Šanov: Holiday apartment between the White Carpathians and aviation history

Šanov lies in a valley basin beneath the ridge of the White Carpathians, on the border between Moravia and Slovakia. Marked hiking trails and themed routes run in and through the village. There are also memorial sites and historic locations connected with the air battle over the White Carpathians.

Landscape

Blue- and green-marked hiking trails lead from Šanov into the surrounding area. The green-marked trail runs from the village centre past a 19th-century half-timbered barn and the “Letecká bitva nad Bílými Karpaty” Museum. A hiking route also passes a viewpoint overlooking the Vizovice Highlands. In the village itself, the “Po stopách letecké bitvy o Bílé Karpaty” educational trail covers the Bojkovsko and Slavičínsko microregions and partly runs through Slovak territory.

Culture

The air battle over the White Carpathians in 1944 included the shooting down of an American B-17G bomber over Šanov; nine airmen lost their lives. A monument in the centre commemorates the airmen as well as the victims of the First and Second World Wars. In the forest above Šanov, the “Letecké srdce” sculpture stands at the site where the aircraft crashed. Sculptor Jaroslav Koléšek created it in 2002.

The “Letecká bitva nad Bílými Karpaty” Museum in Šanov displays parts of downed American bombers, documents, and the equipment of pilots and crews. Visits are possible by prior arrangement. The educational trail also includes the “Big Time” monument in Šanov.

Routes

The Bojkovice educational trail offers a large 24-km circular route and a small 16-km circular route. It runs from Bojkovice railway station via Pitín, Hostětín and Šanov to the “Na koncích” border elevation at 652 m. One station provides information about Šanov and its commemorative trees. Another route connects 15 wooden sculptures distributed across the cadastral areas of Hostětín, Pitín, Šanov and Rokytnice.

The Šanov–Horná Súča tourist route runs through Šanov and over the ridge of the White Carpathians. Over a short distance, it connects Tenčín and the surrounding area with the Bojkovsko microregion. Thus, several signposted and themed trails run through the village, over the ridge and through the wider area, without their different routes being reducible to a single trail.

Local character

At the edge of Šanov lies Na Mlýně, a family-run rest stop directly on the Stezka Českem and on popular cycling routes. Refreshments made from local ingredients are offered there. At the Na Mlýně farm, school groups can tour the entire grounds; children can feed sheep and llamas.

Winter

Šanov has a ski slope that depends on natural snow. The municipality’s website is recommended for information about operating hours.

Other places

Mysločovice, Žlutava, Drzkova, Poteč, Racková, Bělov, Slopné, Fryšták

To the higher-level travel overview: Zlín District.