Heřmanice lies in the south of the Železné hory. St. Bartholomew’s Church stands in the cemetery in the western part of the village. Cycling route 5127 Radostín–Golčův Jeníkov runs through the village; from Heřmanice, you can also walk to nearby Pařížov Dam. The historic church and a nearby walking destination therefore offer distinct points of interest.
St. Bartholomew’s Church and its history
The church was first mentioned in 1352; this date should not be taken to mean that it was built that year. Originally Gothic, it was remodelled in the Baroque style in the 17th century. Its building history thus encompasses an original Gothic form and a later Baroque transformation. In ecclesiastical terms, St. Bartholomew’s is a filial church of the Roman Catholic parish of Vilémov u Golčova Jeníkova. It was declared a cultural monument on 24 November 1995.
The furnishings also offer specific points of reference in time. The church contains a wooden panel with a Pietà by Jiří Zerzán of Vilémov, dating from 1660. It measures 103 × 172 centimetres and was painted over in 1950. Above and below the gallery are the large-format paintings “Blessing of the Breads” and “Expulsion of the Money Changers from the Temple,” set in original Baroque carved frames from the first half of the 18th century. The panel and frames thus point to different periods in the church’s furnishings: 1660 and the first half of the 18th century.
Another religious landmark in Heřmanice is St. Benedict’s Chapel. In 1281, the brothers Jindřich, Smil and Rajmund of Lichtenburg sold the villages of Heřmanice and Malejovice, as well as Kozojedy Forest on both banks of the Dúbravice (Doubrava), to Vilémov Monastery. The sale also included the right of patronage over St. Benedict’s Chapel in Heřmanice. The chapel is a separate historical landmark alongside St. Bartholomew’s Church.
Cycling route and Pařížov Dam
Cycling route 5127 Radostín–Golčův Jeníkov runs through Heřmanice. If you prefer to travel on foot, you can walk from here to nearby Pařížov Dam. Check local trail conditions before setting out. The route and the walk offer different ways to include Heřmanice in your plans: as a stop along a cycling route or as a starting point for a nearby destination.
The dam was built on the Doubrava between 1911 and 1913 by Italian builders. Its masonry dam wall is 21 metres high and 142 metres long. The proportions are easy to picture: the wall is just under seven times as long as it is high. As a nearby structure, the dam offers a different perspective from the church: here, the focus is on its construction in the early 20th century and the dimensions of the dam wall.
The two structures can also be compared in terms of their dates. St. Bartholomew’s spans its Gothic origins, the Baroque remodelling and the furnishing details of the 17th and 18th centuries; Pařížov represents a structure built between 1911 and 1913. This gives visitors different historical points of interest during their stay, without suggesting that the church and the dam are the same kind of attraction.
Discover more destinations: Věžnice, Dlouha Ves, Horní Paseka, Podmoky, Skryje, Ledec Nad Sázavou, Dolní Město, Skorkov.
For the broader travel overview: Okres Havlíčkův Brod.
