Mičovice: Cultural History and Landscape in the Šumava Foothills

Mičovice combines a history dating back to the Middle Ages with a hilly and mountainous landscape in the foothills of the Šumava Mountains. Its location 13 km east of Prachatice brings together landscape, local history, and regional tradition. The topics range from elevations and fruit plantations to a natural monument, historic buildings, and regional tradition.

Landscape Between Fruit Plantations and a Natural Monument

Mičovice stretches across a hilly and mountainous landscape in the foothills of the Šumava Mountains. Elevations range from 564 m in Ratiborova Lhota to 708 m in Klenovice. The difference in elevation between these places is 144 m. Together with its location east of Prachatice, the different elevations shape the area's landscape setting.

A characteristic feature of the local landscape is the commercial fruit plantations throughout the administrative area of Mičovice. In addition, the Pančice v Řekách natural monument covers 6.25 ha in the Mičovice area. The occurrence of spring snowflake is also documented at the northeastern edge of the planning area in connection with this natural monument. Cultivated fruit-growing areas and the natural monument thus represent two different aspects of the landscape.

The surroundings of Mičovice add several landscape features classified as mountains to this setting. Vrata is recorded as a mountain in the immediate surroundings of Mičovice. Rohanovský vrch and Libín are recorded as mountains in the vicinity of Mičovice. In the wider regional area lies Volovický vrch, also recorded as a mountain. Chlumany is recorded there as an ancient site.

History, a Monument, and Regional Tradition

The beginnings of settlement in Mičovice date back to the first half of the 13th century. The village was founded on land belonging to Zlatá Koruna Monastery. The first written record of Mičovice dates from 1400. The chronology therefore spans the period from the first half of the 13th century to 1400. The connection with Zlatá Koruna Monastery forms part of the village's founding history.

A specific monument associated with the area is the rural homestead Mičovice No. 30, which is designated as an immovable cultural monument. In Frantoly, the Church of St. Philip and St. James dates from the early 14th century; two years after a fire in 1754, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style. The homestead and the church add two different historic buildings to the settlement history: a rural homestead and a religious building.

A tradition preserved in the municipality of Mičovice to this day includes a Masopust procession. The procession complements the historic places and older settlement history with a local custom. Thus, in Mičovice, local history is accompanied by specific buildings and a tradition that has survived to the present day.

More Destinations for Your Research

For further travel planning, you can also include Hrbov, Nicov, Nová Pec, Kubova Huť, Zbytiny, Ckyne, Stožec and Lužice U Netolic in your search.

For the higher-level travel overview: Prachatice District.