Volevčice: Church History and Salt Flora

Volevčice combines village history with a special connection to nature. Three topics are central when choosing your destination: the Church of Saint Procopius, an archaeologically documented medieval settlement, and nearby Velká Volavka with its salt-influenced plant life. This lets you weigh whether church architecture, early settlement history or distinctive flora will be the deciding factor for your stay.

Church of Saint Procopius

The single-nave Church of Saint Procopius was built in 1840 on the site of a Gothic church dedicated to Saint Gall. The massive Late Gothic tower has been preserved; the nave and presbytery, added asymmetrically to it in 1840, are designed in the Neo-Romanesque style. The term “single-nave” describes a church interior with one main nave; the nave and presbytery are other architectural parts. The tower therefore represents the preserved Late Gothic phase of construction, while the nave and presbytery are the parts added in 1840. The church has been a protected monument since October 7, 2021.

Early History and Archaeological Traces

The first written mention of Volevčice dates to 1333. Around the middle of the 13th century, a medieval settlement was established southwest of the present-day municipality, within its municipal territory; it is documented archaeologically. These two details refer to different historical contexts: the written mention concerns Volevčice, while the settlement is an archaeological find from an earlier period. The abandoned settlement was buried beneath a layer of mud about 70 cm thick. Despite the development of nearby lignite mining in the 19th century, Volevčice remained agricultural in character.

Salt-Influenced Plant Life

Velká Volavka, an important site for halophilic flora, lies near Volevčice. The technical term “halophilic” describes plants adapted to saline conditions. At the foot of Velká Volavka, salinization of the clay causes stunted growth in plants. One of the notable locations where plants have been found is the sea plantain (Plantago maritima): Velká Volavka is the only remaining site for this species in the Most District. Here, a specific plant locality is linked to distinctive soil conditions.

Seasonal Use and Getting There

A local profile last updated in 2022 also mentions that the local skating rink is used in summer as a place for football, nohejbal and volleyball. For your journey, it is worth checking the municipality’s timetable information: its transport page has separate links to ČD train timetables and bus timetables. Check the timetables before setting off so you can plan using the latest information.

From March 16 to October 31, 2026, bus route 545 will be suspended because of the complete closure of the bridge between Volevčice and Bečov. If your trip falls within this period, take the suspension into account when planning your journey and check the bus timetable in advance.

Discover more destinations: Braňany, Havraň, Litvínov, Most, Louka U Litvínova, Polerady, Brandov, Želenice.

For the broader travel overview: Most District.