A marked hiking trail runs through Zahorany; alongside it are a church, a chapel and a protected pear tree, each offering a different point of connection with culture and landscape. A specific route and individual cultural-historical or landscape features sit side by side, providing a helpful starting point when choosing the focus of your trip.
The marked Č 2 hiking trail (0217)
The trail runs from the square in Domažlice via Bořice and Zahorany to Podzámčí below Rýzmberk. It is 35.5 kilometres long in total. From Podzámčí, the same trail continues through forests to the Příkopy hillfort. The sequence of places situates Zahorany between the named stops and also shows that the trail continues beyond the village. The distance describes the entire trail, while the place names make its route easy to follow. These are two different pieces of information for planning your trip: one gives the overall length, while the others show where Zahorany fits into the route.
Church and chapel: two cultural traces
The Church of Saint Cunigunde in Stanětice is documented in papal tithe registers dating back to 1369. Its side entrance portal dates from 1250 and is considered the oldest part of the church. The dates refer to different aspects: 1369 is the church’s register record, while 1250 is the date of the portal. This makes it possible to distinguish the historical record from the age of the building element. For those interested in architecture, both the portal’s position on the church and its specific date are noted. The date of an individual building element and the register record of the church tell different stories.
The Oprechtice Chapel is an important local landmark and a cultural heritage attraction in the municipality of Zahořany. The restoration of its bell tower revived local tradition and the custom known as “klekání”; this custom is unique to the Chodsko region. Thus, alongside the building itself, the tradition connected with its restoration offers a separate point of interest in local cultural history.
Valley, pear tree and landscape protection
Zahorany lies in the valley of the Zahořanský potok. A specific landmark in the landscape is the “Hruška v poli” memorial tree near Sedlice: a common pear (Pyrus communis) estimated to be around 300 years old. The tree grows in a field southwest of the village and north of the Zahořany–Bořice road. It has been protected since 1987 for its growth and age, as well as its importance as a dominant feature in the landscape. The valley reference describes Zahorany’s location, while the field and road pinpoint the individual tree. The approximate age and the year it was protected mark two different time frames.
Hiking, culture or landscape?
The topics differ in scale when planning a trip: the hiking trail describes a route, while the historical and landscape information covers individual buildings, a tradition and a tree. When choosing a focus, you can weigh whether you would rather go hiking or explore individual cultural and landscape features in more depth. The information offers specific points of reference, from the route to the history of a building element and the protection of a single tree.
Discover more destinations: Čermná, Hlohovčice, Újezd U Domažlic, Kout Na Šumavě, Blížejov, Újezd Svatého Kríze, Nemanice, Pařezov
See the wider travel overview: Domažlice District.
