Mladoňovice: Crosses, Legend and Geology

Anyone looking for a hotel in Mladoňovice can weigh up the local themes when planning a trip: geology at Deblov, dated crosses, and local traditions. The historic sites differ in their dates, the people involved, and their purpose; the Geologická lokalita Deblov draws attention to quartzite and visible traces of biological activity.

Geology at Deblov

The Geologická lokalita Deblov can be reached via a walkable tourist trail and lies more than 250 metres from the road. Include the approach in your excursion plans and check trail conditions before setting out. At Deblov, light-coloured quartzite outcrops from the Middle Ordovician are visible. A large, relatively well-preserved bedding surface also retains visible traces of biological activity in the form of tunnels belonging to the genera Pragichnus, Skolithos, and Monocraterion. The quartzite outcrops characterise the rock; the tunnels on the bedding surface make the visible traces of activity a second geological highlight. The Middle Ordovician dates the rock, while the years on the crosses date individual structures.

Crosses and bell towers

The cross in Pohled is the oldest in the municipality and dates from 1872. The Vackovi couple erected the cross in Čejkovice in 1886; the cross in Mladoňovice was built in 1890 with financial support from local residents. The cross in Petříkovice was erected in 1894. In Rtenín, both a cross and a bell tower were built in 1898. Habrovka adds a later date: in 1945, the Buřvalových family from a nearby farm had a freestanding cross made to commemorate the end of the Second World War.

The circumstances also differ: in Čejkovice, the Vackovi couple erected the cross; in Mladoňovice, local residents provided financial support; and in Habrovka, the focus was on commemorating the end of the war. The bell towers can also be placed in time: near the cross in Pohled stands a bell tower built in 1891; in Rtenín, the cross and bell tower were built in the same year, 1898. In Pohled, the construction dates are nineteen years apart, whereas in Rtenín they coincide.

Legends and chapel

A local legend in Mladoňovice tells of gold mining in the past at the site of the vanished settlement of Zlatnice. The stream named Zlatník still recalls the gold mining. Unlike the crosses, with their specific construction dates, this tradition connects the place to its past through the vanished settlement and former gold mining. The original idea to convert a transformer station into a chapel in Deblov dates from 2010.

Discover more destinations: Stolany, Luže, Prosetín, Předhradí, Rvacov, Stary Dvur, Podhořany U Ronova, Klešice.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Chrudim.