Vřesovice: Churches, Castle and Local History

Vřesovice offers a range of attractions for a stay: religious buildings and castle history, a memorial site with local memorabilia, and scenic destinations in the surrounding area. Visiting conditions vary from place to place. So if you are planning visits, check whether an appointment or registration is required.

Church, Castle and Memorial Site

The Church of St Peter and Paul is the oldest architectural monument in Vřesovice. Its Gothic choir belongs to a church whose present three-aisled form was created through an extension towards the end of the 17th century. Visits are possible by prior arrangement; seasonal confirmation may be required. Check this when arranging your visit.

Vřesovice Castle was built between 1702 and 1704 under Abbot Norbert Želecký of Počenice. Hunting literature describes it as a Baroque hunting lodge. The memorial site is located in the former castle chapel. It preserves mainly written and photographic records, as well as small objects from the village. Its memorabilia also include an expiatory cross dated 1599.

The memorial site is regularly open to the public once a year during the Hody festival of St Peter and Paul. It can also be visited at other times of the year by prior telephone registration with the municipal office. If you plan to visit during the annual festival, check the specific date locally in advance. This helps distinguish a visit to the memorial site from an arranged visit to the church.

Religious Buildings and Local Traditions

Further historical details can be found at various buildings: the Church of St Peter and Paul has a detached bell tower dating from 1747, which houses three bells from 1990. In the park below the church are a Baroque statue of the Virgin Mary and a stylised Holy Sepulchre dating from 1882. The Chapel of the Holy Cross in the cemetery dates from 1717. The entrance gate to the Vřesovice cemetery includes a statue of St John of Nepomuk.

The Chapel of St John of Nepomuk is also among the Baroque architectural monuments of the Prostějov region. It dates from the first half of the 18th century. In total, eleven immovable cultural monuments in Vřesovice are listed in the Central List of Immovable Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic. The examples each highlight different aspects: church architecture, furnishings and memorial sites can be viewed as distinct facets of local history.

Local customs include “Hrkání”, a pre-Easter procession of children through the village with wooden rattles. The custom has been maintained without interruption. Vřesovice also hosts the annual brass band festival “Pod hanáckým nebem”. If you would like to combine your visit with the Hody festival or the music festival, check the dates in advance.

Scenery and Excursions in the Surrounding Area

At 312 metres, Předina is the highest point in the cadastral area of Vřesovice; the Dobrochov transmitter stands on it. The Vřesůvka stream rises at the southern edge of the village and flows through it. Just north of the village, a sulphurous mineral spring emerges on the stream’s right bank. Its composition is similar to that of the spring in nearby Skalka.

Nearby, on the 312-metre-high hill of Předina, stands the ten-metre-high wooden Štátule lookout tower. It is located between Dobrochov, Kelčice and Vřesovice. From Vřesovice, the tower can be reached via farm tracks. Admission is free; visits are at your own risk.

Plan Your Journey

The nearest railway station is Pivín on the Olomouc–Nezamyslice line. It is five kilometres by road from Vřesovice. Check the current timetable when planning your journey. When choosing a hotel in Vřesovice, the destinations that matter to you may be the deciding factor: visits by prior arrangement, local traditions or an excursion to the lookout tower offer different options for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Rozstání, Vrchoslavice, Rakůvka, Ludmírov, Myslejovice, Víceměřice, Obědkovice, Čechy Pod Kosířem.

See the broader travel overview: Prostějov District.