Holiday apartment in Bánov: Culture and volcanic landscape

The Tři kříže circular trail is a relatively easy hike of about one hour through the centre of Bánov and conveys the cultural and historical character of the village. Along the way, the route passes the Baroque parish church of St Martin, which has a late Gothic bell dating from 1498, as well as a valuable Baroque statue of St John of Nepomuk from the second half of the 18th century.

Hiking and cycling

Around Studený vrch there are routes for hikers and cyclists, although they are physically very demanding. The “Ke Skalkám” route from Bánov is about 7 km long and is also suitable for hikers and cyclists. A longer connection is offered by the “Za přírodními krásami okolí” route: it leads from Bánov via the Ordějov Reservoir to the ridge of Studený vrch; returning along the same route results in a distance of about 11 km.

The Ordějov Reservoir was originally built for irrigation and recreation, but today it is used mainly for fishing.

Culture and history

St Martin’s Church in Bánov was created between 1692 and 1699 through a fundamental Baroque reconstruction of a medieval church. Its main altar dates from 1744; the altarpiece depicting St Martin was created in 1864 by the academic painter Josef Zelený. The preserved architectural heritage also includes the Empire-style Komora barn, which dates from the early 19th century and is an important listed monument. Several examples of folk architecture have been preserved in Bánov, including two farmsteads and a chamber house with an upper floor.

The history of Hrad hill is also intertwined with the history of the village: Bánov Castle stood there above the church, while the original site was damaged by a quarry. The Tři kříže site is located on the remains of a volcano, on which a castle stood from the 12th century and was destroyed in the 15th century; three crosses have stood there since the 17th century. To this day, Bánov maintains the folk tradition of carnival processions with masks, known as Babkovníci.

Another cultural connection leads to Staré Město. The Bánovský poklad is publicly accessible in the permanent exhibition “Pravěk Uherskohradišťska” at the Memorial of Great Moravia of the Slovácké Museum. It is the most extensive prehistoric amber find discovered to date in the territory of the Czech Republic and is therefore a unique find. The permanent exhibition offers texts in Czech, English, German and Russian and has been adapted for blind and visually impaired visitors.

Volcanic traces

The landscape around Bánov preserves several clearly different signs of volcanism. The three Tři kříže crosses stand on the remains of an ancient volcano. The Hrádek natural monument lies 120 metres north of St Martin’s Church in the centre of Bánov and preserves the largest and most characteristic expression of Tertiary volcanic activity in this area. Its quarry wall exposes volcanic breccia with fragments of amphibole-bearing basaltic andesite.

Skalky is considered a unique example of young volcanism in the Flysch Carpathians of Moravia. At Skalky, profiles of contact-metamorphosed porcelanite sediment are exposed, which formed near volcanic vents. This should be distinguished from Skalka: the area is a protected natural monument with a small forest quarry, whose quarry wall preserves an interesting geological stratification.

Nature and wildlife

Rare butterfly species such as the swallowtail and the scarce swallowtail occur at Hrádek. Protected butterfly species live at Skalky, including batolec červený, batolec duhový and bělopásek topolový.

The quarry pond at Na Skaličkách has neither an inlet nor an outlet and is inhabited by crayfish, newts and rare frog species. In the wider regional surroundings of Bánov there is also the Údolí Bánovského potoka area, an old cultural landscape with forest edges, open woods and shrubs, as well as a significant population of yellow-bellied toads.

A Palaeolithic layer with worked stone-tool industry was also discovered at Hrádek; it probably dates from the Aurignacian.

Further places

Further places on this page: Suchá Loz, Svárov, Traplice, Rudice, Ostrožská Nová Ves, Sušice, Modrá, Vápenice.

To the higher-level travel overview: Uherské Hradiště District.