Hoštice combines walks along chestnut avenues with Baroque architecture and a rich castle history. For orientation, it is worth distinguishing the routes by their stated destinations: one walk focuses on chestnut avenues and the forest, while another leads to a forest chapel. The church and wayside shrine add different examples of historic architecture to the picture.

Walks along Chestnut Avenues

The “Kaštanová vycházka” follows the yellow-marked hiking trail from the chestnut avenue to the forest. The walk also leads from Hoštice Castle through a second chestnut avenue to the forest. Thus, both an avenue and the castle grounds are among the stated landmarks. Before setting out, check the current trail and access conditions: markings and access may change, as may details of the route.

Another circular walk, “Lesem Hříběcích hor z Hoštic ke kapličce Na Strašné,” leads from Hoštice along an old castle avenue to the Na Strašné forest chapel. Those who want to focus on a named destination will find it on this walk at the chapel; by contrast, the “Kaštanová vycházka” is described in terms of avenues and forest. The old, expansive chestnut avenue between Litenčice and Zdislavice also leads to Hoštice.

The chestnut avenue on the “Kaštanová vycházka” is complemented by ash and walnut trees. It comprises 332 trees in total and is one of the protected memorial tree avenues. This specific tree count and protected status give the avenue a distinctive connection to the history of the local landscape.

Church, Painting and Baroque Architecture

The Baroque Church of St. Giles in Hoštice was built to a design by Jakub Pánek. Its wall paintings are attributed to Sebastini, also known as František Antonín Šebesta. The design and attribution concern different aspects: the former situates the church architecturally, while the latter relates to the paintings. Another example of Baroque folk architecture is the Boží muka wayside shrine in Hoštice. It is High Baroque and has a rectangular ground plan. The lower section contains niches with conches, while the upper section has flat niches depicting saints. A pyramidal roof topped with a double-armed iron cross completes the wayside shrine.

Castle History and Garden

Hoštice Castle already had a fortress as its predecessor in the 12th century and was later converted into a small château. Historically, the castle had a formal ornamental garden extending across two terraces. Horse chestnut trees planted in a regular grid remain on the lower terrace. The castle park also contains a white marble bust of the writer Marie Ebner-Eschenbach on a stone plinth.

The castle is not open to the public today. You can look into the park through the castle’s gate. Take this access restriction into account when planning your visit and check access information before you travel.

Discover more destinations: Chropyně, Rymice, Kyselovice, Karolín, Dřínov, Prusinovice, Bystrice Pod Hostynem, Lubná.

Return to the main travel overview: Okres Kroměříž.