Kateřinice is located in the Hostýnské vrchy, nine kilometres northwest of Vsetín, in a long valley along the Kateřinka stream. Around 60 percent of the cadastral area is forested. The stream, valley and forest give the municipality its landscape character and a clear connection to nature and outdoor activities.
Watercourses and the Dubcová Nature Reserve
One distinctive feature of the waterways is the Březinka: an important tributary of the Kateřinka with a natural riverbed. The most valuable meandering stretch of the Březinka lies north of the fire pond. The landscape thus ranges from the long valley to a specific, winding stretch of the tributary.
The Dubcová Nature Reserve, established in 1950, is on the eastern slope below the summit of Dubcová, 0.5 kilometres southwest of Kateřinice, at an elevation of 435 to 520 metres. Its areas include mixed stands of birch and pine, as well as wet meadows with orchids, marsh orchids, marsh helleborines, yellow irises and narrow-leaved cottongrass.
The protected habitats are also diverse: they include wet marsh thistle meadows, calcareous fens, mesic tall oat-grass meadows, submontane and montane Nardus grasslands, and Carpathian oak-hornbeam forests. They provide habitats for specially protected plant and animal species. Nature in Kateřinice encompasses not only woodland and waterways, but also specifically named types of meadows, fens and forests.
Hiking, cycling routes and seasonal activities
Numerous hiking and cycling routes pass through Kateřinice. One specific walking route leads from Kateřinice to Lázy Loučka: it covers around five kilometres uphill in total and takes approximately three hours altogether. The hills and forests around Kateřinice offer photographers good viewpoints.
In winter, when weather conditions are suitable, the ridges of the local hills are ideal for cross-country skiing. These are different options to consider when planning your trip: the route to Lázy Loučka has an approximate total duration, while cross-country skiing depends on winter conditions.
Memorial sites and local history
The memorial to those who fell in the First and Second World Wars stands by the primary school; it was unveiled on 29 September 1946. A partisan memorial at Ojíčná commemorates the fighter Franta Belgičan, who fell there on 8 March 1945. Ojíčná is also home to a large linden tree with a trunk circumference of 640 centimetres. Planted in the early 17th century, it is one of the five largest lindens in the former Vsetín district.
Other architectural landmarks include a school building dating from 1910 and the Evangelical church, built in 1952. Domestic crafts were also part of the village’s history: residents made brooms, baskets and wooden tools, and wove seats for factories producing bentwood furniture.
The Kateřinice-based ensemble Zvonky Dobré zprávy was founded on 6 July 2011 at an international handbell camp in Kateřinice. It is considered the only ensemble of its kind in the Czech Republic. The connections to music and crafts add another cultural dimension to the natural and memorial sites.
Getting there and planning your accommodation
Bus route 628 runs between Hošťálková, Kateřinice and Valašské Meziříčí from 14 June to 12 December 2026. If you plan to use this connection, check the timetable for your travel date.
Discover more destinations: Pozděchov, Študlov, Dolni Becva, Vigantice, Zdechov, Valasske Mezirici, Huslenky, Wesetin.
For the broader travel overview: Okres Vsetín.
