Zborovy brings together the architectural history of a Romanesque church, Hrádek Hillfort and surroundings shaped by pastures. This offers two distinct focuses for a stay: the monuments in the village and traces of earlier fortifications on the wooded Hrádek hill. The landscape, with its broad valley, stream and scattered trees, adds another dimension. When planning a visit, you can decide whether architecture, early history or a combination of the two should take priority.

Church of St John the Baptist

The protected complex of the Church of St John the Baptist includes the church itself, a mortuary chapel, a bell tower and the associated grounds. The church was originally built as a Romanesque rotunda around the middle of the 13th century. A rotunda is a round building. Another Romanesque detail is a surviving window in the north wall of the presbytery, or chancel, above the roof of the sacristy. Its arch is semicircular. The original building form and a surviving architectural feature thus represent two distinct aspects of the church’s history.

Historical layers at Hrádek

About 1 km northeast of Zborovy, a former Slavic hillfort dating from around the 10th century stands on the wooded Hrádek hill. The protected hillfort, dating from the late hillfort period, lies south of Štipoklasy in the direction of Zborovy; stone ramparts and a ditch have survived. An early medieval castle was later built on the site. The hill thus connects two historical periods: the Slavic hillfort and the later castle. The “Zborovy and Hrádek Hillfort” excursion is about 4 km long and has an elevation gain of less than 50 m. The distance and elevation gain provide useful guidance for planning your day; check the current route before setting out.

Other monuments in the village

In addition to the church, local monuments include a statue of St John of Nepomuk and the wayside shrine or column shrine “Zborovy boží muka na návsi.” It is a carefully crafted column shrine made of locally sourced coarse-grained granite and assembled from four parts. Its four-part construction and material provide a different architectural accent from the church. The statue adds another local religious motif to the collection of monuments.

Landscape and orientation

Zborovy lies in a broad valley, with a stream beside the road from Pačejov to Plánice. The surrounding area consists mainly of pastures, with occasional copses or groups of shrubs. This landscape complements the history of the buildings and fortifications with a different perspective: open pastureland shapes the wider character of the village. For road access, Zborovy is close to Highway 22, which connects Klatovy, Horažďovice and Strakonice.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment for a stay in Zborovy, you can decide in advance what you would like to focus on: will your stay be devoted mainly to the Romanesque church and local monuments, or would you also like to include an excursion to Hrádek? The church and other monuments offer an architectural theme, while the excursion explores the history of the fortifications.

Discover more destinations: Hamry Na Šumavě, Žichovice, Bukovník, Annín, Velký Bor, Bezděkov U Klatov, Horní Staňkov, Hradešice

View the broader travel guide: Klatovy District.