Discover Olešenka

The rectangular village square with its ponds, a chapel with a bell tower and 18th-century sculptures, and the approximately 604-metre-high Strážky hill each lend the area a distinct character. The region’s mining heritage provides a historical backdrop, while water management shapes the landscape. Olešenka can therefore be explored through both its village history and its landscape and water management.

Village Square and Cultural Heritage

Several ponds divide Olešenka’s rectangular village square. Together, the shape of the square and the water features define the village centre. There is also a chapel with a bell tower and 18th-century sculptures. It adds a cultural heritage element to the village scene, while the ponds shape the square. It is helpful to distinguish between them: the square can be understood through its shape and layout, while the chapel is notable for its bell tower and sculptures as historical details.

The Village’s Mining History

Olešenka was founded in connection with the mining boom in the region. Charcoal was also produced in the forests of Olešenka for silver smelters. These details show two different scales of local history: mining provides the regional backdrop to the village’s founding, while charcoal production refers to a specific activity in the forests. Together, they connect a broader regional context with a tangible local link. If you are interested in the village’s history, you can learn about both the circumstances of its founding and the production of charcoal for silver smelters.

Strážky and the Water Landscape

The approximately 604-metre-high Strážky hill offers sweeping views. In contrast to the village square and chapel, this landscape feature shifts the view from the village’s layout to the wider surroundings. The stated height gives the hill a concrete scale; together with the views, it contrasts clearly with the rectangular village square. The expansive outlook and the smaller features shaped by the village square thus sit side by side.

In the Olešenka landscape, four retention basins slow runoff and encourage infiltration. They have two effects: runoff is slowed, and infiltration is encouraged. The planned VN1 water retention facility is also located in the cadastral area of Olešenka, in a natural valley channel on the Olešenský potok. It is part of a planned land consolidation project. The retention basins are described by their function, while VN1 is characterised by the fact that it is planned and by its location along the valley channel and stream. Water management is therefore a subject in its own right, alongside local history and views of the landscape.

A Planned Route

The HC3 field path connection should also be understood as a plan. It follows the route of a vanished historic path and is intended to connect Olešenka with Ronov nad Sázavou. The historic route places the alignment in its historical context, while the planned connection identifies the link between the two places. HC3 thus complements water planning with another landscape theme: a proposed path connection along a historic route. Olešenka can therefore be understood through its village features, history and different perspectives on the landscape.

Discover more destinations: Víska, Knyk, Nová Ves U Leštiny, Oudolen, Úsobí, Sázavka, Rušinov, Podmoklany

For the broader travel overview: Havlíčkův Brod District.