Škvořetice – Castle, Chapels and Cycling Routes

Škvořetice as a destination

When looking for a hotel in Škvořetice, it helps to consider the features that define the town: its castle, two chapels with distinct designs, and its history of pilgrimages. There are also cycling routes through Škvořetice, as well as a church on Křesovec in the wider municipal area. You can plan your trip around architecture, religious history or cycling. The church near Pacelice is a destination in the surrounding area, not in Škvořetice itself.

The castle and its architectural history

Škvořetice Castle stands on the northwestern edge of the municipality. The two-storey, four-winged building has a rectangular floor plan and an inner courtyard. Its defining features also include a three-storey corner tower and an adjoining park. The castle’s core dates from the early 16th century. Under Karel Hildprandt, it was remodelled in 1921–1922 in the Neo-Renaissance style, based on plans by the architect Vojtěch Volf of Beroun.

Remnants of Renaissance plaster, including traces of sgraffito, have been preserved in the tower. The building thus brings together different periods: the early castle core, its 20th-century remodelling and older traces of plaster in the tower. The castle is now privately owned. If you are planning a visit, please check in advance whether this is possible.

Chapels and religious history

The Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows was built in 1884 beside an older shrine and consecrated on 3 September of the same year. It is built in the Neo-Romanesque style. Its figurative and floral interior paintings date from 1907 and are associated with the Beuron Art School. Following a comprehensive renovation in 2020–2021, the chapel was blessed on 7 May 2022. Historically, it was also a destination and venue for well-known pilgrimages.

The chapel is on the road from the village square towards Buzice; car parking is available nearby. Please check the local parking situation again before your arrival. Another example of the town’s architectural history is the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, built in 1866. It is a simple, non-oriented Neo-Gothic building with a rectangular floor plan, a three-sided apse and a small bell turret. The town’s history is thus reflected in two contrasting structures: a Neo-Romanesque chapel with decorative interior paintings and a simple Neo-Gothic religious building.

A pilgrimage site in the wider area

Near Pacelice, on Křesovec Hill in the wider area around Škvořetice, stands the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It acquired its present form in 1763–1765 and was historically an important regional pilgrimage site. From Pacelice, the route runs via a visitor car park and then about 300 metres through the forest to the church. Check local parking and route conditions before setting out.

Škvořetice by bike

There are also specific routes to consider when planning a bike ride. The Blatná–Čekanice–Sedlice–Lom–Škvořetice–Buzice–Blatná loop uses cycle route No. 31 between Lom and Škvořetice. The cycling tour known as “Za sedlickou krajkou” (In Search of Sedlice Lace) also passes through Škvořetice. These descriptions point to two different options: a loop with a named sequence of places and another tour that passes through Škvořetice. If you plan to ride either route, check the current signage and local conditions before setting off.

Discover more destinations: Uzeničky, Pole, Řepice, Čichtice, Sloucín, Kváskovice, Cejetice, Krejnice.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Strakonice.