Drnovice U Valašských Klobouk: Ploština, Church and Trails

The local church, the Ploština Memorial, and several hiking and cycling routes give a trip to Drnovice U Valašských Klobouk a range of different themes. Ploština lies three kilometres north of Drnovice; viewpoints, a permanent exhibition, and marked stations add outdoor destinations to the historical themes. When planning, you can distinguish between settlement history and remembrance, church architecture, and trails and viewpoints.

Ploština: Settlement History and Remembrance

Ploština was a former pasekář settlement in the cadastral area of the municipality of Drnovice and existed until 1945. In the 1970s, Ploština was declared a National Cultural Monument. The memorial is dedicated to the victims of the Second World War and the occupation from the Zlín District. It was built in 1975 and extensively reconstructed in 2008. Plaques bearing the names of all the murdered pasekář settlers are mounted on the pillars of the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows (“Panny Marie Bolestné”).

At the memorial, the permanent exhibition “Pasekářská osada Ploština” introduces visitors to the pasekář way of life and pasekář colonisation as a characteristic settlement phenomenon of Wallachia. The former settlement, the memorial, and the exhibition each offer a different focus: from the historic settlement form, to remembrance, to the context of pasekář colonisation. This gives you a clear theme to focus on when planning your visit to Ploština.

Church and Viewpoints

The Church of Saint Agnes of Bohemia in Drnovice is a modern Catholic branch church. It was built in 1990 and consecrated on 21 July 1991. Alongside the history of remembrance at Ploština, it offers a different cultural point of interest: a newer church with clearly stated construction and consecration dates. The two themes differ both in subject and in their historical periods.

Drnovická vyhlídka was built in 2023 on a hill between Drnovice and the settlement of Ploština as a tourist viewpoint and rest area. Its outdoor exhibition is open year-round and is accessible to visitors with disabilities; check access conditions before your visit. Rozhledna Drnovice is an 8 m-high wooden observation tower with free access. As access conditions can change, it is also advisable to check them before setting out.

Hiking and Cycling Routes

Several hiking and cycling routes lead from Drnovice through the Vizovické vrchy and Bílé Karpaty nature parks. Mount Klášťov also lies northwest of Drnovice. It is part of the Vizovické vrchy Nature Park and has remains of an extensive fortified settlement. These locations offer two distinct options to explore: routes through the named nature parks, and the mountain with its settlement remains.

The Vařákovy paseky educational trail has 15 marked stations and lies about 12 km from Drnovice. From Drnovice, it can be reached via Osada Ploština, Pod Sveradov, and the Bařinka trail junction. As the route may change, check the markings before setting out. A tour profile published in 2024 for a cycling trip to Rozhledna Drnovice gives a distance of 1.8 km and an elevation gain of 100 m; it lists MTB, cross, and road bikes as suitable types. For this ride, too, it is advisable to check the route and surface before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Zádverice, Bratřejov, Březůvky, Ostrata, Tečovice, Velký Ořechov, Halenkovice, Šarovy.

For the broader travel overview: Zlín District.