Olšany lies in hilly terrain on the southern edge of the Drahanská vrchovina, at an elevation of about 420 metres and surrounded by extensive forests. The landscape gives a stay here a clear focus: outdoor activities, routes through the surrounding area and the town’s distinctive history take centre stage. The municipality lists peaceful walks, cycling tours, horseback rides and, in winter, cross-country skiing as things to do. If you are looking for culture and local points of interest as well as nature, there are other things to discover in the village.

Forest paths, walks and cycling

The access road from Habrovany ends in Olšany; beyond it, only forest paths continue. This marks the transition from the access road to a network of paths in the forest, without specifying a particular route or walking time. Visitors can choose from a range of activities, including peaceful walks and cycling tours as well as horseback rides. Cross-country skiing is specifically mentioned for winter. The hilly setting and forests provide a shared landscape, while the activities differ in how you choose to explore the surroundings.

There is also a described cycling connection through the village. A route on the local cycle network passes through Olšany and connects to regional cycle route B between Hradec Králové and Břeclav. It runs through Slavkov and then joins the long-distance cycle route “Jantarová stezka”. This makes it possible to distinguish the local route from the named regional cycling connections when planning. Olšany is also connected to the surrounding area by bus; check the timetable for your travel dates.

The Springs Educational Trail

The “Studánková naučná stezka” runs between Olšany and Vítovice via Červený vrch and links several springs. It starts in Olšany’s village square and ends at a pond in Rousínov-Vítovice. The start and end points are therefore clearly named, but this does not indicate a specific duration or distance. Nine information-board stops are described to help visitors find their way along the trail. A route description published in 2021 lists these stops; check the signs on site before relying on the route.

Chapel, film history and cultural centre

The Chapel of St John the Baptist was built in 1886. Another chapter in the village’s history takes us to 1992: that summer, the film “Dědictví aneb Kurvahošigutntág”, starring Bolek Polívka, was shot in Olšany. If you want to experience the village through more than its paths and landscape, these offer two distinct historical points of interest—a 19th-century building and a more recent film production.

Another distinctive feature can be found in the local quarry. Small and large, almost perfectly regular stone spheres are still visible in its rock face. Olšany’s cultural centre adds a communal cultural space to these individual local features: its hall has a stage and is used for balls, theatre performances, local celebrations and tastings. The chapel, quarry and hall represent different facets of the village—architectural history, a striking geological feature and events at the cultural centre.

When planning your trip, you can choose what to focus on in Olšany: the hilly, forested surroundings and the activities mentioned here are suited to a stay with plenty of time outdoors, while the educational trail, chapel, film history and quarry offer different points of interest. Bus services connect the village with the surrounding area. For specific travel dates, check the timetable; for directions on the educational trail, it is worth also checking the signs on site.

Discover more destinations: Bučovice, Bohaté Málkovice, Letonice, Křenovice, Podivice, Prusy-Boškůvky, Šaratice, Dražovice

Return to the main travel guide: Okres Vyškov.