Discover Schmiedgraben

Schmiedgraben offers several starting points for planning your trip: a village square with chapels and a historic inn, a forest nature trail, and cycling routes. In Chotýčany, there is a range of things to explore, from architectural history and recurring traditions to nature and landscape. This can help you decide which aspects of the destination you would like to shape your stay.

Village Square and History

The protected Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk stands on the village square in Chotýčany, beside Building No. 17. It is accompanied by a statue on a tall Baroque pedestal dating from the second half of the 18th century. The former inn at No. 17, together with its gate, barn, and stable, is protected as a monument. It is probably the oldest surviving building in the village. The chapel and inn offer different glimpses of the historic village scene: sacred art in one case and a former inn with its associated buildings in the other.

Another point in time is marked by the Chapel of St. Wenceslas, which was consecrated on September 28, 1882. Together with the date of the Baroque pedestal, this offers a glimpse of local history across different periods. The village square is considered an urban planning asset; its use is subject to requirements for the design of a historic public space.

A recurring local tradition is the Masopustní průvod, a carnival procession with a masked event for adults. Those interested in cultural life will find, alongside the historic buildings, a tradition that is not tied to a single historic date.

Forest Nature Trail and Landscape

The Chotýčany nature trail is a forest trail with information boards about local nature. Its topics include animals, birds, insects, and butterflies, as well as mushrooms, flowers, and forest trees. Additional information boards were added in 2025, extending the trail into a circular route. Please note when planning your visit: the trail is not suitable for strollers.

Individual features of the landscape also serve as specific reference points in the surrounding area. Roklina Strouhy is registered as a significant landscape feature. There is also an oak tree on the western edge of the village, which is likewise registered as a significant landscape feature. In favorable weather, the view from the village square extends to the Šumava region, including the summit of Boubín. The view therefore depends on the weather, while Roklina Strouhy and the oak tree are named features of the local landscape.

The landscape’s history also includes the remains of historic charcoal kilns in the forests between Chotýčany and Ševětín. They add a theme to the surrounding area that differs from the nature-focused subjects of the trail.

Cycling Routes and Getting Around

Cyclists can distinguish between two routes based on their described itineraries. Marked cycle route 1058 passes through Chotýčany on the Hluboká–Dobřejovice–Chotýčany–Vitín route. Cycle route 1054 leads from Chotýčany along the road toward Lhotice. The first route lists a series of places, while the second gives the direction of Lhotice. These details help distinguish the two routes without implying that they follow the same itinerary.

For rail travel, the line and the station are separate reference points: a single-track, electrified railway line between Prague and České Budějovice runs through Chotýčany. Chotýčany railway station is about 1.5 kilometers north of the village. When planning your trip, you can use this approximate distance as a guide to the station’s location.

Discover more destinations: Sedlec, Groß Cekau, Adamstadt, Neplachov, Vlhlavy, Žimutice, Bida, Drahotieschitz.

For the regional travel overview: Okres České Budějovice.