Discover Uzenice: Fortress, Village Square and Gold-Mining History

Uzenice combines an early fortress history with places of remembrance on the village square and traces of gold mining in Jamky Forest.

Fortress History and Village Square

The Uzenice fortress is first mentioned in 1227. Its history changed after Uzenice was incorporated into Drahenice: the former Uzenice fortress was converted into a granary. The change from a fortified structure to a granary marks both a structural transformation and a new use for the same building.

A granite monument to T. G. Masaryk, dating from 1938, stands on the village square in Uzenice. The monument remained in its location during the occupation in the Second World War and throughout the communist era. The monument thus connects a specific place in the village with a history spanning several political eras. The village square is also home to the Chapel of Saint Wenceslas, which dates from the late 19th century. The chapel and the monument belong to different periods, yet still stand on the same village square.

Gold Mining in Jamky Forest

The gold-washing site in Jamky Forest lies 1.5 km west of Uzenice. The gold-washing heaps are located at an elevation of 460 m in flat terrain between the Kostratský Stream and an unnamed right-bank tributary. The flat terrain gives the remains a different spatial character from the buildings on the village square. Here, the forest, watercourses and elevation are directly part of the surroundings of the gold-washing heaps. Flat terrain and watercourses define the setting of the heaps; the elevation of 460 m adds to this spatial context.

The remains of gold mining in Jamky Forest are part of an extensive complex of remains from surface gold mining in the region north of Blatná, probably dating from the High Middle Ages. The history of gold mining extends beyond Jamky Forest into the region north of Blatná, but remains tied to the gold-washing heaps there and their location between the streams. The size of the complex connects Jamky with a larger regional history without detaching the site from its specific location in the forest.

Tradition and Defining Landscape Features

Traditional folk crafts in Uzenice include the pottery workshop “keramická dílna pí Ďurčové”. It adds a craft dimension to the picture of the village. This example complements the built heritage with a craft tradition and thus highlights a different aspect from the fortress, monument and chapel. The column-shaped boží muka are considered a valuable landscape-defining element and are therefore also among the details to look out for when exploring the surrounding area.

Uzenice therefore offers various focal points for planning your trip: the village square brings together historic places of remembrance, while Jamky Forest highlights gold mining and a precisely described landscape between watercourses.

If you would like to continue your research into other destinations, you can also find Buzice, Radesov, Starov, Rovná, Mutěnice, Čečelovice, Myštice and Pocatky.

For the overall travel overview: Okres Strakonice.