Bačkovice – Culture and Landscape in the Želetavka Valley

Bačkovice combines a distinctive village history within a small area with a landscape shaped by the Želetavka Valley. Those looking for a place with cultural discoveries and specific routes for a trip will find several different points of interest here: a significant historic building, a wayside shrine in the fields, woodland reaching right up to the village houses, and a designated cycle route through the valley. Bačkovice can therefore be viewed not only as a place name, but also as a starting point for various ways of exploring.

Chapel, Wayside Shrine and Fortress History

The defining landmark of Bačkovice is the Chapel of Saints Cyril and Methodius. At the same time, it is regarded as a significant historic monument of the village. This places a specific cultural point of reference at the centre of Bačkovice, making the history of the village visible.

Another historical point of reference is the wayside shrine known as “Boží muka”. It is located in the fields approximately 1 km south of Bačkovice, at the Police–Dešná crossroads. In the Bačkovice planning area, this wayside shrine is one of the immovable cultural monuments. Its location in the fields gives the wayside shrine a distinctive character.

The history of the village also includes Bačkovice Fortress. It was destroyed in 1468 during the Bohemian–Hungarian War. The location of the fortress has not yet been archaeologically confirmed. The site on the left bank of the Želetavka, directly by the bridge at the northern end of the village, is considered the probable location. The fortress can therefore be explored as a historical subject without presenting the traditional assumption as a confirmed archaeological site.

Woodland, Water and Valley Floodplains

The landscape also provides a clear reason to get to know Bačkovice more closely. In the planning area, forests, watercourses, ponds and valley floodplains are among the significant landscape elements. The transition between village and nature is particularly striking: on one side of the valley, the woodland reaches right up to the village houses of Bačkovice.

The landscape area also includes the regional biocentre RBC 544 Šimkův mlýn, which extends into the cadastral area of Bačkovice. The route through the Želetavka Valley passes via Šimkův mlýn.

Bačkovice on a Route through the Želetavka Valley

For cyclists, Bačkovice is part of a route through the Želetavka Valley. It leads via Jemnice, Radotice, Bačkovice, Šimkův mlýn, Lubnice, Police and Jiratice, returning to Jemnice. A second important point of reference is marked Cycle Route 26: it runs from Jemnice through the Želetavka Valley to Bačkovice. Those choosing accommodation for a stay involving cultural sites and a signposted cycle route can use these two details as a specific basis for further research, without assuming additional distances or travel times.

More Places to Consider

If you would like to continue your search beyond Bačkovice, you can also explore Červená Lhota, Rudíkov, Okříšky, Nový Telečkov, Okřešice, Rohy, Pokojovice and Jasenice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Třebíč.