Opava – Olomouc – Brno – Mikulov – 276,5 km
The Moravian-Silesian St. Jacob’s Route passes through two historical countries in the Czech Republic: Silesia and Moravia. Its length is 276.5 km and leads along hiking trails, bike paths and the streets of large cities. It passes through our territory from Poland to Austria.
Route map
Route description
The Moravian-Silesian route of the Way of St. James in the Czech Republic passes through its two historical countries: Silesia and Moravia. With a total length of 276km, it runs along hiking trails, cycle routes and streets of major towns.
From the border with Poland near the village of Strahovice, it is heading along the cycle route to Opava. A Gothic co-cathedral stands out here, in the original metropolis of Silesia. The way runs south from the city through the lowlands to the town of Hradec nad Moravicí with the Church of St. James. The town is dominated by a red brick chateau, where L. van Beethoven and F. Liszt stayed for some time. From the town, it continues along red marked tourist trail following the meandering Moravice river. The pilgrim is enveloped in silence and pleasant rustle of nature all the way to the water sports village of Podhradí with the ruins of Vikštejn castle. Then, after crossing the rocky hills, follow the water to the monumental dam of the Kružberk reservoir in the Nízký Jeseník mountains. From here, walk through a forest to Budišov nad Budišovkou, the former centre of slate mining in the region.
From Budišov, go west along the county road passing the fields and meadows; a turn-off to the Memorial of Czech – German journey of understanding with the chapel of St. John of Nepomuk makes the journey more pleasant. Through Domašov nad Bystřicí, the forests of the Nízký Jeseník mountains and Jívová, the way arrives at Svatý Kopeček with a pilgrimage basilica and a view of Olomouc, the metropolis of Haná region. In Olomouc, you can rest in the magnificent St. Wenceslas’ Cathedral and other city churches or let yourself be carried away in the historical city centre.
From Olomouc, the way runs through fields to Náměšť na Hané and for a long time, it dives into the forests of the Drahanská Highlands, occasionally traversed by hilly fields and stretching villages. From the central municipality of Protivanov, the route passes through the village of Suchý with a natural lido, then past the pilgrimage Church of St. Mary in Sloup to the Moravian Karst with many caves, various sinkholes and other rock formations, including the view into the Macocha Abyss. From Jedovnice, walk past an arboretum to Křtiny and its monumental Church of the Virgin Mary designed by J. B. Santini.
Follow the hiking trails past yet another arboretum in Řícmanice all the way to Obřany on the outskirts of Brno. Via Maloměřice and Husovice, you arrive to the centre of Brno and the Church of St. James with a tall tower. Past the Town Hall of Brno with its renowned crocodile, walk to the hill with The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. From the city centre, the streets lead the way back to the Svitava river and along it. Further from the city, the path follows the red trail marking to Rajhrad with a thousand-year-old Benedictine monastery. It rises slowly via Židlochovice and descends again towards the Nové Mlýny reservoir, with the spectacular natural phenomenon of Pálava. All there is to cover in Moravia is just a short path through the meadows to the second Svatý Kopeček above the town of Mikulov, famous for its wine as well as for its Baroque castle.
From the border with Austria, the pilgrim still has to walk 3,193 km to reach Santiago de Compostela.
Fotografie z trasy
