Hartowitz: Village Square, Chapels and Ceramic Tradition

Hartowitz offers several distinct focal points for a stay: the village buildings around the village square, chapels from different periods, the tradition of blue-painted ceramics, and traces of history dating back to prehistoric times. You can tailor your trip to architecture, crafts or local history.

Village Square and Chapels

Much of the traditional village architecture from the second half of the 19th century has been preserved around the village square in Hrdějovice. The architectural character of the square is therefore shaped not by a single building, but by the preserved buildings across a larger area.

On the east side of the village square is property No. 15, a particularly valuable example of folk architecture. It includes a granary with a Baroque-style gable. This description refers to the design of the gable and does not automatically classify the entire property as a Baroque building.

The Chapel of the Virgin Mary also stands in the village square. It is a Baroque building from the mid-18th century and was modified in 1876. Another chapel, dedicated to Saint Roch, also dates from the 18th century; it is located at the intersection of Těšínská and Hlubocká streets.

Ceramics and Local History

The local ceramic tradition is associated with blue-painted Hrdějovice ceramics. The history of a pottery workshop is also part of this tradition: a new pottery was built in 1900. Josef Štěpánek bought it from the farmer Fencl in 1901 for 6,000 gulden.

The first written mention of Hrdějovice dates from 1350. Prehistoric settlement from the period of the Knovíz culture has been documented within the municipality.

In Těšín, a healing spring dating from 1889 is located at the pilgrimage Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes. The chapel thus combines a pilgrimage connection with a specific local feature, distinct from the architectural history around the village square.

Orty and the Hornická Route

The Orty mine comprises an extensive preserved tunnel system with a total length of about 3–4 km. It is densely concentrated in a network-like pattern across an area of about 12 hectares. Orty is also a protected winter roost for several bat species.

The marked Hornická Route is a 35.5 km circular trail that passes through Hrdějovice. This distance refers to the entire circular trail, not just the section through the village. If you plan to include the route in your itinerary, check its current course before setting out; route conditions may change.

Trip planning can therefore focus on several different things: the buildings and chapels as features of local history, ceramics as a craft tradition, and the circular trail as a specific route option. This distinction can help you tailor your stay to your interests.

Discover more destinations: Malé Chrášťany, Olesnik, Kvítkovice, Ostrolovský Újezd, Nákří, Zirnau, Schwiehalm, Hurr

Go to the wider travel overview: Okres České Budějovice.