Zalesni Lhota: Church and Local History

Zálesní Lhota combines a Neo-Gothic church with a distinctive local history and routes for cross-country skiing and cycling. If you are looking for a hotel in Zalesni Lhota, these topics provide a factual guide: they range from the landscape around Stráž to church architecture and the different conditions for sporting activities.

Landscape and settlement history

Zálesní Lhota lies on the slopes of Stráž, a 630-metre-high melaphyre mountain in the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains. The Lhotský potok stream flows through the village. The landscape and its use also played a role in the history of the early settlement: the first residents searched for silver on the slopes of Strážník; the valley of the Lhotecký potok was associated with the first residents’ livestock farming. The accounts thus distinguish the search for silver on the slopes from livestock farming in the valley.

Zálesní Lhota was first mentioned in 1403 and emerged in the 15th century during the German colonization of the border regions. The German name Huttendorf is also part of the village’s history. In the early Middle Ages, Stráž was a watch mountain on a land trade route; 11th-century chronicles mention it by the Latin name Custodius. The first mention of the settlement and the mountain’s earlier history provide two distinct chronological reference points for understanding the village.

The Neo-Gothic Church of St. John of Nepomuk

The Church of St. John of Nepomuk was built from 1881 to 1884 on the site of an older wooden church dating from 1595. Inside are original sandstone ribs with richly decorated capitals and rosettes. The building history thus brings together a wooden structure from the late 16th century and a 19th-century Neo-Gothic church on the same site. The dates make this transformation tangible, while the surviving interior details provide a distinctive architectural reference point.

A service is regularly held in the church on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. If you are planning a visit for the service, check the current service time in advance, as schedules can change.

People and local event

Cross-country skier Květa Jeriová-Pecková was born in Zálesní Lhota on 10 October 1956 and won three Olympic medals. Her birthplace connects the municipality with a specific cross-country skiing biography. Actor and composer Jiří Šlitr is also from Zálesní Lhota; his biography adds a cultural connection to the sporting one.

The events calendar lists the Josefovský bál as a firefighters’ event in Zálesní Lhota. If you would like to include the ball in your travel plans, check the announced date.

Cross-country skiing and cycling route

The Dolní Kalná–Zálesní Lhota–Horní Kalná cross-country skiing route runs from Dolní Kalná through Zálesní Lhota and onward towards Branná or Horní Kalná. Whether it can be used in winter depends on snow conditions. Check these conditions before your trip so your plans match the actual winter conditions.

A cycling route runs from Martinice v Krkonoších via Horní Branná, Dolní Branná, Horní Kalná and Zálesní Lhota, and back to Martinice v Krkonoších. Check local route conditions when planning. The two routes can be distinguished primarily by activity and conditions: snow cover is the key factor for cross-country skiing, while the cycling route is defined by its sequence of named places.

Discover more destinations: Jilemnice, Čistá U Horek, Bukovina U Čisté, Háje Nad Jizerou, Jesenný, Kruh, Rakousy, Peřimov.

Go to the broader travel overview: Semily District.