Merboltice: Village History and Landscape in the České středohoří

If you would like to combine village history, distinctive landscapes, and special viewpoints, Merboltice offers an unusually rich selection. The medieval forest-strip village lies in the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area and preserves a long, clearly recognizable settlement structure. Here, you can combine protected architecture, regional traditions, and natural attractions.

A Linear Village as a Conservation Zone

The Merboltice village conservation zone was declared by Decree No. 413/2004 Coll. of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic on June 24, 2004; the decree entered into force on January 1, 2005. The zone comprises an approximately four-kilometer-long linear valley village founded in the Middle Ages under hereditary leasehold law. The agricultural farmsteads lie above the floodplain of the Merboltický potok and are approximately 50 to 100 meters apart. The axis of the village is formed by the winding Merboltický potok, formerly known as the Triebschbach.

Wooden Houses, the Bell Tower, and Village Events

The village landscape includes approximately 15 large wooden agricultural farmsteads and around 70 other wooden chaluppas belonging to small farmers and craftsmen. During the recurring Den otevřených podstávkových domů on the last Saturday and Sunday in May, you can visit Merboltice’s oldest houses. The program also includes demonstrations of traditional crafts and a small market featuring products made by the vendors themselves. Culinary competitions are organized at many social events.

The Merboltice bell tower has a stone lower section and a wooden upper section; its masonry Gothic section dates from the 14th century. The bell tower houses a small exhibition about the demolished Church of St. Catherine. On Sundays, the bell tower is open when the bells are rung at noon. The Svatokateřinská pouť takes place every year around November 25.

Protected Landscape and Broad Views

The Kamenná hůra Nature Reserve lies within the cadastral territory of Merboltice. Beneath the steep northern slopes of Kamenec are ice caves in which ice remains for most of the year. Kamenec is currently accessible only to experienced hikers. The surroundings of Merboltice also contain a natural monument with a gorge deeply cut into a basalt massif, rapids, rock walls up to 30 meters high, and a small waterfall approximately six meters high.

A new wooden observation tower has stood on Strážný vrch since 2006. It has been freely open to the public since 2007. From there, you can enjoy a broad panoramic view of the Krkonoše Mountains, the Jizera Mountains, the Lusatian Mountains, the Ještěd Ridge, Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland, and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains with Děčínský Sněžník. The historic Röslerova historická naučná stezka educational trail begins in the center of Merboltice at Röslerova statek and ends at the observation tower on Strážný vrch.

Discover More Destinations

For further travel planning, you can also view Horni Habartice, Ceská Kamenice, Valkeřice, Malá Veleň, Nová Chribská, Jiřetín Pod Jedlovou, Dolní Podluží and Benešov Nad Ploučnicí.

For the higher-level travel overview: Děčín District.