Olšany: Cycling, a Chapel and Nature

When choosing a hotel in Olšany, you can first consider whether cycling tourism or the area’s protected natural and cultural features should shape your stay. Tourism in the Olšany area is primarily focused on cycling. Specific points of interest include the Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a protected group of trees by the chapel, and Jechovec, a natural area about one kilometre southeast of the village. This gives you a cycling focus, a cultural monument and a more fully described natural area to consider when planning your trip.

Cycling tourism and getting there

The main focus of tourism in the Olšany area is cycling. If cycling is the reason for your trip, this is a useful factor to consider when choosing your destination. Olšany has public bus services, but no railway. The I/23 road from Dráchov to Brno also runs through the area. For bus journeys, it is advisable to check the timetable for your travel date. This allows you to factor bus services, rail and the route of the road into your travel plans as different points of reference.

The chapel and protected trees

The Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus has heritage protection identification number ÚSKP 17622/7-5047. The protected group of trees “Jilm drsný, Lípa a jilm u kapličky v Olšanech” is also located by the chapel. A protected broad-leaved lime tree by the chapel is estimated to be about 260 years old and is 26 m tall; the estimate dates from 31.08.2009. These provide specific points of interest for travellers interested in cultural heritage and nature. The group of trees has a Czech name that identifies the trees and their location by the chapel.

Jechovec: alder woodland and habitat

Jechovec adds a distinct natural area to these points of interest. It lies in the cadastral area of Olšany u Telče, about 1 km southeast of the village, in the Markvartická Highlands. It covers 3.08 ha and was designated in 1982. Jechovec consists of natural streamside and spring-fed alder woodland communities belonging to the Alnion incanae alliance; black alder (Alnus glutinosa) is the dominant species. The terms “streamside” and “spring-fed” refer to two water-related features of the habitat: woodland communities along streams and areas shaped by springs. Together with the dominant black alder, these features give a specific picture of the protected alder woodland.

The species information also reveals different aspects of this habitat. Spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum) is dominant in the spring aspect. The waterlogged hollows in the alder woodland provide suitable breeding grounds for species such as the common toad (Bufo bufo), common frog (Rana temporaria) and alpine newt (Triturus alpestris). Characteristic bird species include the Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus), European robin (Erithacus rubecula), Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) and great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major). Jechovec can therefore be understood in terms of both its spring flora and its wet hollows and the animal species characteristic of them. For your travel decision, these natural features offer a different focus from cycling tourism in the area or the cultural heritage around the chapel.

Discover more destinations: Vanov, Větrný Jeníkov, Stonařov, Telc, Panenska Rozsicka, Rybné, Bohuslavice, Horní Myslová

See the broader travel overview: Okres Jihlava.