An approximately eight-kilometre nature trail and the literary traces of Josef Holeček offer two distinct ways to explore Stozice. The route starts in the settlement and returns there at the end. Holeček’s birthplace and the chapel on the village square are also in the village. Landscape, literature and architecture thus shape the themes of a stay.

The nature trail between local and landscape themes

The Naučná stezka Stožice nature trail is approximately 8 km long. It starts in Stozice and returns to the settlement at the end. Its approximate length gives the walk a concrete scale, while its start and finish clearly link it to the village. Information boards cover local settlements, fauna, flora, the region’s fruit growing and geographical topics. Nature is thus considered alongside regional fruit growing, settlement and geographical context. For travellers who choose a route not only by its distance but also by the topics covered along the way, this range is a key distinction.

Views and geographical context

The nature trail runs along Svobodná hora (640 m above sea level), where it offers views of parts of the Šumava, Českobudějovická pánev, Písecké hory and Vodňansko landscape regions. The geographical location is a separate matter: the area around Stozice and Křepice lies at the boundary between the Šumavské podhůří geomorphological unit (in the Netonická vrchovina subregion) and the Českobudějovická pánev geomorphological unit (in the Vodňanská pánev subregion); Stozice itself lies in the Vodňanská pánev. The view describes visible landscape regions, whereas the location information describes the village’s geomorphological classification. On the nature trail, a broad landscape view thus meets a more precise geographical context.

Josef Holeček and the village’s literary history

Josef Holeček, a writer and journalist, was born in Stozice on 27 February 1853. His twelve-volume novel “Naši” is set mainly in his home village and its local surroundings. His birthplace is house No. 7; a memorial plaque and the inscription “U Holečků” commemorate Holeček. The distinction is revealing: house No. 7 represents the biographical connection to Holeček, while “Naši” extends the connection to his home village and its surroundings as a literary setting. Those interested in literary history will find both a specific biographical link and a glimpse of the village as the setting of a novel.

The chapel on the village square

The Neo-Gothic Chapel of Saints Simon and Jude is a landmark on the village square. Its façade is decorated with frescoes of Saint Florian and Saint Procopius. Two cultural perspectives can be distinguished here: “Neo-Gothic” describes the architecture, while the frescoes depict specific saints on the façade. The chapel thus complements the literary traces with a distinctive architectural feature of its own. If you would like to include the village’s architecture alongside the nature trail, it offers another cultural highlight.

Discover more destinations: Drážov, Číčenice, Nahorany, Horní Poříčí, Strunkovice Nad Volyňkou, Střelské Hoštice, Chlum, Přešťovice

Go to the overview of the wider area: Okres Strakonice.