Holiday apartment in Strání: Sword Dance, Glass and the White Carpathians

Strání is associated with a sword dance tradition that has been maintained continuously for more than 200 years. During Fašank in Strání, the famous “Pod šable” sword dance is performed; this dance is also on the programme of an annual festival of carnival traditions. Its distinctive features range from a preserved song structure to a set sequence with clearly recognisable roles.

Culture

“Pod šable” is usually performed by five men with wooden swords and a Gazda. He leads the procession with a wooden roasting spit. A characteristic element of the Strání dance is “vytínání”: under the pretext of an offence, one of the dancers is ritually beaten. The tradition of sword dances associated with carnival processions in the Uherskobrodsko region has survived in only three municipalities, including Strání. A comparatively unchanged song structure has also been preserved in “Pod šable”. The performance thus combines a set distribution of roles with the traditional sequence and the dance’s distinctive songs.

The cultural side of Strání–Květná also includes the Sklárna Květná 1794 museum. It presents the history and art of glassmaking. Sklárna Květná 1794 is one of the oldest glassworks in the Czech Republic and was founded in 1794. Visitors can observe traditional techniques of handcrafted glassmaking there. Guided excursions must be reserved in advance, preferably at least one day beforehand. They take place exclusively in the morning, in Czech, and last approximately 45 minutes. Planning such a tour therefore requires taking into account both the advance reservation period and the morning time slot, the Czech language and the approximate duration.

Nature

The Javorina National Nature Reserve protects primeval deciduous forests in the Velká Javořina massif, especially species-rich beech forests and ravine forests. In the summit area, these forests have a primeval-forest character. Velká Javořina lies near Strání on the Moravian-Slovak border. At 970 m, it is the highest mountain in the White Carpathians.

Trails

Hiking trails to Velká Javořina lead from Velká nad Veličkou and from Strání–Květná. The return leg of the tourist route from Strání–Květná follows the green trail markings through the Javorinský prales. Below the 970 m-high Velká Javořina, the highest peak of the White Carpathians, the Naučná stezka Květná educational trail also passes through forests and meadows. The trails described therefore have different starting points and sections: the tourist route from Strání–Květná passes through the Javorinský prales on the return journey, while the educational trail runs through forests and meadows below the summit.

In the Květná district of Strání lies the U Cicůrku spring, a mountain spring. It can be reached via the yellow-marked Naučná stezka Květná educational trail. The trails around Květná therefore bring together different landscapes: the forest of the Javorinský prales, open meadows below Velká Javořina and the specific route of a marked educational trail.

Other places

Other places in the same higher-level area: Traplice, Prakšice, Bojkovice, Zlámanec, Kostelany Nad Moravou, Polešovice, Vyškovec, Bílovice.

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