Discover Ošelín – history, routes and hotels

Ošelín combines a long history with buildings from different periods and specifically named cycling and hiking routes. These subjects can be considered separately when planning a stay: the fortress, castle and church each have their own historical reference points; the routes differ in mode of travel, length and starting point.

Local history and the castle

Ošelín is first mentioned in 1379; at that time, the village belonged to the knight Oldřich of Ošelín. Before 1413, Ošelín passed into the possession of Habart of Malenice and later Petr the Younger Kovář of Strhaře. The succession of owners thus spans from the late 14th to the early 15th century. The castle has its own historical reference point: the Bigatto family owned it until 1935. The medieval changes in ownership of the village and ownership of the castle up to the 20th century are therefore separate strands of local history.

Fortress, castle and church

Ošelín Fortress is documented in writing from 1497. The present castle building, by contrast, dates approximately from the second half of the 18th century. The year 1497 refers to the written record of the fortress, while the approximate construction date refers to the present castle building. These are two distinct reference points: a medieval record of the fortress and a later date for the castle. When comparing historic buildings, you can distinguish them by their respective stated periods.

The Church of Saint Bartholomew in Ošelín has Gothic origins and was extensively remodelled in the Baroque style in 1722. Both details are part of its building history: its Gothic origins point to an earlier period, while the specific year marks the extensive remodelling. Compared with the present castle building, which dates approximately from the second half of the 18th century, the church’s remodelling provides an earlier point of reference.

Cycling and hiking routes

Cycle route No. 2222 passes through Ošelín and Německý mlýn and is part of a 41 km route. The 41 km refers to the entire route, not just the section through Ošelín. Another, shorter option is the green hiking route No. 3607: it runs 1 km from Ošelín railway station to the U Mže trail junction. The figures can be compared by mode of travel and length: 41 km is the total distance for the cycling route, while 1 km is the length of the specified hiking section. This lets you weigh up whether you would prefer a longer overall route by bike or a clearly defined section on foot.

The Mže River flows near Ošelín. The railway station lies above the Mže’s right bank and is the starting point for the specified 1 km section to the U Mže trail junction. The river, station and hiking route’s destination are therefore named for orientation; the cycling route is described in terms of Ošelín and Německý mlýn. If you are looking for a hotel in Ošelín, the local and architectural history or the cycling and hiking routes described here can shape the focus of your stay.

Discover more destinations: Cernosin, Částkov, Kladruby U Stříbra, Sulislav, Únehle, Konstantinovy Lázne, Planá U Mariánských Lázní, Lestkov.

Return to the main travel overview: Okres Tachov.