Dolní Město: Churches, Granite Rock and Cycling Route

If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Dolní Město, its local themes provide a clear framework for choosing your destination: church history, a distinctive granite formation and the Melechov a Podlipnicko cycling route. The historical sites are spread across Dolní Město itself and the nearby village of Loukov; there is also a rock in the forest and a route that links historic churches with natural landscapes.

Churches and their distinct historical periods

St. Martin and St. Margaret tell different stories of construction and use. St. Martin was originally dedicated to St. John; its present patronage of St. Martin is first recorded in 1653. This date belongs to the history of the dedication, not to the original church building. At St. Margaret in Loukov, the original building dates from before the mid-14th century. The square tower was added only in the second half of the 17th century. Thus, at St. Margaret, an early church building and a considerably later tower stand side by side, while at St. Martin, the change in patronage marks a different historical focus.

The wall paintings also offer a point of comparison between the churches. Medieval wall paintings in St. Margaret were discovered in 1941 and dated to the last decade of the 14th century. Some wall paintings have survived in St. Martin, probably dating from the first half of the 14th century. The dates refer to different things: 1941 is the year the paintings in Loukov were discovered, not when they were created; the dating of the paintings in St. Martin remains uncertain. St. Margaret stands on the site of the vanished village of Loukov. The church’s history is therefore also connected with that of the disappeared village.

Granite rock and cycling route

Čertův kámen is a distinctive geomorphological granite tor, that is, an isolated rock formation. It lies in the forest on the southern slope of the summit of Melechov, at an elevation of 640 metres. Two rock basins are located on its summit platform. This combination of granite rock, woodland setting and rock basins gives this natural landmark its own character alongside the churches’ historical themes.

The Melechov a Podlipnicko cycling route starts in the square in Dolní Město and links historic churches with natural landscapes. It passes Čertův kámen and includes mountain biking in the Melechov area. This offers two different ways to experience the landscape: the rock as a single geological landmark and the cycling route as a link between churches and natural landscapes. If you plan to ride the route, check the latest route information and surface conditions before setting out. Route details may be revised, and surface conditions can change.

A monument with a literary connection

Hlava XXII adds an artistic and literary reference to the themes of churches and landscapes. The monument depicts Jaroslav Hašek and takes its name from the Czech title of Joseph Heller’s novel. It is a granite head almost three metres high and weighing 18 tonnes. It stands in a meadow at the crossroads between Lipnice nad Sázavou and Dolní Město. Its height and weight give the work an imposing scale; its name also leads from the depicted Jaroslav Hašek to Joseph Heller’s novel. Dolní Město can therefore appeal to a range of interests: church architecture and wall paintings, geology and cycling, or a monument bearing a literary allusion.

Discover more destinations: Borek, Chotěboř, Kynice, Nejepín, Rozsochatec, Čachotín, Služátky, Dolni Krupa.

For the broader travel overview: Havlíčkův Brod District.