The Romanesque core of the Church of St. Bartholomew dates back to the early 13th century; at the same time, the 84-kilometre Živé pomezí Krumlovsko–Jevišovicko cycling route passes through Blížkovice. Visitors exploring the town can therefore consider its architectural history and regional cycling routes as distinct points of interest. Festival traditions and traces of earlier economic activities are also part of local history.
A church with several layers of history
The Church of St. Bartholomew preserves several phases of its architectural history. Its Romanesque core dates from the early 13th century. A Gothic presbytery with a sacristy and ossuary was probably added in the first quarter of the 14th century.
The church interior also combines older and more recent art forms. These include a stone baptismal font from the late Renaissance. Its lid bears a wood carving of the Baptism of Christ, dating from the late 18th century. This means two distinct periods can be identified in one named furnishing: the baptismal font itself and the later carving on its lid. Together with the presumed Gothic additions, the church vividly illustrates the town’s long development.
A small town, guilds and festival traditions
Blížkovice is documented as a small town from 1349. Another part of the town’s history is the Panská hospoda on the market square, which was the seat of eight guilds.
Blížkovické posvícení is a traditional festival with an extensive cultural and sports programme. The individual events vary from year to year. A previous programme for Blížkovické slavnosti included a performance of the play “ČOCHTAN VYPRAVUJE”, an evening of entertainment with THE FEET, and brass band music by MUZIKANTY Z JIŽNÍCH ČECH.
Blížkovice on the cycling route
The 84-kilometre Živé pomezí Krumlovsko–Jevišovicko cycling route passes through Blížkovice. It largely avoids busy roads and runs through hilly terrain. Some sections offer views over the open countryside. The town is therefore part of a wider network of cycling routes, whose character is shaped both by the route’s length and by the landscape described here.
Along the western edge of the South Moravian Region, the route connects the Greenway corridors Praha–Wien (No. 48) and Krakow–Morava–Wien (No. 4). Those interested in regional cycling connections will find that, in addition to passing through Blížkovice, the route links to two named long-distance corridors. It can therefore be understood as part of a wider network, rather than simply as an individual route starting in the town.
Traces of earlier economic activities
The town’s history extends well beyond its church and festivals. Blížkovice had a brewery. Hops were apparently also grown in a field behind the church, which was called Chmelenec. Blížkovice also had a relatively extensive system of fishponds. The brewery, possible hop cultivation and fishponds offer different perspectives on earlier economic activities and complement the town’s architectural and festival history.
Discover more destinations: Tulešice, Jezeřany-Maršovice, Našiměřice, Čermákovice, Litobratřice, Hrabětice, Hevlín, Plaveč.
For the overview of the wider travel region: Znojmo District.
