In Očihov, diverse cultural themes meet a distinctive river landscape: the Church of St. Martin stands on the eastern edge of the village on the left bank of the Blšanka, while the floodplain provides a landscape highlight of its own. Those considering Očihov as a travel destination can include cycling or fishing as interests in their own right alongside architecture and settlement history. If you are looking for a holiday apartment for your stay in Očihov, you can first decide what matters most to you: architecture, river landscape, cycling or fishing.
St. Martin and its architecture
The Church of St. Martin has been protected as a cultural monument since 1964. Its floor plan combines a narrower polygonal presbytery with an irregularly rectangular nave. The presbytery, or chancel, is narrower and has multiple sides; the nave follows an irregular rectangular shape. A prism-shaped tower with a northern stair extension stands in the western gable area of the nave. The monument status adds a legal designation to the architectural description.
The chapel and earlier settlement history
The chapel on the village square reflects a different building history. It was originally Baroque and is shaped like a two-storey prism; in 1900, it was remodelled into its present form. Compared with St. Martin, the focus here is on the alteration of a single building, while at the church, the relationship between the chancel, nave and tower shapes the description. Očihov thus brings together the remodelling history of one building and a more complex church structure as distinct cultural-historical themes.
The village’s history extends beyond its religious buildings. Archaeological evidence of prehistoric and early medieval settlement has been found within the built-up area of Očihov and in its immediate surroundings. These periods add a longer settlement perspective to the architectural history: the chapel’s original Baroque form and its remodelling in 1900 belong to a much more recent period, while the settlement traces relate to significantly earlier periods. Building history and settlement history can therefore be viewed as distinct chronological layers.
The Blšanka floodplain and activities
The Blšanka floodplain is a significant landscape feature of Očihov. A stretch of tall vegetation runs alongside it. Alongside the individual buildings, this makes the wider river landscape a subject in its own right. If you are more interested in scenery than architecture when planning your trip, you can weigh these aspects differently.
For cycling, the regional cycle route CT 3151 is a specific point of reference for planning. As of 2024, the plan is for it to run through Očihov and Očihovec, mostly along passable field and forest tracks. Since this is a planned route, check its current alignment and markings before setting off.
Fishing is permitted at Očihovská, a 7.2-hectare water body in the Očihov cadastral area, which forms part of the Blšanka 2 B fishing ground. This makes fishing another clearly defined activity alongside the planned cycle route. Before fishing, check the rules and restrictions currently in force, as they may change.
Discover more destinations: Smolnice, Blšany, Louny, Brodec, Panenský Týnec, Opočno, Líšťany, Libčeves
For the broader travel overview: Louny District.
