Two local cycling routes intersect in Kněževes, and the Svojanovsko nature trail also starts here. Marked hiking connections and a varied architectural history add to the character of the village. When planning your trip, it is worth choosing between longer routes that pass through several places and paths with a clearly named destination.
Hiking and cycling routes: different connections
A blue-marked hiking trail passes directly through Kněževes. It runs via Olešnice, Veselka, Kněževes, Studenec, Svojanov and Bystré to Dalečín. The Svojanovsko nature trail also begins in Kněževes and leads via Dolní Lhota and Svojanov to Rohozná. Another hiking connection, marked in yellow, runs north from Kněževes through Panský les to the settlement of Dolní Lhota. The named places and directions make it easier to distinguish the different paths without treating them as a single circular route.
Kněževes is also a hub for cycling trips. Local cycling route 5085 runs from Pustá Rybná via Lačnov, Korouhev, Jedlová and Kněževes, then continues via Ústup and Sulíkov to Rudka u Kunštátu. Cycling route 5086 runs from Svojanov via Hutě, Jobova Lhota, Kněževes, Olešnice, Křtěnov and Hodonín to Nedvědice. The two local cycling routes intersect in the village. They follow existing purpose-built paths and lower-order roads with light traffic. A higher-level cycling route runs from Kněževes to Kunštát along the old imperial road. The listed destinations distinguish the routes: 5085 goes to Rudka u Kunštátu, 5086 to Nedvědice, while the higher-level connection heads to Kunštát.
Architectural heritage, from churches to village details
Several religious buildings display different architectural forms. The Church of St James the Greater is an older, single-nave church with elaborate Baroque articulation. Its features include a set-back chancel with a shallow dome-like vault and an apse. A tower with an onion dome stands on the north side of the chancel, and the nave has a cross vault. The Church of St John the Baptist is Baroque and incorporates some older masonry. Its nave has a flat ceiling and a three-part wooden gallery; the elongated presbytery is covered by two cross-vaulted bays. The comparison highlights the difference between the Baroque articulation of one church and the ceiling and vault forms described for the other.
Smaller buildings also contribute to the village’s character. The Chapel of St Florian has a square ground plan with rounded corners, a round-arched vaulted entrance and a four-sided bell tower on its helmet-shaped roof. The Chapel of St Mary Magdalene is also located in Kněževes. If you are planning to visit the interior, check current access arrangements in advance.
A Baroque stone wayside shrine rises on a tall shaft, topped by a stone cross and a figure of Christ. The date 1780 is inscribed on its square base. A Baroque stone Marian column stands on the village square in front of the rectory. A statue of the Immaculate Conception stands on its prismatic base with a Composite capital. A high-quality statue of St John of Nepomuk probably dates from around the middle of the 19th century; the year 1891 is recorded on its base as the year of restoration.
The granite fountain with rosette reliefs on the sides of its basin tells a different story. Dating from 1684, it stood at the château in Stránecká Zhoř until 2013 and is now installed in Kněževes in a disassembled state. There is also a small agricultural homestead complex that originally served as an inn. It is considered the village’s last surviving wooden house and retains numerous authentic details. The settlement of Veselka is also within the municipality of Kněževes; it is designated a protected village heritage zone under ÚSKP number 2333.
Landscape and regional connections
The V Jezdinách Natural Monument lies within the administrative area of Kněževes. It protects a unique landscape complex within a cultivated landscape of regional importance, notable for its high ecological and aesthetic quality. The area is particularly significant for the presence of six orchid species. Beyond the local paths, Kněževes is connected for tourism to the extensive areas of the Údolí Křetínky, Svratecká hornatina and Halasovo Kunštátsko nature parks. Alongside the hiking and cycling connections, protected landscapes and regional nature parks therefore offer separate topics to consider when planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Lazinov, Lipovec, Sloup V Moravském Krasu, Nýrov, Ráječko, Malá Roudka, Vranová, Kunice.
View the broader travel overview: Blansko District.
