Discover Lichkov through two distinct aspects of its history: a church designated as a cultural monument and the military border fortifications, which feature in the museum and on a themed circular hiking route. The foothill village lies at an elevation of about 560 metres, near the state border with Poland. To help plan your visit, consider what you would like to focus on: visiting individual cultural sites or exploring the history of the fortifications in greater depth on a longer route. Each site and trail has a different focus.

Cultural Monument and Military Heritage

By a decision of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic dated 7 December 2011, the Church of St Joseph the Worker (Kostel sv. Josefa - dělníka) was declared a cultural monument. This means that, alongside the fortifications, a church is also among the cultural highlights of a stay in Lichkov.

The Lichkov Military Museum (Vojenské muzeum Lichkov) is housed in the pre-war infantry bunkers K-S 31 “U besídky” and K-S 32 “Na růžku” between Lichkov and Mladkov. Its exhibition covers armoured vehicles in Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1945. Historic bunker structures and a clearly defined military history exhibition come together here. The museum is on the western edge of the village, about 200 metres from road 312 between Lichkov and Mladkov. Check the museum’s access arrangements before your visit.

The K-S 25 “Na Sedle” infantry bunker is also located within the cadastral area of Lichkov. Inside is an exhibition belonging to the private Vysoký kámen Museum (Muzeum Vysoký kámen). If you would like to visit, check in advance whether the private exhibition is open to visitors.

Routes with a Distinct Focus

The approximately 15-kilometre Betonová hranice circular hiking route offers another way to explore the border fortifications. The loop has 23 information boards on various aspects of the construction, purpose and history of the Czechoslovak border fortifications. If you would like to explore this historical context in greater depth, you can make the boards part of your hiking experience. Set aside a dedicated block of time for the approximate route length.

The route passes through two natural parks to different extents: a small section follows the Tichá Orlice valley through Orlice Natural Park, while the larger and main part runs through Suchý vrch - Buková hora Natural Park. The section through Orlice Natural Park is therefore only a small part of the loop, while its main stretch lies in the other natural park.

The Betonová hranice system includes a blue-marked access trail from Lichkov, which also links the Lichkov Military Museum (Vojenské muzeum Lichkov) to the system as a whole. A green-marked trail leads from Lichkov railway station to Bouda Artillery Fortress. The destinations are clearly distinct: Betonová hranice is a themed circular hike, while the trail from the station leads to the fortress. When choosing, consider whether the information boards and circular route or the destination of Bouda better match the focus of your visit. Check the current trail markings on site.

Discover more destinations: Cotkytle, Petrovice, Přívrat, Radhošť, Mistrovice, Krasíkov, Kunvald V Cechách, Svatý Jiří.

For the wider travel overview: Ústí nad Orlicí District.