Orlovice: Hotels and Accommodation

At the western edge of Orlovice lies the archaeological site of Orlov Castle on a rocky promontory of the Litenčické vrchy. When you book a hotel, the area’s distinctive features lead you from the castle site onward to the church, into the forests and along marked trails.

Culture and History

Orlov Castle was founded by the Knights Hospitaller of Ivanovice around the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries and served as a residence of the Order of St. John for Moravia. Ditches and ramparts have survived at the castle; an archaeological investigation in the 1930s uncovered the remains of a round tower.

West of present-day Orlovice, a fortified hilltop settlement stood in the area of St. Wenceslas Church and near the ruins of the medieval castle. The site was already used in the older Iron Age. A local legend recorded in 1617 tells of the bold hunter Jarek, who found an eagle’s nest with three eaglets at the top of a hill. He named the castle and his family after the eagles.

The St. Wenceslas Church complex includes a mortuary chapel and a cemetery that is still in use, and is enclosed by a boundary wall. The church stands on a slight elevation at the eastern end of Orlovice and offers views of the surrounding area. During reconstruction work in the 1930s, masonry probably dating from the Romanesque period, from the 12th or 13th century, was uncovered on its south wall.

Landscape

Orlovice lies at the foot of the Litenčická pahorkatina hills. A ring of mixed forests surrounds the village from west to east. Several small streams rise in the surrounding forests and merge to form the Medlovický potok.

Hiking and Cycling

The blue-marked long-distance hiking trail runs from Vyškov via Moravské Prusy, Orlovice, the remains of Orlov Castle, Pavlovice, Kozlany and Kojátky to Bučovice. It also passes St. Wenceslas Church and the remains of Orlov Castle.

A comparatively dense network of field and forest paths connects Orlovice with the neighboring municipalities and allows visitors to walk through the surrounding landscape. A direct footpath connects the western side of the village square with the church via a staircase. Unsigned parking areas in front of the church serve visitors to the church and cemetery.

For cyclists, cycle route 5029 connects Vyškov, Orlovice, Hvězdlice and Nesovice, where it joins EV4.

For further local navigation: Holubice, Kozlany, Kožušice, Bohaté Málkovice, Nemochovice, Nížkovice, Nové Sady, Tučapy.

For the higher-level travel overview: Vyškov District.