Vitčice: Village Green, Forest and Observation Tower

Vitčice’s landmark is its listed chapel with a bell tower, which defines the village green. The historic centre consists of a triangular village green lined with rows of former agricultural homesteads. The small brick ecclesiastical building is a remarkable example of folk architecture.

Culture and Local History

In 2021, a new, hand-carved, five-metre-high wooden cross monument depicting Jesus Christ was erected on Ovčák. The statue of the guardian angel stands at a historic crossroads of important field paths and replaced an earlier wooden statue before 1892. The Vitčice war memorial to the fallen of the First World War was unveiled in 1922 and extensively reconstructed in 2009.

The depiction of Saints John and Paul stands at a crossroads of field paths by a stream near Srbce and can still be visited. The wooden cross “Panna Maria in the Forest” is associated with an orally transmitted legend about a poacher and stands at one of the forest’s almost highest points. The Vitčická tvrz is first mentioned in 1406; the last recorded report about it dates from 1466. “Pytlácká noc” is a long-standing Vitčice tradition held at the festival grounds by the forest.

Nature and Water

Vitčický Forest is a 97.262-hectare nature reserve, first designated on 21 June 1990. Vitčický Pond is the largest body of water in Vitčice and is home to amphibians and aquatic insects.

Around Vitčice, the destinations mentioned can be distinguished according to their specific features. The chapel, village green, homesteads, crosses, guardian angel statue, war memorial, tvrz and Pytlácká noc represent the village landscape, remembrance and traditional history. Vitčický Forest and the pond complement this with a protected area and a body of water. Ovčák, Štátula and Cycling Route 5084 connect the named paths and viewpoints with different sides of the forest and the route through Vitčice. This creates a choice for travel planning between local history, nature, water, a cycling route and views, which can be organised according to the places and features mentioned.

Other Places

Other places in the overview: Laškov, Bílovice, Kostelec Na Hané, Tištín, Myslejovice, Výšovice, Plumlov and Stínava.

Paths and Views

The wooden cross on Ovčák can be reached from Vitčice via a paved field path along the northern edge of the forest, suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. The Štátula Observation Tower stands on the southwestern edge of Vitčický Forest and can be reached via a path along the forest. It is an eight-metre-high wooden observation tower with a viewing platform six metres above the ground. Cycling Route 5084 runs through Vitčice and onward through Vitčický Forest; an observation tower with panoramic views was built there in connection with the cycling route. The Štátula Observation Tower was freely accessible year-round.

To the overarching travel overview: Prostějov District.