Hartowitz brings together a village square with traditional 19th-century buildings, several chapels and a local ceramics tradition. For a culturally focused stay, explore everything from the village ensemble to traces of prehistoric settlement and the first written mention in 1350. The Orty mine and the marked Hornická Route add their own distinctive touches. Depending on your interests, you can focus on architecture, crafts, nature and mining, or a longer circular route.
Village Square, Architecture and Chapels
The village square in Hartowitz has largely retained its traditional village buildings from the second half of the 19th century. On its eastern side is property No. 15, a particularly valuable example of folk architecture. The property includes a granary with a Baroque-style gable, adding a distinctive architectural feature to the farmstead ensemble.
The Chapel of the Virgin Mary on the village square is a Baroque building dating from the mid-18th century, modified in 1876. The chapel and the square’s traditional buildings belong to different periods: the place of worship dates from the mid-18th century, while the surrounding village setting is mainly from the second half of the 19th century. The Chapel of St. Roch, also dating from the 18th century, stands at the intersection of Těšínská and Hlubocká streets.
The pilgrimage Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes is located in Těšín. A healing spring dating from 1889 is situated by the chapel. This adds a different point of interest to the chapels on the village square and along the streets: the Lourdes chapel is identified as a pilgrimage site and is associated with a spring.
Local History and Ceramics
Evidence of prehistoric settlement from the Knovíz culture has been found within the municipality. The first written mention of Hrdějovice dates from 1350. These dates span the story of the area from its distant past to the village’s medieval history.
The local ceramics tradition is associated with blue-painted Hrdějovice ceramics. The history of a pottery provides another insight into local craftsmanship: a new pottery was built in Hrdějovice in 1900; in 1901, Josef Štěpánek bought it from the farmer Fencl for 6,000 gulden. Those interested in ceramics can explore two different points of interest: the distinctive blue decoration and the history of a specific business.
Orty and the Hornická Route
The Orty mine offers a different perspective on the area. Its surviving tunnel system is about 3–4 km long in total and densely concentrated across an area of about 12 hectares. The length and area describe two dimensions of the site: an extensive system contained within a relatively small space. Orty is also a protected winter roost for several bat species. The mine’s structure and wildlife protection thus offer distinct topics side by side.
The marked Hornická Route passes through Hrdějovice and forms a 35.5 km circular route. It is on a different scale from the individual historic buildings and offers its own way to pair a visit to the village with a longer circular walk. If you plan to take the route, check the route conditions in advance, as they may change.
Discover more destinations: Forbes, Střížov, Hartmanitz, Malé Chrášťany, Hradzen, Mladošovice, Rejta, Ostrolovský Újezd
For the broader travel overview: Okres České Budějovice.
