Drahoňův Újezd: Church, Settlement Traces and Landscape

Drahoňův Újezd offers several distinct points of interest for a stay: the architectural history of the local church, the archaeological traces of the Rovný settlement, and a landscape associated with two protected areas. There is also a named memorial spring, farmsteads, and trails for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you are especially interested in architectural history, archaeological traces, the landscape, or outdoor activities.

Church and Settlement History

The local church is first mentioned as a parish church in 1350. It preserves a Gothic presbytery from its predecessor building; the nave and tower date from 1764. The church therefore reveals several distinct building phases: its early mention as a parish church, the Gothic section, and the parts dated to 1764. This sequence offers a concrete guide to exploring local history without assigning all the different sections to a single period of construction.

The vanished settlement of Rovný is one of the best-preserved settlement complexes from the late Middle Ages and early modern period. It consisted of eight farmsteads, and parts from both periods are still clearly visible in the terrain. Unlike the church, the focus here is a settlement layout made up of several farms. The number of farmsteads gives the complex a concrete sense of scale, while the visible remains reveal its medieval and early modern phases. Rovný thus offers a distinct way to explore local history: the defining historical feature is not individual building sections, but the traces of a vanished settlement.

Landscape and Nature Conservation

Drahoňův Újezd lies on the southwestern edge of the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and on the northeastern edge of Radeč Nature Park. The forests around the village are mixed stands with an age structure of 80 to 100 years. Alongside the two named protected areas, the forests and their specific age structure are another part of the landscape story.

The Jalovce na Světovině Natural Monument protects common juniper (Juniperus communis subsp. communis) on former pastureland. This conservation site draws attention to a particular plant species and the former use of the land. It adds another specific theme to the description of the forests: here, the focus is on juniper and former pastureland.

Memorial Sites, Farmsteads and Trails

The Křtitelna memorial spring lies in the valley opposite Matčina hora and is adorned with a Gothic cross. Its location and the cross give this memorial site two specific features: a connection to the surrounding landscape and an architectural detail. Local farmsteads include No. 3, with a farmhouse and barn, and No. 6, with a farmhouse, granary, and stables. These two different examples of local farm buildings complement the church’s architectural history and the settlement traces at Rovný.

Frequently used hiking, cycling, and horseback-riding trails pass through Drahoňův Újezd and its surroundings. These three types of trails offer a different basis for planning than the historical points of interest: they focus on getting around the village and its surroundings rather than visiting individual buildings or memorial sites.

Discover more destinations: Ejpovice, Dobriv, Sirá, Mlečice, Holoubkov, Liblín, Kornatice, Březina U Rokycan

For the regional travel overview: Okres Rokycany.