Stity: Historic Preservation Zone, City History and Forest Trails

The Historic Character of Štíty

Štíty combines a clearly recognizable historic town center with a location between two landscape regions. The historic town center of Štíty was declared a historic preservation zone by the Czech Ministry of Culture in 1992. This places a historic focal point at the center: the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was built in the late Baroque style in 1755 and received its present domed tower design in 1912.

The former town hall is part of the original built fabric, a 16th-century building and one of the original structures in the historic town center of Štíty. On the square behind the present town hall stands the Marian column from 1716; it is associated with the end of a plague epidemic. On the northern side of the church is the Calvary group, an Empire-style sculpture from 1808. The former prison also points to the town's history: it was built in 1867, and its barred cell windows are still visible today. The building is best viewed from the stairs by the health center.

City History Between the Orlické hory and Jeseníky

The town's origins are probably connected with a small dependent town below Šilperk Castle, which stood behind the present-day church. Its location is equally important for understanding the landscape: Štíty lies on the edge of the easternmost foothills of the Orlické hory and at the same time near the foothills of Jeseníky. Historical connections and paths through hilly natural landscapes thus come together without the town losing its own history.

Those traveling on foot can begin the Štíty–Na Zámecký vrch walking trail at the town square. It leads through hilly woodland. After a steep, long descent through the forest, the route reaches the road to Jedlí and then the weir on the Březná. The steep, lengthy descent is a defining feature of the route planning and makes the transition from forest to road particularly clear. The Hrádek “Na zámku” is also known as Zámecký vrch; it was one of three presumed medieval fortifications in the surroundings of Štíty and lies hidden in a shady forest above the Březná.

Trails, Sport and Practical Information

Another perspective is offered by regional Cycle Route 521, which runs from Moravská Třebová to Štíty. Štíty is also home to the Acrobat Park of Olympic champion Aleš Valenta, a multifunctional sports center open to the general public. For practical information, the Štíty Tourist Information Center provides, among other things, train and bus timetables.

When choosing accommodation, you can first determine your preferred focus: Should the town's history, with its historic preservation zone, church and historic buildings, take center stage, or would you like to include trails through woodland, the Březná and the cycle route in your travel plans? This allows a hotel in Stity to be matched with your planned daily schedule without reducing the destination to just one type of experience.

More Destinations

If you are looking for more destinations, you can also find Brníčko, Vernířovice, Zborov, Svébohov, Líšnice U Mohelnice, Zábřeh, Lukavice and Vikýřovice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Šumperk District.