Vitčice combines a distinctive village layout with memorial sites along field paths and nature attractions around Vitčický les. When planning your visit, focus on two areas: the historic village centre and the paths leading towards the forest. At the northern edge of the forest, a surfaced field path leads to the wooden cross on Ovčák; it is suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. This allows you to plan your visit around local history, nature or a bike ride.
Village Green and Monument History
The historic village centre is laid out as a triangular village green, lined with rows of former farmsteads. The listed chapel with its bell tower is a landmark on the village green. A small brick ecclesiastical building is a notable example of folk architecture. The Vitčice war memorial to those who fell in the First World War was unveiled in 1922 and extensively reconstructed in 2009.
You will also encounter various reminders of local history along the field paths. The statue of the Guardian Angel stands at a historic junction of important field paths; it replaced an earlier wooden statue before 1892. Near Hródník, the image of Saints John and Paul is located at a field-path junction by the stream near Srbce and can still be visited.
Crosses, Forest and Folklore
A five-metre-high, hand-carved wooden cross monument depicting Jesus Christ was erected on Ovčák in 2021. Another wooden cross, “Panna Maria in the Forest,” stands at one of the forest’s nearly highest points. An orally transmitted legend about a poacher is associated with it. The crosses therefore represent different kinds of connections: a precisely dated monument and a story passed down orally.
Vitčická tvrz is first mentioned in 1406; the last recorded reference to it dates from 1466. The area’s historical points of interest therefore extend beyond the later memorial sites.
Nature Reserve and Body of Water
The Vitčický les Nature Reserve covers 97.262 hectares and was first designated on 21 June 1990. Vitčický rybník is the largest body of water in Vitčice; amphibians and aquatic insects are found there. For nature enthusiasts, the designated woodland and the body of water, with its native animal groups, offer distinct points of interest.
Rozhledna Štátula stands at the southwestern edge of Vitčický les and can be reached via a path along the forest. Check access conditions before your visit. Cycling Route 5084 runs through Vitčice and onwards through Vitčický les; a lookout tower with panoramic views was built in connection with it. The difference is clear when choosing a route: Route 5084 is a cycling route through the village and forest, while the surfaced path to the wooden cross is expressly suitable for pedestrians too.
An Event by the Forest
“Pytlácká noc” is a long-standing Vitčice tradition held at the festival grounds by the forest. If you would like to plan your visit around it, check the specific event dates. This way, you can include the occasion in your travel plans alongside the historic sites and paths in Vitčický les.
Discover more destinations: Polomí, Hacky, Němčice Nad Hanou, Prostějovičky, Smrzice, Stínava, Vincencov, Skalka U Prostějova.
For the broader travel overview: Okres Prostějov.
