Krejnice: Hilly Landscape, Village History and Chapel

Krejnice between the Šumava Foothills and Village History

Krejnice, with 80 inhabitants, is situated in the picturesque foothills of the Šumava Mountains, 18 km west of Strakonice, at an altitude of 524 m on the border with the West Bohemian Region. The village combines its foothill location with a long history. For travellers, it offers a destination where the hilly surroundings and traces of earlier times stand closely side by side.

The landscape around Krejnice is hilly and characterised by fields, meadows, pastures and forests. The village lies above the valleys of the Vojnický and Mačický streams. This makes it possible to experience the surroundings in several different landscape forms: open areas alternate with cultivated land, pastures and woodland, while the two stream valleys complete the geographical setting.

Hiking and More Challenging Cycling Tours

Krejnice is suitable for hiking tourism. In addition, the surrounding landscape is suitable for more challenging cycling tours. This provides two distinct active options for planning your day. When hiking, Krejnice itself remains the reference point, while cycling focuses on the hilly landscape outside the village. Those who want to combine different forms of exercise will find clear guidance for their own planning in the combination of the village and its surroundings.

Chapel and Rural Architecture

The chapel dedicated to Saint Martin stands on the village green in Krejnice. It dates from the mid-19th century and adds a religious site to the rural surroundings. Together with the village green, it forms part of the village's character.

The sights of Krejnice also include a 19th-century farmhouse with a rural Baroque gable. The farm adds an example of rural architecture to the chapel. Within the small village, both buildings create a different emphasis from the open areas, meadows and forests around Krejnice. Both examples date from the 19th century, but each has a different focus: the chapel belongs to religious architecture, while the farmhouse, with its rural Baroque gable, highlights rural architecture.

Krejnice in Historical Context

The first written mention of Krejnice dates from 1045. In the same year, Krejnice, together with several surrounding villages, belonged to Břevnov Monastery. The history of the village therefore reaches back to a time when Krejnice was part of a larger monastic context.

In 1264, Zdeslav of Kasejovice, a courtier of King Přemysl Otakar II, received Krejnice from Břevnov Monastery in exchange for several villages near Prague. Through this exchange, Krejnice passed from monastic ownership to Zdeslav of Kasejovice. The village's history thus links monastic affiliation with a later exchange involving several villages near Prague.

For further research, you can also discover Únice, Radošovice, Lnáře, Chlum, Cestice, Malenice Nad Volynkou, Vacovice and Brezi.

For the higher-level travel overview: Strakonice District.