Otovice U Broumova combines Baroque architectural forms with a vivid Permian history. This gives you a choice of different focuses when planning your trip: monuments in the village, geological sites in the area, and marked cycling and hiking routes. The details can help you decide whether culture, geological history, or outdoor activity should shape your stay.
Baroque Architecture and Monuments
The Church of St. Barbara was built in 1725–1726 to designs by the Baroque architects Dientzenhofer, father and son. Its oval floor plan is complemented by side chapels that project from the exterior walls. This unusual form and the period in which it was built give the structure a distinctive architectural profile.
The watermill also combines a precise date with a detail you can see on site: the single-storey, masonry late-Baroque mill dates from the 1770s and stands beside a mill race that has since been filled in. The initials AB and the year 1776 can be seen on the portal. The Baroque Umlauf Mill is one of Otovice’s valuable monuments.
The war memorial, dating from 1926, commemorates a different aspect of local history. Originally, it honored 30 local men who fell on the fronts of the First World War; its dedication reads “Obětem válek”. The local monuments also include an ensemble with a Column of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, as well as statues of saints and angels. This unusual sculptural work dates from the second half of the 19th century and was declared a cultural monument by the Ministry of Culture on 17 October 2014. A Marian column from 1639 and the folk architecture characteristic of the area’s built-up parts complete this picture.
Permian Fossils in the Otovice Area
Near Hoprich lies a paleontologically interesting Permian outcrop in the Stěnava Valley. It stretches from the footbridge below the church to the bridge by the school. The strata contain fossil impressions of Walchia conifers and ferns, as well as occasional fossil remains of ray-finned fish. These are different types of traces: plants are represented by impressions, while occasional remains of ray-finned fish are also found.
Two other sites add to the area’s geological diversity. Ve strži is a Permian paleontological site in the cadastral area of Otovice u Broumova. U školy is known for plant fossils in the dark limestones of the Olivětín beds, also in the cadastral area. The sites can therefore be distinguished by their focus: Hoprich combines fossils with the Stěnava Valley, U školy is associated with plant fossils in limestone, and Ve strži is another Permian site.
U zastávky is one of two small protected areas along the Stěnava in Otovice; both lie in the first zone of the Protected Landscape Area. The connecting path between Šonov and Otovice also offers scenic views of particular landscape value. These aspects of nature and landscape complement the architectural history with another perspective on the village.
Cycling Routes, Hiking Trail, and Getting There
Two routes of different lengths can help you plan your cycling. Cycling Route 4020 Stolové hory is 126 kilometers long. An information board about this route is located in the shelter at the bus stop in Otovice. The blue-marked Cycling Route 4002 Javoří hory is 36 kilometers long and connects to Route 4020 in Otovice. The distance figures let you compare the routes’ lengths, but do not indicate how long the ride will take.
A blue-marked hiking trail leads from the railway station in Otovice to Božanov and onward to the Broumovské stěny. When planning your journey, note that train services to Otovice were discontinued on 11 December 2005. The II/302 road links the border crossing with Otovice, Broumov, and Meziměstí. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can first consider whether you would mainly like to include the architecture and monuments, the geological sites, or the marked routes in your travel plans.
Discover more destinations: Vlkov, Slavoňov, Stolin, Suchý Důl, Horicky, Sendraž, Machov, Vysoká Srbská.
For the overview of the wider area: Náchod District.
