year-round cultural and hiking attractions described here with another starting point for orientation during the cold season.

A Fixed Date in the Hiking Calendar

The tourist hiking march “Po stopách železné koruny” was founded in 1972 and takes place regularly on the second Saturday in September. This recurring date stands alongside the individually selectable routes and adds a clear seasonal accent to the hiking calendar.

Other places in the Okres Liberec are Cesky Dub, Bílý Potok, Doubi, Černousy, Svijanský Újezd, Jablonné V Podjestedí, Oldřichov V Hájích and Hrádek Nad Nisou.

To the higher-level travel overview: Okres Liberec.