Velká Losenice: Cross-country skiing and the Church of St. James

Velká Losenice offers a range of options to consider when planning a trip: sacred architecture, a winter cross-country skiing circuit and a longer excursion. The parish Church of St. James the Greater adds a cultural dimension; the Losenický Circuit and the excursion “In the Footsteps of Miners, Žižka and Unfaithful Women” focus on routes and their planning. If you are looking for hotels in Velká Losenice, you can first consider which of these travel interests is most relevant to your stay.

The Parish Church of St. James the Greater

The Church of St. James the Greater is one of the oldest sacred buildings in the Vysočina Region and is listed in the Central Register of Cultural Monuments of the Czech Republic. This single-nave Gothic building has a striking tower and a polygonal chancel. “Single-nave” describes a layout with one nave, while “polygonal” refers to the many-sided shape of the chancel. For those interested in sacred architecture, the nave, tower and chancel offer different ways to explore the building.

Services are regularly held at the parish church on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The service information was updated on 11 December 2024; check the times before your visit.

Cross-country skiing circuit and winter access

The Losenický Circuit is a winter cross-country skiing loop from Velká Losenice through the Peperek Nature Monument and back. The route is 9.3 kilometres long, with an elevation difference of 60 metres. It passes along forest tracks, meadows and fields. It is therefore characterised both by its length and elevation difference and by the types of terrain described. Check the trail conditions before setting off.

There is a seasonal restriction on winter access to the car park near Velká Losenice: it can then only be reached from Velká Losenice; the road from Vepřová is not maintained in winter. As road maintenance can change, check the local situation before setting off.

A longer excursion from Velká Losenice

The excursion “In the Footsteps of Miners, Žižka and Unfaithful Women” starts and ends in Velká Losenice. It is about 23 kilometres long. Compared with the 9.3-kilometre Losenický Circuit, it is around two and a half times as long. Both routes start and end in Velká Losenice, but differ in activity and distance: the Losenický Circuit is a winter cross-country skiing loop, while the other route is a longer excursion.

Distance is therefore a common measure for comparing the routes. The Losenický Circuit also has a specified elevation difference and a described route over forest tracks, meadows and fields. These features give it a different route profile from the excursion, which is approximately 23 kilometres long. This allows you to compare the two options by activity type and distance without planning them as a single combined route programme.

Discover more destinations: Jámy, Chlumětín, Nový Jimramov, Světnov, Horní Radslavice, Lísek, Svratka, Polnička.

For the broader travel overview: Žďár nad Sázavou District.