Vitice: Churches, Monuments and Trails

Visitors choosing Vitice as a destination can organize its local attractions by architectural history, remembrance and landscape. The Church of St. Simon and Jude traces its history from the early 13th century through a Gothic renovation to a Renaissance bell tower. The Lipanská mound adds a memorial site commemorating the Battle of Lipany; the nature trail and traces of prehistoric routes offer other points of interest. Architecture, regional history and landscape thus stand alongside one another as distinct themes for planning a trip.

Church and historic buildings

The Church of St. Simon and Jude has late Romanesque origins dating to the early 13th century and was renovated in the Gothic style around 1380. It is one of the most valuable examples of Gothic architecture in Central Bohemia. The protected site includes the church, bell tower, perimeter wall and gate. The tower is a Renaissance building erected shortly before 1560; an original bell from the same year has been preserved. Several building phases can be distinguished in this ensemble: the church’s early origins, its later Gothic renovation and the independent Renaissance bell tower. The perimeter wall and gate complete the protected site as structural elements.

A niche chapel in Vitice also offers another perspective on local art history. It was built in 1920 to house a Baroque sandstone statue of St. John of Nepomuk. The statue dates to around 1780, making it considerably older than the chapel. The building and statue thus represent two distinct historical periods: the Baroque era in which the artwork was created and the construction of the chapel in the 20th century.

Another topic in architectural history can be found in the village of Lipany: the manor house and farmyard No. 1 in Lipany (Vitice, Kolín District) probably stand on the site of a medieval stronghold. The building was originally single-storey and mostly vaulted; it was presumably raised by one storey in 1789 and fitted with a new roof structure and a small tower. The possible medieval site and the later alterations belong to different phases of its architectural history.

Remembrance and landscape

The Lipanská mound is a monument to Prokop Holý and was unveiled above Lipany on 4 September 1881. It has been listed in the state register of cultural monuments since 1965. Historical reenactments of the Battle of Lipany are still held at the memorial site in May. If you plan to attend such an event, check the specific dates before your trip. The Lipanská mound nature trail begins with an introductory information board in the municipality of Vitice. Further stops present the history of the surrounding municipalities and local nature—topics that extend the focus beyond the monument’s history to its surroundings.

The landscape also bears traces of history: the Čertova brázda, which runs through Vitice, is the remnant of a prehistoric route made up of sunken lanes and ditches. Three hundred metres northwest of the Church of St. Simon and Jude, above the Bylanka stream, lies a triangular spur. It is called “Kozí hrádek,” although this name is considered inaccurate.

The Vitické pěšiny concept envisages a network of footpaths connecting Vitice with Dobré Pole, Lipany, Hřiby, Chotýš and Močedník. The trail plan therefore offers a different focus from architectural and memorial history. During your stay, you can decide whether you are most interested in church architecture, the memorial site, local nature or older traces in the landscape.

Discover more destinations: Pašinka, Žehuň, Masojedy, Libodřice, Kouřim, Konárovice, Přistoupim, Ždánice.

For the broader travel overview: Kolín District.