Horní Újezd: Nature, Springs and Local History

Horní Újezd brings together natural and cultural themes that take very different forms: a protected cave roost, a spring with a distinctive beer tradition, and memorial sites dating back several centuries. If you are looking for a hotel in Horní Újezd, exploring these themes can help you get a sense of the destination. Nature and history come together in tangible places—from a sensitive winter habitat to a mill, a spring and monuments.

Nature in a protected winter roost

Jeskyně u Horního Újezda is a Natura 2000 site of European Community importance and has the code CZ0533688. It is one of the largest hibernation sites for lesser horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros) in terms of numbers in eastern Bohemia. Counts in recent years have recorded 350 to 400 bats there. Entering the cave may disturb hibernating bats; it should therefore be treated as a protected area, not as an ordinary visitor attraction.

Pivní studánka and its tradition

Another local landmark is Pivní studánka in Podlubníček. A keg of beer is immersed in the spring water there to cool the drink. For more than four decades, Pivní studánka has been a distinctive local tradition and a popular meeting place for residents and visitors from further afield. The cooling method and its long-standing role as a meeting place go hand in hand. Visitors leave a voluntary contribution for the beer in a collection box. This payment arrangement may change, so ask locally about the current contribution.

Mill, springs and memorials

Two landmarks with different points of focus are located in the village of Cikov. The Fialový pramen spring has a landscaped pond and a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes dating from 1893. Ležákův mlýn mill is associated with miller Lukáš Pakosta; a commemorative plaque is located there. Its current owner maintains the mill in its original form.

Other historical landmarks include the sandstone “U Černého mlýna” cross, with a Calvary group dating from 1830. The Nalezení sv. Kříže chapel dates from 1894. A stone monolith with a commemorative plaque honors local legionnaire Jan Švec. These landmarks differ in form and focus: the cross bears a religious group of figures, the chapel adds to this sacred context, while the monolith preserves the memory of a named individual.

History in the Litomyšl region

The history of Horní Újezd also extends beyond individual monuments: in 1680, the village was a focal point of the peasant uprising in the Litomyšl region. The passage of time offers a useful perspective: the 1680 uprising belongs to the region’s political history, while the dates 1830, 1893 and 1894 mark later forms of sacred and personal commemoration. The historical view thus spans an event in the Litomyšl region and specific monuments and buildings from the 19th century.

The themes differ clearly in emphasis: Pivní studánka represents a long-standing local tradition and meeting place, while protecting the winter roost is paramount at Jeskyně u Horního Újezda. The mill, cross, chapel and monolith add a historical dimension.

Discover more destinations: Linhartice, Radiměř, Radkov, Květná, Jevíčko, Janůvky, Kamenná Horka, Mikuleč.

For the broader travel overview: Svitavy District.