Velký Újezd: Hiking, Baroque and Local History

Velký Újezd between the Oderské vrchy and the Odra

Velký Újezd lies at the foot of the Oderské vrchy on a gently sloping hillside. The source of the Odra is located in its surroundings, about six kilometres from the town. At the same time, the town lies on an old trade route with a ford between Olomouc and Lipník nad Bečvou. When choosing your accommodation, the landscape, local history and good bus connections provide three specific points of orientation. Which aspect of your stay takes centre stage can be seen in Velký Újezd’s hiking events, cultural monuments and traditions. The gentle hillside and proximity to the source combine a connection with nature and local history. When planning your stay, you can therefore choose between an activity-filled day of hiking and a more culturally and historically focused tour of the town.

Hiking events with six route lengths

One notable example is the Memoriál Jaroslava Švarce. The hiking event offers routes of 6, 10, 17, 25, 35 and 50 kilometres; the start and finish are at the TJ Sokol sports ground in Velký Újezd. The range from six to 50 kilometres allows the hiking distance at the event to be clearly matched to the time available that day. Since 1968, the Memoriál has been organised every June as a long-distance hiking event. The KČT lists it as an IVV and Turistická-200 hiking event. Since 1976, TJ Sokol has also regularly organised an evening march in honour of 28 October. The evening march thus adds a distinct time-based feature to the town’s hiking programme. Another regular date in the local calendar is the traditional Velkoújezdské hody, which always take place around 15 August.

Baroque church and historic buildings

The Church of St. James the Greater is the parish church of the Velký Újezd u Olomouce parish. It is a Baroque sacred building constructed in 1749–1751 according to the design of the architect Mikuláš Thalherr; the church acquired its present form during these years. The town’s historic buildings also include the Vrchnostenský špitál from 1749 and the Poštovní přepřahací stanice from 1791. The Chapel of Panny Marie Lurdské is one of Velký Újezd’s cultural monuments. Thus, sacred Baroque architecture, a building dating from 1749 and a historic post station from 1791 stand side by side in Velký Újezd. Together, these sites create a rich picture of the town’s architectural and cultural history.

Local history, Tvarůžky and theatre

Local food culture also has a historical trace: homemade Tvarůžky were produced in Velký Újezd from 1895 onwards. This production ended after the Second World War and is therefore part of the town’s history, not a promise of current production. A chapter of local economic history thus complements the historic buildings and festivals. Culture is also maintained on stage. The Podhoran theatre group has been staging theatre premieres since 1958. You can therefore organise your stay according to your interest in hiking, historic buildings, local festivals or cultural events.

Discover more destinations

For further research, you can also view Luběnice, Bystročice, Strukov, Hněvotín, Hrubá Voda, Mladějovice, Mutkov and Štarnov.

For the higher-level travel overview: Olomouc District.