Discover Litenčice: Castle, Church and Cycling Routes

Litenčice lies in the heart of the Litenčická pahorkatina and combines cultural history with a landscape that can be explored on signposted cycling routes. If you would like to combine different interests during your trip, you will find prominent religious buildings, archaeological traces, a geological site and historical evidence of winegrowing here. However, the individual places differ considerably in their accessibility and character.

Castle and Church Art

Zámek Litenčice is a two-storey, four-wing complex. It was created through Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical alterations to a Gothic fortress and has been protected as a cultural monument since 1958. An important restriction to bear in mind when planning your trip is that the castle is not open to the public and should therefore not be planned as a regular interior visit.

One of the most important sights in Litenčice is the Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla church, dating from around 1700. It has four altars, including the main altar dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The last renovation took place from 1740 to 1760; the church itself is also registered as a cultural monument. The grounds contain a stone Baroque crucifix from 1757. The preserved monument stock also includes the Kaple Panny Marie chapel.

Archaeological investigations on the Obecnice hill uncovered 153 graves dating from the time of the Great Moravian Empire. Thus, in addition to visible architectural history, Litenčice also offers evidence of a much older settlement history. Cultural events held in Litenčice included a myslivecký ples, meaning a hunters’ ball, and an Únorový sokolský karneval, a February carnival organized by the Sokol association.

Natural Features with Clear Restrictions

Next to the Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla church stands the tree Jilm v Litenčicích, which is protected as a natural monument. Another special feature is the Litenčice geological site. It is a former sand quarry with Carpathian delta sands containing numerous fragments of macrofauna. The site is registered as a geological locality recommended for protection because of a unique exposure in Carpathian sands and the breeding colony of European bee-eaters.

The geological site is also designated as a geotourism attraction and an excursion site. However, this designation does not automatically mean free access: entry is possible only with special permission because the site is located on military land, in a quarry or on private property. When planning your day, you should therefore distinguish between monuments that can be viewed freely and this site, which requires permission.

Cycling through the Litenčická pahorkatina

The Litenčické cyklotrasy form a network of signposted local cycling routes. They connect municipalities and places of interest in the gently hilly terrain of the Litenčická pahorkatina. The network comprises four circular routes with a total length of approximately 180 km. This allows you to choose between a shorter local ride and a more extensive cycling loop without combining the different routes into a single route.

The Velký Litenčický okruh runs through the centre of the Litenčická pahorkatina and connects Vyškov in the western part of the region with Morkovice-Slížany in the east. The town’s transport situation is also relevant for orientation: in Litenčice, a second-class road from Prostějov to Kyjov meets a third-class road between Kroměříž and Litenčice. When looking for accommodation, you can therefore weigh up a culture-focused stay in the town against a stay centred on the signposted cycling routes, without assuming distances or travel times.

Winegrowing as a Historical Trace

Vineyards have belonged to Zámek Litenčice since as early as the 16th century. On a favourably oriented slope, the Podstatzští Thonsern planted a vineyard with several grape varieties; there is also a Renaissance wine cellar beneath the castle.

Further travel destinations include Kyselovice, Loukov, Roštění, Rajnochovice, Rymice, Martinice, Rataje U Kroměříže and Bořenovice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Kroměříž.