Horní Slatina combines a clearly datable architectural history with a landscape of streams, wet meadows and a ridge. The church, chapel and castle fortress point to different historical periods; streams, wet meadows and the ridge shape the landscape of Horní Slatina.

Location and landscape

Horní Slatina lies in the northern foothills of the Jemnice Basin and in the valley of a right-bank tributary of the Želetavka. The village is at the confluence of two streams that flow out of a small hollow. At the same time, the settlement lies at the foot of the Slatinské kopce ridge.

Behind Horní Slatina, wet and peat meadows lie at the edge of a coniferous forest. The wet meadows form the source area of a watercourse that feeds Horní rybník. The wetland is home to numerous remarkable plant and animal species. Together, these details give the landscape several specific features: a hollow and streams, meadows and a forest edge, and a watercourse that feeds the pond.

Water is therefore a recurring feature of the local geography. It describes both the confluence of streams by the hollow and the watercourse from the wetland to Horní rybník. The settlement at the foot of the ridge and the meadows by the coniferous forest are further parts of this landscape.

Architectural history and historical traces

The single-nave Church of St Giles (sv. Jiljí) originally dates back to a Romanesque building from the first half of the 13th century. It was remodelled in the Baroque style before 1717 and extended in 1833. Its history can thus be divided into three distinct periods: its Romanesque origins, its later remodelling and its 19th-century extension.

The niche chapel of St Anthony (sv. Antonína) dates from the mid-19th century and is a protected monument. Its distinctive architectural feature is an elongated niche with a segmental arch vault, closed off by a modern iron grille. While the Church of St Giles is described through its several construction phases, the focus for this chapel is the shape of the niche and its grille.

The castle fortress of Horní Slatina also offers a glimpse into the village’s earlier history. It probably already existed around the mid-13th century and was mentioned as abandoned in 1589. Today, only faint traces of the fortifications in the terrain can be seen at the site. Its probable early date is a different kind of historical evidence from the church’s precise construction dates.

A memorial lime tree near the Church of St Giles is mentioned in a chronicle from 1717. Horní Slatina cemetery also has a cast-iron cross from the ironworks of Bolíkov, dating from 1836. These details add individual, separately dated historical points to the architectural history.

Arrival information

The nearest railway stations to Horní Slatina are Jemnice and Dačice. Check train connections before travelling so that your arrival plans match the timetable.

Visitors to the cemetery can park on the old road behind the bus stop. Check local conditions when you arrive. This advice applies to cemetery visits.

There are therefore two distinct areas of interest to consider when choosing a destination: dated architectural history and historical traces on the one hand, and wet meadows, streams and a ridge on the other. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Horní Slatina, these priorities can help you assess whether the village suits your travel interests.

Discover more destinations: Písečné U Slavonic, Dolní Žďár, Horní Němčice, Staré Hobzí, Příbraz, Číměř, Dačice, Ratiboř U Jindřichova Hradce

For the wider travel overview: Jindřichův Hradec District.