Oselce’s Baroque castle stands on the site of an earlier fortress. Together with chapels, a church and local traditions, it forms a cultural and historical focus, complemented by individual hiking and cycling routes. One limitation is important for planning: access to St. Margaret’s Chapel is only available occasionally.
The Castle’s History in Several Building Phases
The castle was built in 1680 on the site of the earlier fortress. Between 1707 and 1737, Antonio de Maggi remodelled the Baroque building. The timeline therefore distinguishes the original construction from the later alterations. The castle includes a chapel with a ceiling fresco depicting Bohemian patron saints. The castle thus brings together architectural history and a specific detail of sacred art.
St. Margaret’s Chapel and Markétin vrch
The Baroque Chapel of St. Margaret was built in 1691 on Markétin vrch. The hill lies northwest of Oselce and is 662 metres high. A green-marked hiking trail about one kilometre long leads from Oselce to the chapel; however, access is only available occasionally. Check this condition before planning the walk as a definite part of your itinerary. There is also a commemorative lime tree on the way to Markétin vrch, with a trunk circumference of 525 centimetres. The chapel and tree offer different points of interest for a stay focused on the history of sacred architecture and distinctive natural monuments.
The Oselecká pouť is a recurring local tradition that took place in 2024 and 2025. Earlier main celebrations were associated with St. Margaret’s Chapel. This historical connection adds a local festival tradition to the architectural history, without setting a future event date.
Churches, Chapels and Local Traditions
The parish Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary stands in Kotouň. It was built between 1703 and 1705 on the site of a church that burned down in 1475. The church complex includes a surviving charnel house and a low Baroque bell tower dating from 1696. The bell tower belongs to an earlier building phase than the present-day church; its predecessor already stood in the 15th century.
The Kloubovka niche chapel stands in the forest above Kotouň. A spring rises there, and local tradition attributes healing properties to its water, especially for joint and limb pain. This claim is part of local tradition. Čertův hrad, in turn, is a chapel by a pond east of Nová Ves, on the road to Nezdřev. A legend associated with the site tells of boulders supposedly left behind by the devil. The traditions surrounding Kloubovka and Čertův hrad each give these sacred sites their own local stories.
Exhibition and Cycling Routes
The Muzeum motorek v Oselcích is a small exhibition of historic motorcycles on the ground floor of the Oselce municipal office. It displays motorcycles made by Jawa and ČZ. Its focus is therefore a different aspect of local history from that of the castle and sacred buildings: historic vehicles and the named motorcycle brands.
Two cycling routes with different connections to local places are listed for cyclists. Cycling Route 2046 passes through Oselce and runs mainly along purpose-built and local roads. Cycling Route 2161 passes through Nová Ves and follows Road III/1882. Check the current signs and road conditions before setting out, as both may change. Oselce also held a New Year’s march with fireworks on 1 January 2025 and a New Year’s march on 1 January 2026. The marches were local activities at the beginning of the year.
Discover more destinations: Horšice, Polanka, Klášter, Míšov, Hradec U Stoda, Chlumčany U Přeštic, Únětice U Blovic, Stod.
For the broader travel overview: Plzeň-Jih.
