Starov – Ponds, Cycle Route 1071 and Culture

Starov among ponds, cycle routes and culture

Starov combines a water-rich landscape with cycling and excursion opportunities, as well as specific cultural destinations. Above the settlement lie the Hradčanský horní, Hradčanský prostřední and Hradčanský dolní ponds. The Starov waterway belongs to the Volyňka 2 non-trout fishing district. These ponds and the waterway give the area a distinctly water-shaped landscape character. At the same time, cycle paths and an excursion route offer various ways to experience the surroundings actively or with a cultural focus. This makes it possible to combine a stay with landscape experiences, exercise and history without separating these themes from one another.

Cycle Route 1071 connects Starov with Zechovice and Volyně along the same route. This creates a specific link between the village and two other stops. An excursion route through the Volyňsko area climbs through Starov towards Nahořany. Its course has a different focus from the cycle route connection: here, the ascent shapes the excursion, while the cycle route links the places along a shared route. Those who include both options in their daily plans can consider the routes separately and consciously take the uphill section into account.

Culture in Starov and Volyně

Volyně is home to a cultural focal point in the surrounding area. The City Museum is still housed in the medieval fortress of Volyně and presents extensive collections from Volyně and the wider Šumava foothills. A visit to the museum thus combines historic architecture with regional content. The City Museum is currently accessible year-round. This means that this cultural destination can also be incorporated into a stay outside a single season. For a day focused on history, the fortress provides the setting, while the collections direct attention beyond Volyně to the Šumava foothills.

Starov itself also has a specific cultural site. The rural homestead at house number 8 in Starov is listed as an immovable cultural monument under ÚSKP number 5164. It complements the fortress and museum with an architectural monument in the village itself. Together with the cultural destinations in Volyně, this creates a combination of a visit to the town and a single monument in Starov.

Hills and distinctive destinations in the surrounding area

The hills Pravda [Volyně-Starov] and (Vysoká) [Čestice-Nahořany] are located in the immediate vicinity of Starov. In the wider regional surroundings are Kamenná hora mountain, Včelenský vrch mountain and the Radomysl Mediumwave Radio Mast ruins. The selection therefore ranges from destinations in the immediate vicinity to points in the wider regional surroundings. For a stay with different daily rhythms, these areas can be considered separately without mixing up their spatial scales.

Above Volyně lies the Chapel of the Guardian Angel at an altitude of 528 m. It was built in 1858 according to plans by the prominent Volyně architect Josef Niklas. The chapel combines its elevated location with the year of construction, 1858, and regional architectural history. Alongside the museum, fortress and homestead, this adds another historic site in the vicinity of Volyně.

For further orientation, you can also explore Štěkeň, Pohorovice, Jinín, Bílsko U Vodňan, Bratronice, Tchořovice, Štěchovice and Brezi.

For the higher-level travel overview: Strakonice District.