Ústí nad Orlicí District: Castles, Mountains and Water

Ústí nad Orlicí District combines castles and military history with wooded highlands, river valleys and the Pastviny Reservoir. This creates an unusually diverse mix for planning your trip: you can explore historic buildings, visit collections dedicated to nature and regional history, walk along forest paths or plan water-based activities. The landscape changes noticeably with altitude, ranging from warmer, drier areas to the coldest and wettest parts of the Pardubice Region.

Castles, museums and regional history

One of the most impressive historical sites is Litice Castle. It stands on a hill in a loop of the Divoká Orlice River, surrounded by extensive forests. Under Jiří of Poděbrady, it was extensively rebuilt by 1468; in the 15th century, Litice was one of the most important fortresses in Bohemia. The Městské muzeum Králíky offers another way to explore the region’s history. It documents the history of the Králicko area and displays collections of nativity scenes, minerals, insects, birds and mammals. Exhibitions, lectures and concerts are also held there, and an information centre is part of the offering.

In Králíky, the military history trail connects the Hůrka Artillery Fortress, the Králíky Military Museum, a viewpoint and the K-S 14 infantry bunker. The military museum can be reached by train to Prostřední Lipka railway station, followed by a walk of approximately 300 metres. In Letohrad, the Museum of Crafts focuses on historic occupations related to food production, including milling, baking, cheese-making, butter production, soda-water production and beekeeping. A moving display featuring 25 carved craftsmen presents 15 trades. The exhibition also includes more than 100 historic nativity scenes, almost half of them made by carvers from Králicko.

Mountains, rivers and tranquil landscapes

In the eastern part of the district, the Orlické Mountains reach 995 m at Suchý vrch and 958 m at Buková hora; the northeast is dominated mainly by the Králický Sněžník massif. The district lies on the European watershed. Its most important rivers include the Tichá Orlice, Divoká Orlice, Třebovka and Moravská Sázava. The district’s largest body of water is the Pastviny Reservoir, covering an area of 110 hectares.

The forest landscape is also a defining feature: forests cover 31.9% of the district, the highest proportion among the districts of the Pardubice Region. The central and northern foothills and uplands without larger settlements are among the least anthropogenically influenced areas of the Pardubice Region. The pronounced difference in altitude is also important when choosing the focus of your trip. Vysokomýtsko is considered the warmest and driest area, Lanškrounsko is cooler and wetter, while Králicko and the higher Žambersko are among the coldest and wettest areas within the Pardubice Region.

Trails, water and special excursions

The Stations of the Cross beyond the Tichá Orlice offer a tranquil cultural experience. The route follows a forest path towards Andrlův chlum and includes 14 stations. Stations I to XI are small chapels, while stations XII to XIV are larger chapels. Station XIII is the Calvary Chapel, and station XIV is the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre. From Ústí nad Orlicí, there is also a 7-kilometre hiking route to the Andrlův chlum viewpoint and along the Stations of the Cross.

In the wider Orlicko-Třebovsko area, cycling, inline skating, canoeing, activities in a rope park and the use of a climbing wall are documented. A cycling route between Choceň, Ústí nad Orlicí and Letohrad is also part of the network of trails described there. At the Pastviny Reservoir, you can enjoy pedal boating, boating, stand-up paddleboarding and fishing. Those interested in geological topics can visit the Geological and Water Museum in Nature, which has an educational station at the Klopotský pramen spring. Another historical destination is the ruin of Lanšperk Castle, situated on a wooded hill above the valley of the Tichá Orlice; its foundation is probably dated to the middle of the 13th century.

The direct selection of places includes Cenkovice, Cervená Voda, Jablonne Nad Orlici, Klásterec Nad Orlicí, Sobkovice, Vyprachtice, Dolní Morava, Horni Lipka, Letohrad, Lichkov, Lisnice, Mladkov, Nekor, Janovicky, Zamberk, Nová Ves, Dolni Orlice, Jamne Nad Orlici, Kraliky, Valterice, Vlckovice, Chocen, Pustina, Ceske Libchavy, Sázava U Lanškrouna, Pastviny, Těchonín, Hejnice U Žamberka, České Petrovice, Záchlumí U Žamberka, Brandýs Nad Orlicí, Bučina, Bystřec, Vysoké Mýto, Cotkytle, Džbánov, Damníkov, Dlouhá Třebová, Dolní Dobrouč, Dolní Čermná, Wildenschwert, Ceská Rybná U Zamberka, Česká Třebová, České Heřmanice, Sruby, Hnátnice, Horní Čermná, Horní Hermanice V Cechách, Koldín, Hrušová, Kunvald V Cechách, Luková, Lanškroun, Libchavy, Svatý Jiří, Lukavice, Mostek, Orličky, Vračovice-Orlov, Ostrov, Písečná, Rudoltice, Rybník, Vraclav, Semanín, Sopotnice, Sudslava, Tatenice, Tisová, Třebovice, Újezd U Chocně, Verměřovice, Vinary, Voděrady, Zámrsk, Řepníky, Řetová, Řetůvka, Anenská Studánka, Běstovice, Studené, Bošín, Slatina, Dlouhoňovice, Dobříkov, Horní Heřmanice, Leština, Helvíkovice, Žampach, Horní Třešňovec, Hrádek, Libecina, Jehnědí, Kameničná, Kosořín, Krasíkov, Lubník, Velká Skrovnice, Mistrovice, Nové Hrady U Skutče, Nemcí, Zálší, Podlesí, Sudislav Nad Orlicí, Oucmanice, Petrovice, Plchovice, Přívrat, Radhošť, Skořenice, Stradouň, Strážná, Zádolí, Šedivec, Trpík, Týnišťko, Zářecká Lhota, Žichlínek, Zbudov, Rviště and Horní Morava.

For the broader travel overview: Pardubice.