Roztoky U Jilemnice: Sandstone Church and Local History

Roztoky U Jilemnice as a destination

Roztoky U Jilemnice lies in the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains and stretches for six kilometres along the road between Jilemnice and Stará Paka. Its elongated settlement pattern is one of the town’s distinctive features. Its character comes into focus through a range of themes: the red sandstone Church of St. Philip and St. James, historic log houses, other traces of local history, and an annual cultural event. If you are planning a hotel stay, this gives you a concrete impression of which aspects of the destination match your interests.

Church of St. Philip and St. James

The Church of St. Philip and St. James was completed in 1739 and built entirely of red sandstone. The church complex is classified as an immovable cultural monument. The church was fully reconstructed in 2019; the work included renewing the roof, façade and lighting. This makes it possible to distinguish the completion in the 18th century from the later reconstruction as separate stages in the history of the same building. The classification applies to the church complex, while the reconstruction work mentioned concerned specific parts of the building. The church thus combines a cultural and historical designation with a clearly traceable building history.

Historical traces in the townscape

Historic log houses can be seen on a walk through Roztoky U Jilemnice. This takes the focus beyond the church to historic dwellings visible during a stroll through the town.

The Smírčí kříž (Reconciliation Cross) is carved in relief into a roughly worked block of local sandstone. Compared with the church, the focus shifts from an entire building to the working of a single stone: the church is built entirely of red sandstone, while the relief and roughly worked local sandstone shape the appearance of the Smírčí kříž. Both examples show different ways of working with stone.

Prklín Castle stood in the southern part of Roztoky U Jilemnice. The stone spring Roubenka lies on the boundary between Studenec, Žďár and Roztoky U Jilemnice. The first reference is historical and relates to the southern part of the town, while the second locates the spring on a boundary between three municipalities.

Cycling route and annual event

A short section of cycle route 4294 from Libštát to Hostinné runs through the southern part of Roztoky U Jilemnice. The route’s connection to the town therefore consists of one section of a longer link. If you plan to ride the route, check the current signage before setting out.

The Krakonošova tržnice takes place annually in Roztoky U Jilemnice. If you are planning your trip around the event, check the dates for your intended travel period. The cycling route and the event involve different planning considerations: for the route, it is the section through the town; for the tržnice, it is the event date.

Discover more destinations: Košov, Záhoří U Semil, Hruba Skala, Hochstadt An Der Iser, Troskovice, Roprachtice, Chuchelna, Jilemnice.

Go to the wider travel overview: Okres Semily.