Moldava: Glass Culture and Nature in the Ore Mountains

Moldava connects the high elevations of the Ore Mountains with the plains of Nové Město and the valley of the Mulda spring. As a result, cultural history, marked trails and a distinctive highland landscape come together here. If you would like to combine different experiences during your stay in the Ore Mountains, Moldava offers both historical traces and opportunities for hiking, cycling and winter sports.

Cultural History Around Moldava

One of the town’s defining focal points is the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. The single-nave rectangular building has a distinctive prismatic tower with a shingle roof and pseudo-Baroque furnishings. The church was rebuilt in 1687 and extended in 1851. Services are held there regularly on Sundays. The Moldava cemetery is also protected as a historic monument. Particularly striking are its wooden crosses and tombstones from the 19th century.

The history of the region can also be traced along the Naučná sklářská stezka educational glassmaking trail. The 18-kilometre educational trail follows a circular route around Moldava and Nové Město, passing former medieval glassworks. Information boards in Czech and German, as well as dedicated tourist markings, make it easier to find your way. The trail begins in upper Moldava by the monument to František Koubek at the petrol station. When choosing your accommodation, this means you can consider Moldava as a place to stay that combines regional history with a clearly described circular route.

Another testimony to the past is the Louka u Litvínova–Moldava v Krušných horách railway section. It has been a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since July 1998. Anyone interested in traces of technical and transport history can use it to complement the sacred and craft-related themes of glass culture.

Active Days at Bouřňák

The Bouřňák Sports Centre includes marked hiking and cycling routes in the cadastral areas of Mikulov and Moldava, leading through forests and meadows. The centre also has a ski area with six downhill slopes of varying difficulty. Several kilometres of cross-country ski trails run through the area in winter.

Bogs, Meadows and Protected Nature

The landscape around Moldava includes bogs and formerly managed species-rich meadows, where numerous rare and declining plants continue to grow. In the highlands, a mosaic landscape of bogs, meadows and young replacement plantings provides a habitat in which the highly endangered black grouse breeds. The Východní Krušné hory Bird Protection Area protects the black grouse population and its habitat and also extends across the Moldava cadastral area.

One of the area’s special natural sites is Buky na Bouřňáku on the western slope of Bouřňák, 400 metres southeast of Nové Město near Moldava. The beech trees have been shaped into interesting forms by climatic influences. Buky na Bouřňáku is a remnant of an old beech stand with flag-shaped crowns. Such distinctive landscape features add a unique natural accent to a stay focused on sport and culture.

Choose Accommodation Based on the Character of Your Trip

For a stronger focus on cultural history, you can explore the church, cemetery, glassworks and railway; for active days, hiking, cycling and winter sports are the main attractions. Moldava V Krusných Horách is also useful for further orientation when looking for a suitable stay in the area.

For the overarching travel overview: Teplice District.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Novosedlice, Duchcov, Újezdeček, Proboštov, Bystřany, Ledvice, Teplitz-Schönau.