Lhota

Lhota is a village where village history meets an unusual landscape of ponds and peat bogs. The triangular village square gives the settlement a clear historic centre. At the same time, the traces of the surrounding area reach far back: the oldest written records of Lhota date from the 14th century, while the landscape also tells of later changes brought about by ponds and farmsteads.

Village Square, Farmsteads and Vanished Settlements

Characteristic architectural details include farmsteads of the folk Blata building type. Particularly striking is farmstead No. 11 in Lhota u Dynína, with its façade and pronounced arched frieze. Small roadside landmarks are also part of the village scene: a wayside cross from 1905 stands on the road to Lhotský Dvůr, and another wayside cross stands on the road to Chudobinec.

The history of the surrounding area can be read not only in preserved buildings. The former village of Německá Lhota was flooded when the Záblatský rybník was enlarged in 1580–1582. Lhotský Dvůr also underwent several historical changes: a sheepfold was added there in 1613 under the Švamberks. The entire farmyard was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War and rebuilt in stone by the Schwarzenbergs in 1693.

Peat Bogs, Ponds and Protected Habitats

Those wishing to combine nature experiences with close observation of the landscape will find several clearly distinct protected areas in Lhota. The Hliníř protected area preserves a valuable transition mire ecosystem. Protected and endangered plant species occur there, as do animals dependent on this habitat, particularly invertebrates. Hliníř is part of the Hliníř–Ponědrážka area. An important restriction to bear in mind when planning a visit is that the Hliníř protected area is not open to the public.

Distinct from this is the Lhota u Dynína nature monument. It covers 7.25 ha and protects waterlogged peat meadows with rare and protected woody species. The nature monument also includes terrain characterised mainly by waterlogged meadows and the adjoining southeastern shore of Bošilec Pond. The pond is located about 500 m from Lhota u Dynína. A field path accessible to the public year-round provides access to the Lhota u Dynína nature monument.

The area also offers a specific focus for wildlife observation: Black-necked Grebes, Greylag Geese and Gadwalls breed along the pond’s margins within the Lhota u Dynína nature monument. The nature-related attractions therefore differ clearly—from the Hliníř transition mire, which is not open to the public, to the accessible waterlogged meadows and pond margins of the nature monument.

Cycling Route and Discoveries Around Lhota

For a longer active exploration, the 66 km “Rožmberská vodní díla – Zelená severní cyklotrasa” cycling route runs via Záblatí, Lhota and Bošilec. The route thus connects several water and landscape features in the surrounding area, without limiting Lhota itself to a single nature-related theme. Together with the village square, the Blata farmsteads, the wayside crosses and the historic traces of Lhotský Dvůr, this creates a destination where cultural history and the landscape can be experienced at different scales.

More Destinations at This Level

Find more entries at Tyn Nad Vltavou, Čenkow, Locenice, Hummeln, Draschitz, Hartowitz, Schmiedgraben and Drahotieschitz.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres České Budějovice.