Polletitz offers two very different discoveries: the Romanesque Church of St Nicholas in Boletice and a longer hike to Knížecí Stolec. When planning, it is worth treating the cultural visit and access to the trail separately: the church interior is normally closed and can only be visited by prior arrangement; the circular trail to the summit is open to the public on weekends and public holidays, but visitors must stay on the marked route. Military exercises take place in the military area.
The Church of St Nicholas and its history
The church was originally built in the Romanesque style in the second half of the 12th century. It has been listed as a national cultural monument since 3 May 1958 and is considered the oldest sacred monument in South Bohemia. Partially uncovered medieval wall paintings survive in the chancel. Anyone wishing to visit the interior should arrange their visit in advance. The church is also used for cultural and social events, as well as weddings.
Traces of the former Boletice
In the now-disappeared village of Boletice, teaching had taken place since at least 1722 in a building that was part of an extensive rectory near the Church of St Nicholas. A 2021 description records remnants of the enclosing walls, including parts of the façade or plaster, as well as surviving wooden window frames at the former school.
In the 13th century, Boletice was the centre of an extensive royal rychta (administrative district). The village was also an important centre on the old route of the Linecká stezka. These historical connections add the history of the settlement to a visit to the church, while keeping the focus on the surviving traces in the buildings and landscape.
Archaeology and landscape
Raziberk is the site of a Hallstatt-period hillfort from the Early Iron Age, dating approximately to 750–450 BC. Its fortifications form an irregular circle, with two parallel circular ramparts and ditches in front of them.
Knížecí Stolec, formerly also called Liščí louka, is 1,236 metres high and lies in the South Bohemian part of the Bohemian Forest. It is the highest mountain in the Želnavská hornatina and, after Smrčina, the second-highest mountain in the Český Krumlov District. An eight-metre-high wooden observation tower was ceremonially opened at its summit on 11 July 2012. The Boletice military area around Boletice is protected under Natura 2000. It includes the Boletice and Polná European protected areas, as well as the Boletice Special Protection Area.
Planning hiking and cycling routes
The circular trail to Knížecí Stolec is 14 kilometres long and climbs more than 400 metres. It is open to the public on weekends and public holidays; visitors must stay on the marked route because the area is used by the military. A total of 75.5 kilometres of marked hiking trails and 95 kilometres of cycle routes are designated in and around the Boletice military area. These regional figures cover a larger area than any single tour. As this is an active military zone, check the access conditions for your planned route before setting off.
Cycle route 1254 is a specific option for reaching the church: it runs from the Kájovská access road via Maniny to the Church of St Nicholas in Boletice. The Kájovsko–Boleticko circular route is about 20 kilometres long, including detours to Červený Dvůr Castle and the church, and follows existing marked cycle routes only. Check local conditions before your ride. This lets you plan cultural attractions and cycling routes as separate parts of your trip, without assuming a particular route or access option.
Discover more destinations: Deutsch Beneschau, Zwickau, Borova, Kaplitz, Neudorf B. Berlau, Rosenberg, Cerna V Posumavi, Groß Umlowitz
Return to the main travel overview: Okres Český Krumlov.
