Velký Bor: Church, local history and cycling routes

Velký Bor combines architectural and local history with a distinctive landscape around Podkostelák Pond. If you choose the village for a stay, you can take in the view of the Church of Saint John the Baptist, the former hospital with its castle chapel, and the houses along the pond shore. Several cycling routes through the village and its immediate surroundings add to the attractions. The following stops offer different perspectives: medieval architecture, the later use of a historic building, and the landscape around the water.

Church of Saint John the Baptist

The church dates from the 13th century and preserves fragmentary original wall paintings. Three bricked-up windows contain remnants of trefoil tracery; the furnishings also include an Early Gothic portal leading to the sacristy vestibule. The church thus brings together distinct architectural details and surviving paintings. The tower also has its own historical significance: it contains five bells, including Jan, a bell more than 500 years old. The building’s history, window forms, portal and bells give you several points of reference for taking a closer look at the church.

From castle site to former hospital

In 1765, Princess Marie von Löwenstein had a hospital with a chapel built on the foundations of the demolished castle. It was intended for retired estate officials. The Romanesque castle chapel is attached to the Baroque hospital, bringing together different architectural periods in the ensemble. The municipality bought the former hospital building in 1869 and established a school there. The school later closed in 2001. The building’s history thus allows you to trace its changing uses from hospital to school over time.

Podkostelák Pond and wayside cross

Podkostelák Pond reflects the ensemble of Velký Bor: the site of the former castle on the hill, the church and the houses standing along the shore. The pond thus offers a different perspective from the individual monuments. Another, smaller monument is the stone wayside cross Kříž u Benatky. Made of granite, it bears the barely legible year 1843. The two views of the village complement one another: Podkostelák brings together several features in a reflection, while the cross draws attention to a single object and its almost illegible date.

Getting here and getting around

Velký Bor railway station lies south of the village, less than two kilometres away, on the road to Horažďovice. If you plan to arrive by train, check the current timetable before travelling. A walking route from the station to the village runs between fields to Březový potok, continues to its confluence with Velkoborský potok, and then follows the latter’s left bank to Velký Bor. Check local path conditions before planning this route.

Several cycling routes pass through Velký Bor and its immediate surroundings. Check their specific routes and signage before setting out. The walking route describes the sequence of waterways and the path into the village; finding your way on the cycling routes is a separate planning step. This lets you plan your journey and how you will get around the village using the relevant route options, without conflating the different information.

Discover more destinations: Branickov, Lomec, Červené Poříčí, Susice, Ostruzno, Vrhaveč, Rejštejn, Nezdice Na Sumave

Return to the main travel overview: Okres Klatovy.