At the Skalka Reservoir, visitors can get to know Cetnov through its riverside landscape, cycling connections and long history of settlement. For those looking for a holiday apartment, the village offers three distinct points of interest: the recreational area by the water, specific cycling routes and archaeological sites. If you are considering Cetnov as a destination, you can decide whether the landscape, cycling or local history will shape your stay.

Landscape at the Skalka Reservoir

The Skalka Reservoir lies on the Ohře, and Cetnov is located on its banks. Originally, Cetnov (Zettendorf) stood high above the Ohře. After the reservoir was filled, the water reached the edge of the village. The elevated location and the later contact with the water’s edge belong to different phases of the village’s history; together, they tell the story of how the landscape changed. The lake is used mainly for recreation, and its banks are predominantly lined with holiday settlements. To understand the destination, it is therefore worth considering both the lake’s recreational purpose and its effect on the village’s setting.

Cycling with different route connections

Two specific route connections are important for cyclists. From the junction near Klest, a 1.5 km spur of cycling route 2063 leads to Cetnov; the distance refers to this spur. Cycling route 257 runs along the shore from Bříza through Cetnov to Skalka. The two routes therefore offer different points of reference: route 2063 is a spur of a specified length from Klest, while route 257 is a lakeside stretch connecting three places. Check the current route and conditions locally before setting off.

Archaeological traces and early history

The Cetnov–Vlčí vrch archaeological site lies northeast of Cetnov, on the left bank of the Ohře. It is registered as an immovable cultural monument and is considered a prehistoric settlement and burial site with archaeological traces. Its designation as a cultural monument complements its identification as a settlement and burial site: it indicates the site’s heritage status, while those terms outline its archaeological significance.

Cetnov is also one of the multicultural archaeological sites on the north shore of the Skalka Reservoir that were inhabited from the Late Palaeolithic to the Middle Ages. A vessel found in Cetnov dates from the later Merovingian period. The first written mention of Cetnov dates to 1221. These points of reference mean different things: the vessel is a find from a specific period, 1221 dates the first written mention, and the settlement span from the Late Palaeolithic to the Middle Ages covers a much longer period. The year 1221 therefore does not mark the beginning of settlement.

The former fortress site

The village fire of 1892 had two different consequences for the former fortress site: Cetnov’s fortress tower was demolished afterwards and has not survived, while an old well with a granite basin and the year 1510 survived the fire. Check the well’s current condition locally before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Altwasser, Wilkowitz, Untersandau, Mühlessen, Schanz, Roßbach, Franzensbad, Marienbad

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