Kojatice – Landscape and Culture around Velký Újezd

Kojatice combines the rolling terrain of the Hercynian hill country with a remarkable concentration of cultural monuments. Velký Újezd in particular, a district of Kojatice, gives the municipality its own historical profile: the ensemble is architecturally and urbanistically valuable and possesses a strong local identity. If you would like to combine nature, small cultural and historical discoveries, and paths through a rural landscape on your trip, Kojatice offers several different starting points for doing so.

Landscape between paths and ecological corridors

The terrain of Kojatice is not defined by a single spectacular elevation, but by the characteristic undulations of the Hercynian hill country. The landscape therefore stands as an independent component of the locality alongside the built heritage of Velký Újezd. The regional system of ecological stability in Kojatice also includes the U181 “RBK Blata–Habrová” biocorridor, designated “Seč 95”. The name refers to a specifically documented component of this regional system and adds to the picture of a municipality where landscape and local history can be experienced closely side by side. For hikers, the route through Velký Újezd is particularly significant: a marked blue hiking trail leads from Bítov to Moravské Budějovice through the district. Velký Újezd is therefore documented not only as a point of reference because of its buildings and minor monuments, but also as a stop along a designated hiking route.

Velký Újezd as a cultural focal point

The parish house in Velký Újezd is a protected cultural monument and is already mentioned in 1377. Its long written history forms a prominent historical point of reference within the district. The ensemble is complemented by the Church of St. Peter and Paul, built in 1859–1861 in the Historicist style. It is a parish church with regular services. Smaller elements also contribute to the character of Velký Újezd. Small chapels and wayside shrines along old access roads complement the ensemble and make it clear that the local history is not limited to a single building. A cross stone has also been preserved in the cemetery next to the church; it is considered the only remnant of a monastery that disappeared at Smilov or on Smilovský kopec. The wording “is considered” is part of the traditional classification and preserves the existing uncertainty. For families who would like to explore a destination not only through major attractions but also through individual stories and architectural forms, several themes come together here: a parish house mentioned since 1377, a 19th-century church, minor religious monuments, and a cross stone associated with a monastery that disappeared. The motifs differ clearly and can therefore be experienced as different facets of the same district.

Chapels and religious heritage

Several chapels add distinctive accents to the surrounding area. On the wooded hill northeast of Kojatice stands a chapel with shallow façade niches, semicircular-vaulted niches on the upper floor, and a Veraikon relief on the front. North of Kojatice, another chapel stands beside a field path. It has a vaulted entrance and a raised gable with a Veraikon relief. An additional chapel is located in the forest north of Velký Újezd. The chapel on the road north of Velký Újezd is documented as a 19th-century cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

Orientation within the municipality

Two road connections are documented for the geographical orientation of Kojatice and Velký Újezd. Road III/15221 connects Třebelovice, Velký Újezd, and Hornice. Most of the road access to the Kojatice district can be provided via road III/41110. Together with the marked blue hiking trail, this creates a local landscape in which road connections, rural paths, and cultural and historical points of reference stand alongside one another. For further research, you can also include Štěpkov, Hornice, Hvězdoňovice, Chlístov, Bransouze, Rokytnice Nad Rokytnou, Číměř, and Třesov.

For the higher-level travel overview: Třebíč District.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Štěpkov, Hornice, Hvězdoňovice, Chlístov, Bransouze, Rokytnice Nad Rokytnou, Číměř, Třesov.