Horní Slatina: Nature and Architectural History

Horní Slatina lies in the northern outlying part of the Jemnice Basin, in the valley of a right-bank tributary of the Želetavka. Two streams that flow out of a small hollow also meet in the village. The settlement lies at the foot of the Slatinské kopce ridge. The basin, valley, and ridge describe different scales: the basin gives the village its broader setting, while the valley and the foot of the ridge define its immediate location. When planning your stay, you can choose to focus on either the landscape or the architectural history.

Water and Landscape

Behind Horní Slatina, wet and peat meadows lie at the edge of a coniferous forest. The wet meadows form the headwaters of a watercourse that feeds Horní rybník. The wetland is home to numerous notable plant and animal species. The meadows are therefore both a landscape feature and part of the local water system: through the watercourse, they feed Horní rybník. For those interested in nature, the wetland’s role as a headwater area and its notable plant and animal species are two specific features to explore.

Church and Chapel

The single-nave Church of sv. Jiljí is originally a Romanesque building dating from the first half of the 13th century. It was remodeled in the Baroque style before 1717, and an extension was added in 1833. “Single-nave” describes a church with one main nave; the term refers to its layout, not its later history. To understand the building’s history, it helps to distinguish its Romanesque origins from the later alterations.

The niche chapel of sv. Antonína dates from the mid-19th century and is a protected monument. Its elongated niche has a segmental arch vault and is closed off by a modern iron grille. A segmental arch is a shallow arch shape; at the chapel, the term describes the niche’s vault. Compared with the Church of sv. Jiljí, the chapel belongs to a considerably later building phase.

Historical Traces and Memorial Trees

The fortified manor house of Horní Slatina probably already existed around the middle of the 13th century and was mentioned as abandoned in 1589. Today, only faint traces of the fortifications remain visible in the terrain at the site. Three things should be distinguished to understand its history: its probable early origins, its later mention as abandoned, and the traces still visible in the terrain today.

A cast-iron cross from the Bolíkov ironworks, dated 1836, stands in the cemetery of Horní Slatina. A memorial lime tree near the Church of sv. Jiljí is mentioned in a chronicle from 1717. The Slatinská lípa is officially designated as a protected memorial tree. The cross, the chronicle reference, and the protected tree offer different clues to the history of the village.

Practical Information

The nearest railway stations to Horní Slatina are Jemnice and Dačice. Check train connections before you travel. Cemetery visitors can park on the old road behind the bus stop; check local conditions on arrival.

Discover more destinations: Hamr, Újezdec U Kardašovy Řečice, Vydří, Pleše, Třebětice U Dačic, Kačlehy, Ceské Velenice, Lutová.

Return to the main travel overview: Okres Jindřichův Hradec.