Discover Dolní Město

Dolní Město is a destination for travelers who want to combine historic churches with distinctive landscape features and a clearly themed cycling route. Particularly distinctive are the medieval traces at St. Martin and St. Margaret, the Hlava XXII monument and the Čertův kámen granite formation. The various sites offer different perspectives on history, art and the landscape.

Church History with Visible Layers

The Church of St. Martin tells the story of a change in patronage: it was originally dedicated to Saint John, while the current patronage of Saint Martin is first mentioned in 1653. Patronage refers to the dedication of a church to a saint; at St. Martin, the original dedication to John and the current naming after Martin thus come together. The church has also preserved some wall paintings, probably dating from the first half of the 14th century.

St. Margaret’s also offers several historical layers. The original building was constructed before the mid-14th century, while the square tower was added only in the second half of the 17th century. Medieval wall paintings were discovered there in 1941 and dated to the last decade of the 14th century. The Church of St. Margaret in Loukov stands on the site of the former village of Loukov and adds this special historical connection to the church visit.

Public Art and Granite in the Forest

A striking cultural landmark is the Hlava XXII monument. It depicts Jaroslav Hašek and is named after the Czech title of Joseph Heller’s novel. The granite head is almost three meters high and weighs 18 tons. It stands in a meadow at the crossroads of Lipnice nad Sázavou and Dolní Město. The monument thus brings a literary reference and large-scale sculpture into the landscape.

Čertův kámen has an entirely different effect: the isolated rock formation lies in the forest on the southern slope of the Melechov peak at an elevation of 640 meters. Geomorphologically, it is a distinctive granite rock of the tor type; two rock basins are located on its summit platform. The planned natural monument lies in the Vysočina Region, in the Havlíčkův Brod District, in the municipality of Dolní Město and in the Rejčkov cadastral area.

Cycling Route between Churches and Natural Landscapes

The Melechov a Podlipnicko cycling route begins in the square of Dolní Město and connects historic churches with natural landscapes. It includes mountain biking in the Melechov area and passes Čertův kámen.

Opening Hours for Church Visits

The churches in Dolní Město and Loukov are open every weekend in July and August from 10:00 to 17:00.

Other Places for Your Search

For further orientation in the same broader area, you can also visit Služátky, Věž, Havlickuv Brod, Heřmanice, Sázavka, Bačkov, Malčín and Stříbrné Hory.

For the broader travel overview: Havlíčkův Brod District.