Velhartice: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Velhartice combines castle history, folk architecture and a remarkable natural landscape. Particularly striking is the world’s only stone bridge of its kind at Velhartice Castle: it connects the structural remains of the so-called Rajský Palace with the front tower.

Culture and History

Velhartice Castle was founded at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries and was probably built as the ancestral seat of the Lords of Velhartice. The Bohemian Crown Jewels were once hidden here in an attempt to prevent the coronation of Jiří of Poděbrady as king. The “Gothic Castle” tour covers the history and architectural development of the castle from the 13th to the 16th century.

Near Velhartice stands the cemetery church of St Mary Magdalene, founded in 1373. It is also associated with the legend that forms the basis of Karel Jaromír Erben’s ballad “Svatební košile”. Another historical monument is the Jewish Cemetery in Velhartice, which is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Fewer than 60 gravestones remain there; the most recent dates from 1934. The site is locked; the key can be borrowed at Velhartice Castle.

Nature and Educational Trail

The Borek u Velhartic Nature Reserve protects a remnant pine forest in the Pošumaví region as a vestige of the pine’s natural distribution. It includes woodland on the right bank of the Ostružná on the northern and partly eastern slope of Borek, south of Velhartice. The area lies at an altitude of 587 to 800 metres, while Borek reaches 859.1 metres.

The Velhartice Educational Trail begins at the car park below the castle. It leads through the village, then through the local forests and the Borek Nature Reserve.

Visiting the Area

Buses from Klatovy and Sušice run directly to Velhartice. The bus stop is approximately 1 kilometre from the castle gate. A free car park is located about 300 metres from Velhartice Castle; the route to the castle is accessible for people with reduced mobility.

The open-air museum of folk architecture is located in the outer bailey area of Velhartice. It consists of valuable folk-architecture buildings that were relocated here from the foothills of the Pošumaví region. The tour has been officially open to visitors since 2009, initially as an outdoor visit. The open-air museum is freely accessible regardless of the castle’s opening hours.

Minerals and Folk Knowledge

The Muzeum minerálů Velhartice is a small private museum with a collection of stones from the Šumava and Pošumaví regions. Minerals from the Czech Republic and other parts of the world are on display. The museum also shares stories about the places where the minerals were found and provides interesting information for children and adults.

Other places: Chlistov, Dolany, Lomec, Velký Bor, Frymburk U Sušice, Bezděkov U Klatov, Týnec, Javor

To the higher-level travel overview: Okres Klatovy.