Otvice: Church, Water Tower and Cycle Path

Otvice combines village history, distinctive buildings, a unique cycling connection and a diverse waterscape. This allows you to set different priorities when planning your trip: Discover the town’s historical development, follow the cycle path from Chomutov to Strupčice or plan experiences around the Otvické rybníky and Kamencové jezero.

St. Barbara’s Church: a neo-Gothic church with a turbulent history

St. Barbara’s Church is a neo-Gothic building from the early 20th century. Its origins are connected with an older church: the Baroque church built in 1655 was demolished in 1897 because of its poor structural condition, before construction of the present church began in 1902. After St. Barbara’s had been closed since the 1950s, it was blessed and reopened for liturgical use in September 2015. The first surviving written mention of Otvice dates from 1295. At that time, Bedřich and Dětřich ze Šumburku confirmed the transfer of the village of Otvice to the Teutonic Order in Chomutov.

The water tower on the western edge of the village

The Otvice water tower stands on the western edge of the village and is the municipality’s only listed building. It was designed by Adolf Niklas. The cylindrical structure is approximately 15 metres high, creating a clear architectural accent in the village skyline. Those interested in regional architectural history will find a second independent subject for exploring Otvice here alongside the church.

Cycling along a former railway line

A cycle path from Chomutov to Strupčice runs through Otvice. The Chomutov–Strupčice cycle path is not intended for motor vehicles; most of it was built on the trackbed of a disused railway line. When planning your trip, you can weigh the town as a cultural and historical destination against the route as a cycling experience in its own right, without conflating the two experiences.

Otvické rybníky, Banda and water sports

The Otvický potok, also known as Hutní, flows through Otvice and is fed by drainage from three Otvické rybníky. Three Otvické rybníky border Kamencové jezero on its eastern shore. The largest of the Otvické rybníky is called Banda. At Wake Park na Bandě, a water-skiing and wakeboarding cable lift with various obstacles offers opportunities for water skiing and wakeboarding. The wake park also includes a rental service and equipment service. Alongside cycling and culture, water-based activities are therefore available as a separate travel option.

Calendar and local traditions

Local events are also part of the documented history of the town. A Walpurgis celebration at the football pitch in Otvice was recorded for 30 April 2025. In addition, processions through the entire municipality were recorded for 1 May 2025 and 1 May 2026. These dates describe specific calendar events in the respective years and should not be understood as a general events calendar for every travel year.

Further places to research

For further trip planning, you can also look at Domašín, Nezabylice, Klášterec Nad Ohří, Vejprty, Měděnec, Vadkovice, Jindrichova Ves and Pesvice as well.

For the higher-level travel overview: Chomutov District.