Groß Umlowitz – Landscape, Hiking and Culture

Groß Umlowitz can be discovered through two defining features: open uplands with far-reaching views and a history made visible in the church, vanished villages and marked trails. If you would like to combine experiencing nature with culture on your trip, you will find specific points of reference here for your planning.

Landscape between Uplands and Forest

The Omlenice area lies on two broad uplands, separated in the middle by a continuous belt of forest. This alternation between open areas and woodland gives the landscape a clear spatial character. The eastern part of the Omlenice area offers expansive views across the surrounding landscape as far as the distant Novohradské hory. Parts of the cadastral area of Omlenice lie within Poluška Nature Park.

Marked Trails to Poluška

A distinctive natural landmark is the summit of Poluška in the Šumava foothills. It is 919 metres high. From Omlenička, red- and blue-marked hiking trails lead northwards to Poluška. The two trail-marking colours provide specific guidance for further research, but no conclusions about difficulty or walking time should be drawn from the markings.

The marked “Cesta odboje” route offers a special historical perspective. It leads through a landscape containing the vanished villages of Velký and Malý Chuchelec and the hamlet of Lannovy domky. It also connects the memorials to the victims of the Second World War near Omlenice and Výheň. As a result, the route makes not only the landscape but also vanished settlements and places of remembrance an independent theme of your exploration.

Church and Castle in Omlenička

Omlenička is home to the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows and Saint John of Nepomuk, built in 1722. It is a single-nave Baroque building with a two-storey Baroque tower. The church furnishings date from the first half of the 18th century. A few years later, in 1727, Omlenička Castle was built on the site of an earlier Gothic-Renaissance fortress or castle, at the same time as the church was constructed. This provides your cultural walk with a closely connected view of sacred and manorial architecture.

The church and castle thus bring together two different cultural themes in Omlenička: sacred architecture with furnishings from the first half of the 18th century, and a building whose site goes back to an earlier Gothic-Renaissance fortress or an earlier castle. The years 1722 and 1727 illustrate the close chronological relationship between the two new buildings. At the same time, the older history of the castle site remains a distinct historical layer. For a cultural walk, Omlenička therefore combines architectural forms, furnishings and local history; the church and castle each provide their own particular focus.

Further Places for Your Research

If you would like to compare Groß Umlowitz with other destinations, you can also visit Dluhoste, Priethal, Friedberg, Krems, Sirnin, Kirchschlag, Predni Vyton and Theresiendorf.

For the main travel overview: Okres Český Krumlov.