Zádveřice-Raková: Discover Nature, Cycling Routes and Culture

Zádveřice-Raková combines a wooded landscape with remarkable traces of regional history. Those who want to combine nature experiences and culture on a trip to the Czech Republic will find several very different points of interest here: a cycling route approximately 30 km long, an educational trail leading to mineral springs, an evangelical church with an eventful history of its bells, and rural monuments in Raková.

Between the Vizovice Highlands and a rural village landscape

The cadastral area of Zádveřice-Raková lies in the Vizovice Highlands Nature Park. In the regional context, the nature park is characterized by contiguous wooded uplands and provides the landscape framework for the surrounding area. The U křížku viewpoint near Raková offers a particularly striking view. It is also a rest area and provides views of the settlement, the surrounding area and the opposite main ridge of the Vizovice Highlands. Raková also preserves characteristic elements of a rural village landscape. The village is known for its many surviving old wooden barns. Below the lower edge of the village there is also an old orchard, which is considered an interesting local attraction. Those looking for accommodation in Zádveřice-Raková can therefore plan their stay around different interests: landscapes and views, rural village history or active routes through the region.

Cycling and mineral springs

Cycling Route 471 passes through Zádveřice on the route between Otrokovice, Zlín and Vizovice and is approximately 30 km long. It is therefore one of the clearly identifiable ways to include the village in a cycling trip without making the journey exclusively about cultural attractions. A different experience is offered by the “Chodníček za sirnými studánkami” trail. This marked educational trail is approximately 2 km long, has two starting points and two stations, and leads to five mineral springs. They lie along the Horský potok stream. The first starting point is at the Zádveřice, paseky bus stop. From there, the trail leads to the U Staré Hájenky spring and continues to Sirkovica, approximately 1 km away.

Church, bells and the history of emigration

The evangelical church in Zádveřice was built in its present form between 1860 and 1869 after the previous stone church was destroyed by fire. Its tower houses three bells that are still in use. Their eventful history is presented on panels in the entrance area. Two bells confiscated in 1917 were saved in a unique way and are still used today as memorial bells. Local history also includes a permanent exhibition about emigration from Zádveřice and the surrounding area to America in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is located in the community center, or vicarage, of the evangelical congregation. The exhibition can be visited by prior arrangement with the municipal or parish office. In addition to landscapes and cycling, Zádveřice-Raková therefore offers a specific way to learn about the history of the people who left this region. Another testimony to the rural cultural heritage is Farmstead No. 124 in Zádveřice-Raková. It is a registered immovable cultural monument and is listed in the Central Register of Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic under registration number 23021/7-2155. For further orientation, you can also explore Ludkovice, Bohuslavice Nad Vláří, Šarovy, Neubuz, Lipová, Lípa, Kelníky and Slušovice explore.

For the higher-level travel overview: Zlín District.