Discover Rokytnice v Orlických Horách

Rokytnice v Orlických Horách combines protected buildings around the market square with museums, churches and traces of history. The landscape around the town also offers its own attractions. When planning your visit, you can choose between architectural history, a range of exhibition topics and a trip into the surrounding area.

Market Square and Protected Townscape

The market square of this mountain town is surrounded by single-storey arcaded houses built using timber construction and a manor complex. The construction of the houses and the arrangement of the buildings give the square a distinctive architectural character. The urban conservation area of Rokytnice v Orlických Horách has been protected since 1 September 2003. Two aspects therefore come together when you look at the town: the distinctive buildings around the market square and the formal protection of the urban area.

Museums: Nature, Crafts and Railways

The interactive Sýpka Museum is housed in a former granary and focuses on nature and crafts. Its aviary is home to 55 bird species found in the Orlické Mountains. The museum’s subject matter thus ranges from crafts to local nature. The number of birds and the way they are housed give the nature section a clearly defined focus.

The railway museum at Rokytnice station explores a different subject. It is housed in a former engine shed for steam locomotives. Its main exhibition is devoted to the Doudleby–Vamberk–Rokytnice railway line. The current centrepiece of the exhibition is a steam locomotive from class 328.011, nicknamed “Vendulka”. Unlike Sýpka, the focus here is on railway history rather than nature and crafts.

If you want to organise your visits by topic, the two museums offer different points of interest: Sýpka combines nature and crafts, while the railway museum focuses on a specific railway line and a steam locomotive. Check the latest opening information for both museums before your visit.

Churches and Historical Traces

The churches also tell stories of different eras. The Church of the Holy Trinity, also known as the Castle Church, was built by Kryštof Mauschwitz in 1603 and originally served as a Protestant prayer house. The Church of All Saints was built later: it was constructed between 1679 and 1684 on the site of a wooden church that burned down in the great town fire of 1661. The dates distinguish the Castle Church’s original purpose from the construction history of the Church of All Saints and its predecessor.

Another trace of history is the Jewish cemetery in Rokytnice, established in 1718. The tombstone of the poet Moritz Reich, who lived from 1831 to 1857, has been preserved there. This surviving tombstone connects the site to a specific person and his dates of life. Together with the churches, the cemetery complements the architectural history with a personal historical remembrance.

Landscape and Nearby Attractions

The area of Rokytnice v Orlických horách lies on the edge of the Orlické hory Protected Landscape Area and within the catchment area of the Rokytenka stream. Nearby, a nature trail to the fortifications follows a red-marked route between Panské Pole and Anenský vrch, and continues into the area around Hanička Fortress. The trail has 14 information boards along its route. These details can help you decide whether to plan an outing focused on the fortifications and the information provided about them.

Also nearby, the ANNA lookout tower on Anenský vrch offers views in all directions and is freely accessible. The lookout tower therefore offers a different focus from the nature trail: here, the emphasis is on the panoramic view, while the trail features information boards along a described route. Check the access information for the tower before setting off. This lets you combine the local history of buildings and exhibitions with one of the area’s landscape attractions without conflating the different experiences.

Discover more destinations: Ohnišov, Krchleby U Kostelce Nad Orlicí, Val U Dobrušky, Plasnice, Rícky V Orlických Horách, Solnice, Bartosovice V Orlickych Horach, Bystré.

View the broader travel overview: Okres Rychnov Nad Kněžnou.