There are several different ways to explore Bystročice during a stay: archaeological finds date the beginnings of settlement in the cadastral areas of the present-day municipalities of Bystročice and Žerůvky to the Neolithic period; the earliest surviving written mention of Bystročice dates from 1131. The church, statues and historical food culture provide further concrete points of reference for the village’s history. A recurring cycling event and a named cycle route add a distinct connection to cycling.
Early history and written mention
The archaeological dating and the year 1131 answer different questions. The finds concern the beginnings of settlement in the cadastral areas of the two present-day municipalities; 1131 marks the earliest surviving written mention of Bystročice. This makes it possible to distinguish the archaeological period from the documented history of the village, rather than treating both dates as the same kind of beginning. For anyone looking to place the village in a historical timeline, these provide two different reference points: settlement dating back to the distant past and a specific early mention in written records.
Church and architectural history
The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius was built in 1858 after a chapel was destroyed in a fire in 1856. The church’s architectural history therefore begins not with a new building replacing an undamaged predecessor, but following the loss of the chapel. The church has a rectangular, single-nave design, with a tower on the south façade and a recessed, segmental-arched end on the north side. “Single-nave” describes its clear layout with one nave, rather than several naves side by side. The tower clock also has its own date: it was added in 1887, 29 years after the church was built. The construction, layout and later addition can thus be considered as distinct aspects of the same architectural history.
Statues and local food culture
Two statues add to the village’s historical points of reference: a statue of Saint John of Nepomuk dates from 1820, and one of Saint Francis de Sales from 1858. The first predates the chapel fire and the construction of the church; the second bears the same year as the church’s construction. These dates place the monuments within a longer chronology of the village without combining them into a single architectural history.
Another perspective on local history comes through food production. In Bystročice, the production of homemade farmhouse Tvarůžky cheese continued despite strong competition from neighbouring municipalities, lasting until the First Czechoslovak Republic. The picture is broader when it comes to fruit growing: it expanded in the municipalities during the 19th century, and much of the fruit was subsequently dried. The two subjects complement one another, but tell different stories about food culture: one about the continued production of a farmhouse product, the other about the expansion of fruit growing and the processing of fruit.
Cycling as another reason to visit
The Bystročický Poutníček is a recurring cycling event that traditionally starts in Bystročice. If you would like to plan your trip around the event, check the date in advance. Separate from this is the specific cycle route between Bystročice and Nedvězí: it is 1.8 kilometres long and forms part of the long-distance cycle route No. 5 and the EuroVelo 9 Baltic–Adriatic route, also known as the Jantarová stezka (Amber Route). The event provides a recurring reason to visit, while the cycle route is a named connection with a stated length and long-distance route designations. These are two different ways to include cycling in your travel plans.
Plan a stay that suits you
When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to decide first what you want to focus on during your stay. If local history is your priority, the church, its construction history and the statues offer different points of reference. If you would like to include cycling, distinguish between visiting for the Poutníček and taking the route to Nedvězí. This will help you compare accommodation according to the kind of trip you are actually planning, rather than assuming that the different themes form a set itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Troubelice, Liboš, Tršice, Norberčany, Náklo, Hraničné Petrovice, Svésedlice, Hlásnice
For the wider travel overview: Olomouc District.
