Olšany: Cultural History, Chapels and Routes

Olšany can be understood through several specific themes: Dvůr Doubravice, two chapels with different historical associations, and the named routes. If you’re looking for hotels in Olšany, it’s worth first deciding which focus best suits your trip. The history of the estate and industry tells different stories about the town than the chapels, the spring and its connection to a nature park.

Dvůr Doubravice and industrial history

Dvůr Doubravice comprises a manor house, or small château, as well as agricultural buildings. The complex illustrates the administration of an aristocratic estate and the rural economy during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Two perspectives are therefore central: the administration of an aristocratic estate and the rural economy. The estate is a tangible point of reference if you’re interested in these historical themes.

The heritage listings also refer to specific parts of the buildings. The eastern part of Dvůr Doubravice in Olšany is listed among the cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. In 2024, the southeast wing of the estate was declared a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. This wing includes the former manor house, the stables and the coach house.

Olšany’s industrial history includes a factory producing cigarette paper, established in 1862 on the site of a former mill. This episode adds paper production to the picture of the town’s history and differs thematically from the history of the estate.

Two chapels with different historical associations

The Chapel of St Martin on the Olšanské hory was built in the 1930s and consecrated in 1936. A hiking route leads from Olšany to this chapel. The construction date and consecration are two distinct points in time: construction took place in the 1930s, and the chapel was consecrated in 1936. The named route connects Olšany with the chapel as its destination.

A different story is associated with the Chapel of Saints Cyril and Methodius, which stands near the youth hostel in Olšany. It is located above a spring; a stone staircase with stone edging leads down to the spring. An inscription at the chapel records an oral tradition: Cyril and Methodius are said to have preached and baptised there around the year 865. Here, specific architectural features sit alongside a tradition whose approximate date and oral character are part of the account.

Routes and the natural setting

The Moravská stezka cycling route passes through Olšany. This is distinct from the hiking route from Olšany to the chapel on the Olšanské hory: one refers to a cycling route and its course through the town, the other to a hike with a specific chapel as its destination. In terms of their character, these are therefore two different route connections.

The natural setting also has a clearly defined geographical scope: Březná Nature Park extends partly across the cadastral territory of Olšany nad Moravou. Its connection to the cadastral territory, and the fact that the overlap is only partial, are important for understanding this information precisely. Together with the historic complexes and chapels, this gives a picture that encompasses both cultural history and the landscape.

Planning your hotel search in Olšany

When looking for hotels in Olšany, you can first consider which of these themes you’d like to shape your stay: the history of Dvůr Doubravice, the different associations of the chapels, or the named routes.

Discover more destinations: Bludov, Oskava, Leština, Stavenice, Mala Morava, Bohuslavice Nad Moravou, Rájec, Sobotin

See the overview of the wider area: Okres Šumperk.