Kosetice: Cultural History and Routes

If you’re looking for a hotel in Kosetice, you can focus your stay on cultural monuments or on hiking and cycling routes. The sights bring together religious architecture, Jewish history, and castle history. Specific points of interest include the Church of St. John the Baptist, the Jewish cemetery, and two castles with different historical connections. A named section of the Santiniho stezka and the “Kolem dokola Košeticka” cycling and hiking event, whose eighth edition took place on August 26, 2023, round out this selection.

Church, Chapel, and Jewish Heritage

The origins of the Church of St. John the Baptist date back to the Middle Ages. It is a single-nave church with a rectangular presbytery and a prismatic tower; two Baroque statues of saints are also part of its furnishings. These terms describe different features: the single-nave layout determines the floor plan, the rectangular presbytery defines the choir area, and the prismatic tower shapes the exterior. This gives you specific architectural details as well as a sense of the church’s age. The Chapel of the Sorrows of Christ is also classified as a protected cultural monument.

The Jewish cemetery in Košetice is located in a wooded area southeast of Košetice. It is freely accessible; the oldest gravestones date from around the early 18th century. Check access before your trip. The former synagogue, house number 76, was built around the first half of the 19th century and is now used as a residence. These sites illustrate different aspects of Jewish history: a burial ground with old gravestones and a former religious building now used as a residence.

Castle Grounds and Architectural History

The Starý zámek is a protected cultural monument. Its grounds include a park adjoining the castle and farmyard on the south, west, and north sides. The park consists of three interconnected areas with distinct characteristics. Both the park’s position in relation to the buildings and the differing character of its sections are relevant to understanding the grounds.

The Nový zámek has its own history: it was created in the 1720s by converting an abandoned rectory. As of August 24, 2026, it was privately owned and not open to the public. Since this status may change, check access before visiting. The two castle names therefore refer to different historical details: the grounds described for the Starý zámek also include a park and farmyard, while the conversion of the former rectory explains the origins of the Nový zámek.

Hiking and Cycling Routes

The bonus section of the Santiniho stezka runs 11 km from Červená Řečice to the castle in Košetice. The 11 km refers to this section. As route details may change, check the route before planning your trip.

The “Kolem dokola Košeticka” cycling and hiking event has been held repeatedly; its eighth edition took place on August 26, 2023. For that edition, the recommended hiking and cycling routes were marked. They ran partly along forest and field tracks as well as woodland paths. This distinguishes the event routes from the Santini section, whose length and destination are specified. If you plan to take part, check the date and route for the relevant edition.

Discover more destinations: Bácovice, Sedlice, Putimov, Buřenice, Útěchovice Pod Stražištěm, Hojanovice, Cetoraz, Mysletín

For the broader travel overview: Pelhřimov District.