Zahájí between Natural Heritage and History

If you are planning a stay in Zahájí, you will find a range of places to explore here: the Blana Natural Monument, a church with several historic building phases, memorial sites, and paths through the landscape. These topics can help you choose what to see according to your interests.

Blana Natural Monument

The Blana Natural Monument lies within the jurisdiction of the municipality of Zahájí and covers part of the cadastral area of Zahájí u Hluboké nad Vltavou. It covers an area of 30.60 hectares. The natural site is home to populations of eight amphibian species; ecological populations can change over time. For geographical context, jurisdiction and cadastral affiliation are two different details: the municipality is responsible for the site, while Blana covers only part of the named cadastral area.

Walk to the Schwarzenberg Jubilee Groves

The walk to the Schwarzenberg Jubilee Groves starts in Zahájí’s village square and follows cycle route 1080 for about 1 km to the forest. The walk takes approximately 1.5 hours and follows paved paths through gently sloping terrain. For planning purposes, the two figures refer to different things: the roughly 1 km is the distance from the village square to the forest, while the approximately 1.5 hours is the duration of the walk to the groves.

The Schwarzenberg Jubilee Groves were planted around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in honour of the 80th birthdays of two princes from the Schwarzenberg family, with 80 pedunculate oaks. Three mighty oaks and a memorial stone bearing a German inscription survive from the older grove. The walk therefore combines practical route guidance with the history of the site and its surviving features.

A named cycling route

There is also a specific route to follow for a cycling tour: on the “Okruh ze Zlivi přes Blata” tour, cycle route CT1080 leads from Mydlovary to Zahájí. Alongside the walk to the groves, this offers a separate, named cycling tour whose described route ends in Zahájí.

Church and architectural history

The Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary was built at the end of the 13th century as an early Gothic church. In the second half of the 15th century, a second nave was added; after the fire of 1742, the church was remodelled in the Baroque style. Its surviving two-naved structure includes a presbytery, sacristy, and a prismatic tower.

Notable features include the portals of the two western entrances and a late Gothic stone saddle portal between the presbytery and sacristy. The building’s history thus comprises several clearly distinct phases: its early Gothic origins, its expansion into a two-naved structure, and its Baroque remodelling after the fire. For those interested in cultural history, these architectural features offer specific details that illustrate this development.

Memorial sites and local history

Černá kaplička is a stone wayside shrine on the outskirts of Zahájí, in the direction of Olešník. A plaque there commemorates French soldiers who fell in battle. Bílá kaplička stands beyond Zahájí at a former crossroads, also in the direction of Olešník. Between Zahájí and Munice, at a crossroads in the direction of Zliv, there is a memorial cross with a plaque above the grave of Austrian soldiers.

The engagement known as the “Battle of Zahájí” took place on 25 May 1742 during the War of the Austrian Succession and claimed more than 300 lives. The term “engagement” makes clear that this was a confrontation known as the “Battle of Zahájí,” but one that cannot be precisely classified as a battle.

Recurring event

Zahájí regularly hosts the event “Soutěž o nejlepší jad(e)rný guláš a loučení s létem”. It has been held for the seventh time and includes a programme for all age groups. Individual dates refer to specific editions, so check whether an event date coincides with your trip when planning your visit.

Discover more destinations: Hwozdetz, Vlhlavy, Vitín, Rejta, Branisovice, Pistin, Libín, Budweis.

For the broader travel overview: České Budějovice District.