Ostrov’s routes are lined with religious buildings, wayside shrines and crosses; at the same time, the gold-bearing Ostrovský potok flows through the village. Local history can therefore be viewed from two angles: through religious connections between routes and through the former use of the landscape and its mineral resources. Ostrov is especially suited to travellers interested in local history and its traces, with a focus on cultural history.
Getting Here and Finding Your Way
Ostrov u Tochovic railway station is on line 200 between Beroun and Protivín. If you are travelling by train, check the current service information, as operations may change. Access to the station building or the weather-protected passenger shelter is step-free. This information was checked in August 2026 and may change following work at the station. If you rely on this access, you should confirm it again before travelling.
Pilgrimage Routes and Religious Wayside Signs
Ostrov u Tochovic lies on an important pilgrimage route and is traditionally and historically connected with Svatá Hora in Příbram and the Christian faith. Religious buildings, wayside shrines and crosses along the routes give this connection a visible presence in the area. The cultural history of the village is shaped not only by individual buildings, but also by the religious route tradition linking it with Svatá Hora.
The cross in Koletiny stands on the cadastral boundary between Lazsko and Ostrov and belongs to the municipality of Ostrov. It was erected by stonemason Jan Krotký, who lived in Ostrov at house no. 7. Koletiny was the last stop when the deceased were accompanied from Ostrov to the parish church in Slivice, and it was also a stop on pilgrimages to Svatá Hora. This place therefore played a role in the history of religious routes both for pilgrimages and for farewells.
Other religious memorials mark distinct points in time. The cross in Zárybniční was restored in 2013; its original date of construction is unknown. A wayside shrine in the village centre of Ostrov dates from 1852 and was renovated and blessed in 2011. The available historical information thus differs between the two: the shrine has a stated date of construction and a later renovation, while for the cross, the restoration is known but the original date of construction is not.
Local History and Landscape
Ostrov appears in a 1379 tax register of the Archdiocese of Příbram. After the Hussite Wars, the village passed to a Benedictine monastery on an island in the Vltava at the confluence of the Vltava and Sázava rivers. These historical connections complement the religious wayside signs with the history of church ties and the village’s later transfer to the monastery.
Silver mining developed in the area around Ostrov, with yields that were unusually high for the time; its heyday lasted until 1574. Another historical trace is the “Fluchtštola”: it is thought to date from the 16th century and leads into the courtyard of the Grunts Knottkowského. The Ostrovský potok flows through Ostrov and is gold-bearing. Spoil heaps and earthworks by the stream have been linked to earlier gold panning; this attribution remains a possible interpretation. Together, these details offer a glimpse into several historical themes: church connections, mining in the surrounding area and the possible former use of the stream.
Discover more destinations: Sádek, Procevily, Drsník, Višňová, Rozmital Pod Tremsinem, Drahenice, Svaté Pole, Nechvalice.
Return to the regional travel overview: Okres Příbram.
