Hevlín: Culture, Nature and Cycling Routes

Hevlín combines visible traces of history with protected wetlands and several routes for cycling holidays. One of the oldest testimonies is a Romanesque column: It is considered Hevlín’s oldest and most valuable monument and once marked a ford across the Dyje. The history of the town therefore begins not only with a structure, but with a specific crossing over the river.

Historical Monuments and Living Traditions

The townscape features several monuments from different centuries. The present-day Baroque Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was completed in 1743; the parish Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary has been documented since as early as 1282. The history of the town therefore reveals various construction phases. Another reminder of the town’s history is the statue of Saint Roch, erected in 1832 after a cholera epidemic. The chapel at the railway crossing in Hevlín dates from 1777.

A distinctive detail from an art-historical perspective is the late Gothic stone Boží muka. They are considered an example of the small-scale sacred architecture of South Moravia from the transitional period between the Middle Ages and the early modern era. The structure has a lantern open at the front, with figurative reliefs of four saints, and was made from Austrian shell limestone. Anyone who wants to pay attention not only to large churches but also to smaller religious structures during a tour of the town will find a particularly precisely described example here.

The traditional Hevlínské krojované hody form part of the local festival culture. During the event, the costumed festival community parades through Hevlín accompanied by brass music. The event makes a regional tradition visible not only through its name but also through its course.

Lakes, Wetlands and the Dyje

Hevlínské jezero is a protected natural monument. It consists of several small lakes with reed beds and provides a habitat for specially protected amphibian species and wetland birds. For nature enthusiasts, this means that a specific habitat is the focus: water surfaces, reeds and the animal groups found there belong together, without reducing the area to a single viewpoint.

The Dyje also shapes the possible activities. The river near Hevlín is considered a fishing destination. In addition, fishing is possible on the Dyje and at a total of eight ponds in the centre of Hevlín.

Cycling Routes with Different Profiles

Hevlín lies on the Brno–Vienna cycle route, which leads to the Hevlín/Laa an der Thaya border crossing. The entire route is almost 170 kilometres long and runs mainly away from heavily trafficked roads, on dedicated cycle paths or on quiet lower-class roads. For orientation, it is also important that the route does not refer only to a single section in the town, but to a longer connection between Brno and Vienna.

A shorter round trip is offered by the 44-kilometre “Po rovince” cycle route. It leads from Hevlín via Jevišovka, Hrušovany nad Jevišovkou, Pravice, Šanov, Velký Karlov and Dyjákovice back to Hevlín. The route is signposted and runs 80 percent on local roads without regular road traffic.

The cross-border “Ahoj sousede, Hallo Nachbar” cycle route has a different focus. It leads through a quiet, almost untouched landscape, along well-maintained paths and with little change in elevation. Together with the Brno–Vienna cycle route and the “Po rovince” circular route, this provides three clearly distinct options: a long connection to the border, a signposted 44-kilometre loop and a cross-border route with little change in elevation.

Getting Your Bearings in the Town

Hevlín’s cross-border information centre is located in the centre of the town at a roundabout. There, you can obtain free maps and information about sights and monuments in the Hrušovansko microregion, the Znojmo District, as well as nearby Laa an der Thaya and its surroundings. When making further choices about your excursions, you can therefore include both destinations on the Czech side and information about the area around Laa an der Thaya.

If you would like to discover other places besides Hevlín, you can find Vevčice, Běhařovice, Grešlové Mýto, Pravice, Lechovice, Podhradí Nad Dyjí, Horní Kounice and Havraníky here.

For the overarching travel overview: Znojmo District.