Kestřany: Churches, Chapels and Fortresses

Kestřany is defined by a historic ensemble featuring two well-preserved medieval fortresses and a château. The Church of St Catherine stands in the town centre. It is close to the château and the two fortresses; the château is opposite it, while the fortresses are about 100 metres from the church. Its cruciform floor plan is a distinctive feature of the religious building. These spatial relationships help you get your bearings in the town centre.

Churches, Chapels and Notable Landmarks

The Chapel of St John of Nepomuk is also located in the centre and is an important architectural and urban feature of Kestřany. The church and chapel can be viewed from different perspectives: the church stands out for its specific floor plan, while the chapel is significant to the townscape. Those interested in architecture will find two distinct points of interest in the centre of the town.

To the south, near the Otava, is the protected Chapel of Calvary, an architectural and urban feature of Kestřany. Also in the south, at a road junction, stands the clearly visible, protected niche chapel of St Florian. Their locations can be distinguished by their surroundings: Calvary is near the Otava, while St Florian’s is at the road junction. Northwest of Kestřany, on the field road to Nové Kestřany, stands the protected wayside shrine, an important feature of the landscape. The chapels and the wayside shrine therefore represent different building forms, each adding its own distinctive touch to the local area.

Fortresses, Hiking Trails and Planning Your Visit

Yellow- and blue-marked hiking trails run around the area of the two fortresses and the château. Near the fortresses, visitors can enjoy newly planted vineyards and a peaceful park. The Lower Fortress is currently closed to the public. If you would like to include this particular building in your travel plans, check its visitor status before travelling.

Cycling and Getting There

Cycle Route 1045 leads to Kestřany. Another option is the 24 km cycling tour “Povodím Otavy”, which runs from Strakonice via Hajská, Štěkeň and Kestřany to Písek. The two route descriptions differ in scope: Route 1045 focuses on Kestřany as the destination, while the longer tour also gives a total distance and the order of several places. You can use this information to decide whether you are looking mainly for a route to the town or planning a tour with a stated distance and intermediate stops.

If you are travelling by train, Sudoměř u Písku is the nearest railway station. From there, a footpath follows the blue-marked hiking trail to Kestřany. Blue- and yellow-marked hiking trails also run around the château and fortress area. The paths from the station and those around the area are different reference points to consider when planning your route.

Gold Panning and the Otava Landscape

Near Kestřany, on the right bank of the Otava between Strakonice and Kestřany, there is a gold-mining area. One preserved section of spoil heaps is 600 m long and 50 to 150 m wide. These measurements give a concrete sense of the extent of this landscape area, without confusing it with the buildings in the town centre.

Kestřany is also a traditional venue for the annual gold-panning competitions on the Otava. If you would like to plan your trip around a competition, check the dates for your preferred travel period. Both the landscape’s connection to the Otava and the timing of a possible event may therefore play a part in your planning.

Discover more destinations: Cizova, Cervena, Kostelec Nad Vltavou, Pametice U Pisku, Vadkovice, Kožlí, Kovářov, Předotice

For the regional travel overview: Písek District.