Discover Polepy: Castle, Chapels and Nature

Polepy offers specific points of interest for a trip that brings together the history of churches and settlements, castle architecture and nature. The following highlights give these interests a distinctive profile.

Chapels and the History of Church Architecture

The Chapel of St. Wenceslas in Prachová stands on the site of an older Church of St. Nicholas, which belonged to the medieval village of Prachová. The chapel therefore draws attention to an earlier church building and the history of the village. For culturally minded travellers, this link between the site and the history of a medieval settlement is a subject in its own right.

In 1835, an Empire-style church dedicated to St. Wenceslas was built for a new cemetery serving Hrušovany and Encovany. Its year of construction, dedication and style give the building a clear historical context and add a connection to the cemetery history of the two places to the picture of their religious buildings. The comparison takes in the history of a medieval village and the cemetery history of the 19th century.

In Encovany, the niche chapel beside the castle makes its own distinctive contribution: it is a remarkably well-preserved example of small-scale early Neoclassical religious architecture in the Litoměřice area. Its modest scale and early Neoclassical style make it a subject in its own right within the local architectural history. The chapel is situated on a footpath connecting the main road through Dolní Encovany with the road to Polepy.

Encovany Castle: Renaissance and Early Baroque

Encovany Castle is a four-winged Renaissance and Early Baroque arcade castle. Its surviving features include cross vaults and lunette vaults, beam ceilings, remnants of Renaissance wall paintings, hearths, and Renaissance or Neo-Renaissance portals. These specific architectural features and decorative traces add detail to the stylistic labels.

The vaults and beam ceilings show different approaches to ceiling construction, while remnants of wall paintings and the portals also offer clues to the decoration. The castle can therefore be understood not only through period labels, but also through its surviving architectural elements.

Nature and Practical Information

The Natura 2000 site Holý vrch is within the municipal area of Polepy. The Skalky u Třebutiček protected area is home to semi-natural dry grasslands and shrub formations on calcareous substrates, oak-hornbeam forests, and thermophilous oak forests. These different habitat types provide a distinct nature focus alongside the history of churches and castles. The range extends from calcareous dry grasslands to thermophilous oak forests.

A municipal notice dated April 7, 2026, announced a newly installed e-bike charging station in Polepy. It has a compressor for inflating bicycle tyres and can charge mobile devices. Before planning your trip, check that the station is still operational rather than relying on it.

The cellar of Vinařství Vytrhlík winery is located at Hrušovany 49, 411 45 Polepy. Arrange access before your visit.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Lhotka Nad Labem, Lukavec U Lovosic, Siřejovice, Doksany, Lovečkovice, Petrikovice, Malé Žernoseky, Kyškovice.

Go to the main travel overview: Okres Litoměřice.