Chvalčov: Educational Trails, Natural Monuments and Hostýn Culture

Chvalčov can be explored via several documented routes, natural sites and the historic landscape of Hostýn. Different ways of discovering the area come together here: information boards about history and nature, an 18-kilometre educational trail, distinctive natural monuments and places where the long history of Hostýn can be traced. This creates a combination of activity, landscape and culture for your travel planning, without requiring you to commit to a single excursion destination.

Educational Trails with Different Focuses

The Chodník Masarykových has eight information boards covering history, sights, fauna and flora. The route therefore combines nature observation with regional education: anyone who wants not only to see the landscape along the way but also learn about its background will find several thematic points of interest here.

Another focus is the Příroda Hostýnských vrchů educational trail. It has eight stations and ends at the Chvalčov – lesní školka crossroads. The Hostýnské vrchy educational trail is 18 km long. From the Chvalčov – lesní školka crossroads, it leads through the Na Jančích Natural Monument and, along this section, also through the Smrdutá Natural Monument.

Hostýn from Prehistory to Pilgrimage

The prehistoric Hostýn-Hraddiste and the Celtic oppidum of Hostýn were located in the vicinity of Chvalčov. Both occupied strategic positions and were centres of long-distance trade along the Amber Road. At the Hostýn site, visitors can see a four-metre-high rampart and the ditch running in front of it. These traces reveal the site's historical significance not only through stories but also through a tangible feature of the terrain.

Svatý Hostýn, a Marian pilgrimage site that has attracted pilgrims for three centuries, is also located in the vicinity of Chvalčov. A commemorative plaque has been located at house no. 401 in Chvalčov since 1923. The Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on Hostýn was completed in 1748. The Svatohostýnské Museum in the vicinity of Chvalčov presents the historical development of Hostýn from prehistory to the present day. Depending on your interests, you can therefore take natural monuments, archaeological traces, the pilgrimage tradition, religious architecture and the history presented by the museum into account.

Important Information for Visiting the Summit

A specific requirement must be observed when planning a visit to Svatý Hostýn: Driving up to Svatý Hostýn without permission is prohibited because there are too few parking spaces at the summit. If you plan to visit the summit, you should take this rule into account in advance and not drive up without the required permission. This information concerns access by vehicle and should be considered separately from the other nature and cultural topics.

For further research, you can also visit Zahnašovice (Zahnašovice), Zborovice (Zborovice), Ludslavice (Ludslavice), Chomýž (Chomýž), Hulín (Hulín), Přílepy (Přílepy), Slavkov Pod Hostýnem (Slavkov Pod Hostýnem) and Kostelany (Kostelany) as well.

For the higher-level travel overview: Kroměříž District.