Vlastiboř: Peasant Baroque and Village Culture

Vlastiboř is shaped by its village conservation area and folk architecture in the Peasant Baroque style. The village was designated a village conservation area in 1995; Peasant Baroque can also be found in the associated settlements. Historic farmsteads are often richly decorated with stucco. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Vlastiboř, this architectural heritage, the distinct village squares and local traditions give the destination a distinctive character.

Farmsteads and Village Squares

One particularly well-documented example is Farmstead No. 12 in Záluží u Vlastiboře. This three-part rural estate lies in the historic village centre, has been preserved in an almost authentic state and is considered a valuable example of folk architecture. It is designated as protected cultural heritage. Other rural buildings in Záluží u Vlastiboře also shape the village’s appearance, with richly articulated façades, white stucco decoration and colourful façades.

The village squares differ in their buildings and functions. The square in Záluží includes a pond, a chapel and a forge. The square in Velká Strana is home to a chapel and the building known as “Stará hospoda”. In Svinky, a unique building on the village square houses a chapel, a forge and a fire station under one roof. The squares named here thus show different expressions of village architecture rather than a single recurring pattern.

Malá Strana has a smaller village square with an inn and a chapel dating from 1893. Malá Strana lies south and southwest of the Bechyňský potok. These place names help you distinguish between the different squares: the square in Záluží includes a pond and a forge, while in Svinky several functions come together in one building.

The surroundings of Vlastiboř’s farmsteads include gardens, orchards, meadows and adjoining strips of land around the farmyards, which gradually give way to the open countryside. The village landscape therefore comprises not only the farmsteads and their façades, but also the transition between the built-up area and the open countryside.

Museum and Local Tradition

A description of the Puppet Museum in Záluží, updated in 2023, lists puppets and nativity scenes, a black kitchen, a living room with period furnishings, and works by Jiří Trnka and Václav Vaněk. These exhibits bring together figures and nativity scenes, a depiction of a furnished living space, and works by the two artists.

A local Easter tradition is also part of Vlastiboř’s cultural identity. The custom known as “nové léto” is still practised today; on the second day of Easter, girls go around with the “nové léto”. If you would like to plan your stay around this custom, the second day of Easter is the key date to bear in mind.

Route Through the Villages

The “Po stopách selského baroka” (In the Footsteps of Peasant Baroque) route passes through Borkovice, Mažice, Zálší, Klečaty, Komárov, Svinky, Vlastiboř and Záluží. It can be extended to include the Borkovická blata nature trail. The route thus offers a thematic link between rural architecture and the villages along the way; the possible extension adds the nature trail to the route. For your planning, you can distinguish between focusing on the village squares and viewing the route as a series of locations across the wider area.

Discover more destinations: Smilovy Hory, Dubina, Hrusova Lhota, Chrbonín, Bezerovice, Chotoviny, Košice U Soběslavi, Obora.

For the wider travel overview: Okres Tábor.