Lichkov – Concrete Border and Border History

Lichkov between the Foothills and Border History

Lichkov is a foothill municipality at an elevation of about 560 metres near the state border with Poland. The nearby mountains include Vysoký Kámen and Sikornik; Suchý vrch and Urwista are also located in the surrounding area. The elevation and mountain names place the village within its landscape, while the fortifications form a second, historical theme.

Betonová hranice: a Route with History

The approximately 15-kilometre Betonová hranice circular hike features 23 information panels. They cover various aspects of the development, purpose, and history of the Czechoslovak border fortifications. The combination of a circular hike and information panels links physical activity with historical topics. The approximate length and number of panels also provide clear reference points for planning your day without reducing the route to mere sightseeing.

The Betonová hranice system includes a blue-marked access route from Lichkov. It also connects the Vojenské muzeum Lichkov to the entire system. A small section of the route runs through the Orlice Nature Park in the valley of the Tichá Orlice; the remaining and substantial part passes through the Suchý vrch - Buková hora Nature Park. The route therefore connects the starting point with the museum and passes through two differently designated nature park areas.

A green-marked route leads from Lichkov railway station to the Bouda Artillery Fortress. This clearly distinguishes the circular hike with information panels from the green-marked connection between the railway station and the fortress by their routes. For orientation on site, both Lichkov as the starting point of the system and the railway station as the starting point of a separate connection are described.

Bunkers, Museum, and Cultural Monument

The Kostel sv. Josefa - dělníka church was declared a cultural monument by a decision of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic dated 7 December 2011. The Vojenské muzeum Lichkov is located in the pre-war infantry bunkers K-S 31 “U besídky” and K-S 32 “Na růžku” between Lichkov and Mladkov. Its exhibition focuses on armoured vehicles in Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1945.

The museum is located on the western edge of the municipality, about 200 metres from Road 312 between Lichkov and Mladkov. The municipality’s cadastral area also contains the K-S 25 “Na Sedle” infantry bunker; inside it is an exhibition belonging to the private Muzeum Vysoký kámen. Its location on the western edge of the municipality and its distance from Road 312 place the museum geographically between Lichkov and Mladkov.

In the wider region surrounding Lichkov, Nový Hrad can be found as a ruin, while Gorzanów - Pałac and Trzebieszowice are castles. In the wider regional area, bunkers and military history exhibitions thus stand alongside castles and a ruin. These cultural attractions complement hikes along the border fortifications with historic sites representing different forms and themes.

More Destinations for Your Search

If you would like to compare other places for your travel planning in addition to Lichkov, you can also visit the pages for Zádolí, Dlouhoňovice, Libchavy, Zámrsk, Semanín, Hejnice U Žamberka, Dolní Čermná, and Zamberk.

To the higher-level travel overview: Okres Ústí Nad Orlicí.