Trpín – Church, Pilgrimage Tradition and Landscape

Trpín combines the landscape of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands with an unusually rich array of traces of regional history. The landscape around Trpín rises from the eastern depression, with the valley of the Křetínka stream, to 699 m at Panský vrch. Forests, meadows, ponds and streams shape a landscape in which cultural history and paths through the terrain are closely interconnected.

Church, Bell Tower and Sacred Music

An important landmark is the Kostel sv. Václava church. The present church was consecrated in 1689 and finally completed in 1720. Inside is an organ built by František Svítil from Nové Město na Moravě in 1840. The church building and the organ date from different periods: 120 years passed between the completion of the church in 1720 and the construction of the organ in 1840. Next to the church stands a Baroque timber-framed bell tower. The Kostel sv. Václava church also hosts concerts of sacred music every year – a distinctive cultural feature in Trpín’s annual calendar.

Historic Traces Around Trpín

Majdalenka is the preserved presbytery of a vanished place of worship; the enclosing walls of the former nave have also survived. Pilgrimages with markets have been held there in July since the 17th century. Above Trpín stands the Boží muka wayside shrine, erected between 1730 and 1750 along the historic route.

Several place names recall former routes and uses. The medieval Trstenická stezka trail ran roughly along the route of today’s Bystré–Trpín road and continued via Ústup to Kunštát. Rychta has always been an hereditary magistrate’s estate and still bears house number 1 today. The neighboring Hostejnice, also known as Hostenice, served as a resting and overnight stop for horses, while carters stopped at the inn. Remains of the defensive trenches are still visible at the edge of Horní les on the road to Hartmanice. At the site called U Šanců, also known as Švédské šance, a monument was erected in the 20th century and given the nickname U Kamena.

Hiking, Cycling and Winter Landscapes

There are various ways to get around during active days: hiking trails pass through Trpín, and cycle route 5085 runs through the village. A tourist rest area is located along this route. In winter, the area around Trpín is suitable for cross-country skiing. When planning a trip, this makes it possible to combine cultural discoveries with routes through the landscape, without every day having to focus on the same activity.

A Place for Different Discoveries

Those interested in sacred architecture and pilgrimage traditions will find several distinct points of interest in Kostel sv. Václava, Majdalenka and the historic religious images and wayside markers. Those who want to experience the landscape can choose between hiking trails, cycle route 5085 and the winter use of the terrain. Felling the maypole was also one of Trpín’s interesting local events.

For further orientation in the wider surrounding area, you can also find Pusta Kamenice, Janov, Sklené, Benátky, Kamenná Horka, Dlouhá Loučka, Víska U Jevíčka and Dětřichov U Moravské Třebové.

For the broader travel overview: Svitavy District.