Polom U Potštejna can be explored via several marked hiking routes, an adjoining nature reserve and specific cultural sites. When planning, it is worth considering which route and theme you would like to choose: woodland and nature conservation, village history or geology.
Hiking trails with different routes
A yellow-marked route leads from Sopotnice via Černý les, Polom and Proruby to Potštejn. Another yellow-marked route leads from Potštejn via Proruby, Polom, Sopotnice and Česká Rybná to Popluží near Žamberk. The named intermediate places provide specific points of reference to distinguish between the two routes and plan your hike accordingly.
The green-marked trail leads from Potštejn via Modlivý důl and Polom, and through Hájek, Malá Skrovnice and Velká Skrovnice to Brandýs nad Orlicí. By comparison, Černý les and Česká Rybná are part of the yellow-marked routes, while the green route includes Modlivý důl and Hájek. When choosing, you can therefore look out for the named landscape features and places rather than relying only on the trail colour.
Woodland, nature reserve and geology
Polom borders the Modlivý důl Nature Reserve. It protects woodland with the original tree species composition of the forests in the Middle Orlice area. Above Polom and Hájek, the dense Černý les forest also stretches towards Sopotnice. The two names help distinguish these woodland and protected areas in the local landscape.
Hájek also offers a geological perspective: this geologically significant site consists of abandoned wall quarries in Cenomanian sandstone. Marine fauna is found in the sandstone formations. Anyone interested in the history of the Earth will find a different topic here than on the hiking trails through the woods or in the nature reserve.
Cultural sites in Polom and Hájek
In the cadastral area of Polom u Potštejna, the Chapel of Saints John and Paul is among the buildings considered valuable. A memorial to those who fell in 1914–1918 stands in front of the chapel. Opposite the chapel, on the village square, there is a memorial cross bearing the inscription “A 1793–1899”. In front of the former farmhouses Nos. 1 and 2, a statue of the Virgin Mary, erected in 1876, stands on a pedestal. These sites bring together different forms of remembrance and architectural history, without requiring you to focus on a single building.
The listed hunting lodge complex is also located in Hájek, in the vicinity of Polom. A forest road branches off from a road towards Proruby and Polom and leads to the complex. Check local road conditions before travelling there.
Getting there and finding your way around
The nearest railway stations to Polom are in Potštejn and Sopotnice, on line 021 from Týniště nad Orlicí to Hanušovice. In Polom, a shop and a restaurant offer food and shopping options on weekdays. If you are looking for a holiday rental, the hiking routes, nature-related attractions and cultural sites can help you organise your interests for your stay; local shopping and food options are also part of finding your way around.
Discover more destinations: Žďár Nad Orlicí, Kounov U Dobrusky, Pěčín, Rokytnice V Orlických Horách, Semechnice, Rohenice, Černíkovice, Končiny.
Back to the overview of destinations: Okres Rychnov Nad Kněžnou.
