Pístina: Village History, Chapels and Landscape

Pístina combines a medieval settlement layout that can still be traced today with heritage-protected buildings and a landscape shaped by ponds and forests. The village’s history is evident in its original plot divisions and stone boundary walls, as well as in its chapels and Jewish cemetery.

Historic Village Layout

Pístina’s medieval origins are still visible in its original settlement layout. The original plot divisions, with 16 large farmsteads, have also been largely preserved. Their historical development is documented in the berní rula tax register of 1654, the Theresian Cadastre of 1757 and a building cadastre map from 1827. These three specific records, dating from the 17th to the 19th century, link the medieval origins with the preserved plot layout.

Several stretches of traditional stone boundary walls have also been preserved. The stone wall between the Adamovi and Daňhů properties is particularly prominent. These walls add a close-up view of the divisions between individual properties to the broader picture of the village layout.

Chapels and Small Structures

In the centre of the village stands a chapel built in 1824 and dedicated to St. Catherine and the Fourteen Holy Helpers. It is now a protected monument. The hexagonal roof lantern—a structure on the roof—ends in an onion-shaped cap. There is also a small chapel at house number 10 and a stone wayside shrine at house number 87.

Jewish Cemetery

Another historic landmark is the Jewish cemetery of Pístina. It was established from 1850 on the edge of a forest, about two kilometres west of Stráž nad Nežárkou. The site contains more than 100 gravestones, most of them dating from the second half of the 19th century. The two dates serve different purposes: 1850 marks the start of the cemetery’s establishment, while the dating to the second half of the century applies to the majority of the gravestones. The cemetery is enclosed; the key can be borrowed from the town hall in Stráž nad Nežárkou. Please confirm this option again before your visit.

Landscape and Cycling in the Surrounding Area

Pístina lies in the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area and Biosphere Reserve and is surrounded by ponds and forests. This landscape complements the historic buildings with a regional natural setting. Near Pístina, the “Nežárka” cycling route runs from the tourist signpost at Stráž nad Nežárkou Castle via Šimanov to Jemčina. Check route conditions before setting off.

Regional Traditions and the Parish Feast

Flax was once widely grown in the area around Pístina. It was used to make linen, which was common at the time; the villages had communal flax-drying barns, known as Pazderny. Flax was the raw material, while the Pazderny were where the villages processed it together. This regional perspective complements the specific buildings with the history of flax cultivation and linen production.

Previous dates for the feast of St. Catherine (Posvícení sv. Kateřiny) include 21 November 2015, 19 November 2016, 24 November 2018 and 22 November 2025. In each of those years, the feast fell in November, but not on the same calendar date. If the feast is important to your trip, check the date for the relevant year separately.

Discover more destinations: Vnorovice, Vlčetínec, Hospříz, Staré Město Pod Landštejnem, Písečné U Slavonic, Slavonice, Cep, Nová Ves Nad Lužnicí

View the wider travel overview: Jindřichův Hradec District.