Holešov: Baroque, History and Cycling Routes

When planning your stay in Holešov, you can explore its cultural history, parks and cycling routes as distinct highlights. The town’s heritage trail is marked in yellow and white and can be followed independently without a guide. You can follow its route on an interactive town map. A red-marked hiking trail also passes through Holešov; check the current signs on site. You can choose between a trail taking in the monuments and a hiking route for getting your bearings.

Church Architecture and Jewish History

The three-nave Baroque Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary stands on the site of a smaller Gothic church dating from around the 14th century. The present church was completed in 1708. Holešov is therefore home to both a Baroque building and the historic site of a much older predecessor.

The Šachova Synagogue is a Renaissance building whose original core has survived to this day. The exhibition “Jews and Moravia” is housed in the women’s gallery and the former Jewish school. It covers the history of Jews in Moravia, from the earliest references through to the Second World War. While the church focuses on architectural history, the exhibition offers a broad chronological view of Jewish history in Moravia.

Castle Rooms and Castle Park

A guided tour of Holešov Castle includes the Sala terrena, with its rich stucco decoration and frescoes, the grand ballroom, the castle chapel and the lord’s study. Tour availability may vary by season. Other historic halls serve as the castle gallery and host exhibitions by well-known Czech and international artists; the exhibitions change over time.

At the heart of the castle park is a unique water feature shaped like Neptune’s trident. The so-called Rose Garden is home to a monument to the composer F. X. Richtr and an observatory. The castle rooms offer insights into a variety of historic interiors and their furnishings; in the park, the water feature and the places within the Rose Garden take centre stage.

Cycling Routes with Different Starting Points

The 55-kilometre cycle route No. 5033 starts in Kroměříž, passes through Hulín, Pravčice and Količín, and reaches Holešov at kilometre 18. From there, it continues to its endpoint in Hustopeče nad Bečvou. Holešov is therefore an intermediate point between the start and finish of this route.

The 27-kilometre cycle route No. 5036 starts elsewhere: it begins in Holešov, branches off route No. 5033 at Holajka, and runs through Přílepy, Lukoveček, Fryšták, Lešná, Štípa, Hvozdná and Slušovice to Dešná. There it joins long-distance cycle route No. 46. The entire route follows paved paths, mostly on third-class roads, and is suitable for all types of bicycles. Routes and surfaces may change, so check the current route before setting off. The key difference for planning is clear: route No. 5036 starts in Holešov, while No. 5033 passes through the town as part of a longer connection.

Workshop, Clock Mechanism and Blacksmith Museum

On a guided tour of Zemanova kovárna, you can see the original workshop, the restored clock mechanism from the castle tower and a folk-style room from the border region between Haná and Wallachia. Since mid-2012, the site has also housed an exhibition of the Small Blacksmith Museum. The workshop, the technical artefact and the folk-style room bring different aspects of the place together in a single tour. Tour availability may vary.

Discover more destinations: Hoštice, Rusava, Mrlínek, Chvalčov, Bezměrov, Zlobice, Nítkovice, Osíčko

For the broader travel overview: Kroměříž District.