The Chrudimka River flows through Vitanov, while the village is also located in the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area. These two features provide a framework for planning, but the individual trails and cultural sites each have their own routes and stories. If you are considering accommodation in Vitanov, you can first think about whether nature, regional history or rail travel will shape your stay.
River landscapes and hiking trails
Two different route descriptions can help you plan your hikes. The Stezka Po Martinových stopách is a blue-marked, five-kilometre hiking trail from Studnice to Stanský mlýn. Five information boards cover the nature around Hlinsko and features along the route. Its length, trail markings and endpoints provide concrete details to help you include this hike in your plans.
The Vlastivědná stezka Krajem Chrudimky follows a green-marked route from Čachnov through Vitanov and Stan to Bojanov. There are 37 information boards along the entire trail. By comparison, the Stezka Po Martinových stopách is described by its five-kilometre length, while the Vlastivědná stezka Krajem Chrudimky is distinguished by its route through several villages and the number of boards. Hiking and cycling trails through Vitanov also provide access to the nearby Veselý Kopec open-air museum.
History and cultural traces
One tangible historical trace in the village is the Jewish cemetery. A stone wall surrounds the grounds and their Jewish gravestones, including one dating from 1688. There is also a built testament to the village’s history over the Chrudimka: the steel bridge dates from 1881.
The painter František Kaván bought house No. 55 in Vitanov in 1904 and lived and worked here until 1922. His landscape paintings of the area around Vitanov can be seen, among other places, in the National Gallery and in private collections. This combination of a specific connection to a house and landscape painting offers a distinctive perspective on the village’s cultural history.
The Chapel of Saint Anne was consecrated on 19 October 1873, after residents built a new vaulted stone chapel. A description published in 2014 identifies it as a roadside chapel with an apse, semicircular windows, a small turret and a relief of the Virgin Mary. This should be distinguished from the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist in the village district of Stan: it stands near the main road by a railway crossing and was consecrated on 18 October 1874, following a procession from Hlinsko.
Shrovetide is also part of the region’s culture. Local organisations in Vitanov support the traditional Masopustnà maškara. The Shrovetide processions and masks in the villages of the Hlinecko region were added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. The dates of the processions change from year to year, so check the dates if you would like to plan your stay around them.
Getting there and choosing where to stay
Vitanov railway station is on line 238 between Pardubice and HavlĂÄŤkĹŻv Brod. As transport infrastructure can change, check these arrangements before travelling.
When looking for a holiday apartment in Vitanov, you can focus on three specific aspects of the village: the Chrudimka and the protected landscape area, its historical and cultural traces, and rail travel. Consider which of these is most important for your stay, and plan each of the named trails according to its own route. This way, your choice of accommodation will reflect the experiences you actually want to include.
Discover more destinations
LiciboĹ™ice, Rostejn, ĂšherÄŤice, SvĂdnice, MiĹ™etice U Nasavrk, Bojanov, Vcelakov, BĂtovany
For the broader travel overview: Okres Chrudim.
