Malenice combines medieval architectural and art history with a cave whose use as a shelter for wild animals during the Ice Age is suggested by bone finds. It also has a Romanesque rotunda, a pilgrimage in September, and an exhibition space for permanent exhibitions. If you are looking for a holiday apartment for a stay focused on culture and nature, Malenice offers several specific points of interest.
Architectural History and Church Art
The Fara Malenice building stands on the foundations of a medieval fortress. The Church of St. James the Greater contains a presbytery dating from the early 14th century; behind the altar, remnants of wall paintings from the first half of the 14th century have been preserved. A presbytery is the altar area of a church. These features tell different parts of the town’s history: the Fara is associated with the foundations of a fortress, while St. James is associated with a specific church space and preserved art.
The Chapel of St. Wenceslas has a different architectural form: it was built in the style of a Romanesque rotunda. A rotunda is a round building, which makes the chapel architecturally distinct from the Church of St. James and its presbytery. At the same time, the chapel serves as a place of pilgrimage during the St. Wenceslas pilgrimage held in September. Its architecture and religious use offer two different ways to understand the site.
Among those buried in the local cemetery are the architect Josef ZĂtek and the film director ZdenÄ›k PodskalskĂ˝. The exhibition space at the IKS Centre Malenice is used for permanent exhibitions; the programme may change. If you are planning a visit there or a trip for the St. Wenceslas pilgrimage, check the current exhibition programme or the specific pilgrimage date in advance.
The Cave in Jiřičků skála
The cave in Jiřičků skála is a natural attraction in a rock formation of crystalline limestone. It was discovered in 1920. Bones found in the cave indicate that it had already served as a shelter for wild animals during the Ice Age. The cave thus links a specific rock formation with evidence of its possible use by wild animals.
The dates also raise different questions: 1920 is the year the cave was discovered, while the bone finds point to its use during the Ice Age. At St. James, by contrast, the early 14th century and its first half mark the period to which the presbytery and wall paintings date. This allows you to distinguish between medieval architecture and art and a period in natural history.
Putting Malenice in Context as a Travel Destination
Two questions can help you choose a destination: are you more interested in medieval architecture and art, or in geology and natural history? Malenice brings both together; you can arrange the themes according to your own interests without assuming there is a single main attraction. If this combination suits your travel plans, you can then search specifically for a holiday apartment in Malenice.
Discover more destinations: Drslavice, Mahouš, Konopiste, Libotyne, Benesova Hora, Husinec U Netolic, PravetĂn, KratušĂn
For the overview of the wider region: Okres Prachatice.
