Jickovice – Orlík Reservoir, Cycling Route 1155 and Chapels

Jickovice is located near the Orlík Reservoir and combines a waterside landscape with cycle paths, protected natural areas and notable chapels. Several special features are located directly in or near Jickovice, so there is no need to view the village merely as a starting point for a long list of other sights.

Water Landscape and Cycling

The Jickovický potok stream flows through Jickovice. South of the village, it flows into the Orlík Reservoir; in its lower course, the stream is also called the Sobědražský potok. This precise connection between the village, stream and reservoir gives the area its distinctive geographical coherence. Anyone wishing to explore the area by bicycle can use Cycling Route 1155: it passes through Jickovice, runs from Orlík nad Vltavou to Kučeř and connects Route 31 with Cycling Route 1154. The route between Orlík nad Vltavou and Kučeř, together with its connections to Route 31 and Cycling Route 1154, gives the ride a clear spatial structure. This allows you to include Jickovice as one section of a longer cycling tour without losing sight of its connection to the village.

Cycling Tour and Varta Viewpoint

Another way to incorporate Jickovice into a longer cycling loop is the “Kde domov můj” tour. It continues via Jickovice to the Varta settlement and its viewpoint overlooking Zvíkov. The Varta viewpoint is located a few metres from the red-marked hiking trail near Varta, close to Jickovice. It lies on a rock above the Orlík Reservoir and offers a view of Zvíkov Castle on the opposite shore. Zvíkov Castle itself stands on the opposite shore of the Orlík Reservoir – a clear destination for anyone wishing to combine landscape with historic architecture.

Chapels and Local Tradition

The village and its roads also offer links to cultural history. The Baroque Chapel of the Virgin Mary in Jickovice dates from the 18th century. It stands outside Jickovice, on the right-hand side of the road towards Strážka. A Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Jickovice, by contrast, was built in 1883–1884 and consecrated in 1890. The local tradition also includes the pilgrimage in Jickovice, which takes place every year on the Sunday after 15 August.

Bogs, Lime Trees and Quiet Landscapes

Bachmač is one of the area’s sites of natural interest. It is a forest bog of the transitional to raised-bog type, forming a mosaic with bog woodland communities and providing a habitat for the yellow loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora. The Jickovické lípy are a protected group of trees, first placed under protection on 3 October 2008. At the southwestern edge of Jickovice, towards Varta, there are also two small-leaved lime trees, Tilia cordata, with a small chapel between them.

Other Places in the Selection

If you would like to check other places in the same selection in addition to Jickovice, you can continue your search here: Nerestce, Smetanova Lhota, Ražice, Kožlí, Kestřany, Veselíčko, Zhoř and Přeštěnice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Písek District.