Radkovy lies in gently rolling countryside at the foot of the Hostýnské vrchy. The village combines a well-preserved settlement layout with a long local history and the Dřevohostický les landscape, which also includes Radkovy’s cadastral area. The village’s history can be traced through a mill that still stands today, the chapel, several monuments and archaeological finds in the surrounding area. Nature and cycling offer additional perspectives and open up other themes to consider when planning a trip.
Meadows, forests and a nature trail
The Dřevohostický les area covers 310 hectares. Its protected features include extensively mown meadows stretching from lowland to foothill areas, as well as oak-hornbeam forests. This landscape therefore encompasses both open meadows and forest habitats. Plants such as Hacquetia epipactis and Symphytum tuberosum grow in the species-rich Carpathian oak-hornbeam forests. The conservation features thus identify specific habitats and examples of plant species, rather than describing the forest merely as a general natural backdrop.
The Dřevohostickým lesem nature trail is located near Radkovy. A description of the trail, updated in 2021, mentions twelve information panels on the natural and social conditions of the landscape, as well as orientation exercises using azimuths and maps. This brings together landscape themes and practical map-reading skills. Please check the current condition of the trail locally before visiting.
Village layout and local monuments
Radkovy’s original settlement layout has been preserved as a street village with an enlarged village square and is designated an area of urban planning significance. On the square, next to the municipal office building, stands a statue of Saint Joseph dating from 1948. The preserved layout and individual monuments offer two different perspectives on the village: the structure of the settlement on the one hand, and its specific historical points of reference on the other.
The Chapel of Saint Dominic was built in 1872. Beside it is the stone cross dating from 1865, one of the locally significant monuments. Another statue, that of Saint John of Nepomuk, dating from 1900, stands beside road III/43724. The 1921 statue of the Virgin Mary is located by a field path towards Bystřice pod Hostýnem. Several historic crosses and statues of saints are among Radkovy’s local monuments.
The bell in the local chapel also has a story of its own: during the First World War, it was hidden to prevent its confiscation by the Austrian authorities. The mill in Radkovy still stands today and is first mentioned in 1412. These specific buildings bring together different periods, from the mill’s first recorded mention to the story of the chapel bell.
Early traces and activities
Archaeological finds in the fields around Radkovy and Radkova Lhota indicate that farming communities were already living there around the 5th millennium BC. Finds from the La Tène culture have also been discovered in the fields around both villages. These discoveries offer a different perspective on time from the buildings and monuments in the village; the early dating is explicitly approximate.
Cycling in Radkovy takes place on a network of field and forest paths. Bear leading is also part of village festivals and events. The two themes differ from the fixed monuments: cycling focuses on paths and landscape, while bear leading is part of village event life. Depending on your interests, you can explore Radkovy through its local history, nature or activities.
Discover more destinations:
Prosenice, Horní Těšice, Paršovice, Lobodice, Olšovec, Dolní Nětčice, Čelechovice, Zámrsky
For the broader travel overview: Okres Přerov.
