Dunking a beer keg in spring water to keep the drink cool: at Pivní studánka, this idea has become a local custom. The tradition in Podlubníček has lasted for more than four decades; the spring is a popular meeting place for local residents and visitors from further afield. Payment for the beer is made by leaving a voluntary contribution in a cash box. As this payment method may change, ask locally about the current arrangements.
Another spring is located in the village district of Cikov: Fialový pramen has a landscaped pond and a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes dating from 1893. The combination of a spring, pond and religious imagery offers a different focus from the community tradition in Podlubníček. Those interested in local culture will find two distinct connections with water here: the custom at Pivní studánka and the landscaped setting of Fialový pramen.
Mills, Monuments and Regional History
In Cikov, Ležákův mlýn is also associated with miller Lukáš Pakosta. There is a memorial plaque at the mill, and its current owner is preserving the building in its original form. The mill thus brings together a historical figure, a commemorative marker and the preservation of the building.
Other memorials mark their own points in time: the sandstone cross “U Černého mlýna” features a Calvary group dating from 1830; the Chapel of the Finding of the Holy Cross dates from 1894. A stone monolith with a memorial plaque commemorates Jan Švec, a local legionnaire. The region’s history of events is also part of the picture: in 1680, Horní Újezd was a focal point of the peasant uprising in the Litomyšl region.
The historical references differ in type and period: the 1680 peasant uprising points to a regional historical event, while the dates 1830 and 1894 place religiously significant memorial sites in time. The mill and monolith add another perspective through an association with a named individual and a personal memorial.
Bat Conservation at Jeskyně u Horního Újezda
Jeskyně u Horního Újezda is a Natura 2000 site of European Community importance and bears the code CZ0533688. It is one of the largest winter roosts of the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) in eastern Bohemia; 350 to 400 bats have been counted there in recent years. Entering the cave can disturb hibernating bats. When planning your trip, it is therefore important to treat the cave as a protected natural area, not as an ordinary visitor attraction.
The different places offer distinct points of interest: Pivní studánka is centred on a long-standing custom and meeting place; the mill, cross, chapel and monolith offer points of reference for cultural and regional history. The cave calls for a different approach: its protected status and the hibernating bats determine how it should be regarded.
Discover more destinations: Hartmanice U Poličky, Bystré U Poličky, Koclířov, Telecí, Vítějeves, Jaroměřice, Litomyšl, Malíkov.
For the overview of the wider area: Svitavy District.
