Kateřinice – Nature and History in the Kateřinka Valley

Kateřinice is located in the Hostýnské vrchy, 9 kilometers northwest of Vsetín. The village extends along a long valley beside the Kateřinka stream. Forests, waterways, and hills shape the surrounding landscape; there are also hiking and cycling trails and historic memorial sites. This makes it possible to combine a stay focused on nature with an exploration of local history.

Landscape and the Dubcová Nature Reserve

Approximately 60 percent of Kateřinice’s cadastral area is forested. Březinka is a major tributary of the Kateřinka and has a natural riverbed. Its most valuable meandering section lies north of the fire pond. Approximately 60 percent of the cadastral area is forested; with its meandering section, Březinka shapes a specific part of the waterscape.

The Dubcová Nature Reserve was established in 1950. It lies on the eastern slope below the summit of Dubcová, 0.5 kilometers southwest of Kateřinice, at an elevation of 435 to 520 meters. The landscape includes mixed stands of birch and pine, as well as wet meadows. Plants growing there include orchids, marsh orchids, marsh helleborines, yellow irises, and slender cottongrass.

The area’s protected habitats include wet meadows with marsh thistle, calcareous fens, mesophilous wild-oat meadows, submontane and montane Nardus grasslands, and Carpathian oak-hornbeam forests. They provide habitats for specially protected plant and animal species. Nature enthusiasts will find a variety of landscape types here, from wet meadows and fens to woodland. These habitats differ markedly from one another, but together they form part of the Dubcová Nature Reserve.

Hiking, Cycling, and the Seasons

Numerous hiking and cycling trails cross Kateřinice. The hills and forests offer good viewpoints for photographers. The walk from Kateřinice to Lázy Loučka is about 5 kilometers uphill in total and takes approximately 3 hours. There is also a paved road from Kateřinice to Lázy Loučka.

In winter, the ridges of the local hills offer good conditions for cross-country skiing; conditions depend on the weather. Cross-country skiing is the weather-dependent winter option here, alongside the hiking and cycling trails. When choosing when to travel, you can weigh whether you would rather focus on trails and viewpoints or on winter conditions for cross-country skiing.

There is a specific validity period to bear in mind when traveling by bus: Route 628 runs between Hošťálková, Kateřinice, and Valašské Meziříčí from June 14, 2026, to December 12, 2026. Check the timetable valid for your travel date before setting off.

Local History and Culture

A monument to those who fell in the First and Second World Wars stands by the primary school in Kateřinice. It was unveiled on September 29, 1946. A school building in the village dates from 1910. The Protestant church was built in 1952 and is surrounded by a garden. These places lead to different chapters of local history, from commemorations of the world wars to buildings from the 20th century.

At Ojíčná, a partisan monument commemorates Franta Belgičan, who fell there on March 8, 1945. Ojíčná is also home to a large lime tree with a trunk circumference of 640 centimeters. It was planted in the early 17th century and is one of the five largest lime trees in the former Vsetín District. These two memorial sites highlight different points in time: the specific wartime date commemorated by the monument and the tree’s early planting date.

Cultural life also has strong ties to the village. The Zvonky Dobré zprávy ensemble is based in Kateřinice. It was founded on July 6, 2011, at an international handbell camp in Kateřinice and is considered the only ensemble of its kind in the Czech Republic. Traditional home crafts in Kateřinice included making brooms, baskets, and wooden tools, as well as weaving seats for factories producing bentwood furniture.

In summer 2025, four events in the “Snídaně v trávě” series took place in Kateřinice. Their themes were sweet, English, Wallachian, and fire-related.

Discover more destinations: Liptál, Janová, Police, Hrachovec, Choryně, Valašská Polanka, Hutisko Solanec, Velké Karlovice.

For the broader travel overview: Vsetín District.