History of the Hunting Lodge

The Hunting Lodge was constructed in the 1950’s. The early history is connected with the beginning of breeding of pheasants and other feathered game in this region. The breed in neighboring pheasantry is preserved until presence. The Lodge would originally serve as a place of relaxation of communist bigwigs. The public were not admitted in the Lodge at those times. The Hunting Lodge was reconstructed into today’s appearance after the Velvet Revolution and it has been made accessible for masses. It has become a popular destination for visitors of the protected landscape area, to whom it offers complex gastronomic and accommodation services and many possibilities of active recreation.

Litovelske Pomoravi protected landscape area

Litovelske Pomoravi protected landscape area belongs to the most important natural dominants of Olomouc region. It occupies a rather large area (96 hectares) from the town of Mohelnice to Olomouc city. It is mainly covered by riparian woodland which showed its importance during destroying floods in 1997. The elevation above sea level of the protected landscape area is from210 to 345 meters. One can find beautiful natural sceneries in the woodland and wetland thanks to the river Morava‘s bottom land. There are renowned bike tracks which help visitors to learn all the beauties of local fauna and flora.

Horka nad Moravou

Horka nad Moravou community is located 8 km northwestern from regional metropolis Olomouc (in the direction Unicov) and 12 kilometers eastern from the town of Litovel. It belongs to mid-sized Czech communities occupying an area of 1.189 hectares. The community is situated in lowlands called “Hana” and is surrounded by riparian woodlands of protected landscape area called “Litovelske Pomoravi”.
Horka nad Moravou is elevated 222 meters above sea level which is a slightly upper position in the Hana lowland. River Morava runs through both Horka and a newer part Sedlisko. Horka nad Moravou neighbors upon the city of Olomouc and 3 communities: Krelov, Chomoutov, and Skrben.

History of the community in brief

The community was first mentioned in a testament written by Pardus of Horka from 1271 but it was settled a long time before that (we can say that the first settlement with elements of a community come from 1100). Findings of thick-walled neolithic (late stone age) vessels give us proof that people would live in this area a long time ago.
Sedlisko as a part of the community, respectively 2 local fishermen, is first mentioned in the sources from 1276. A church was constructed at that time at the latest which we learn from a document from 1279. Another important point commemorates year 1437 when Nicholas of Horka became an heir of a large property in Horka. Nicholas was a brother of a famous Hussite warrior Jan Pardus of Horka.
Horka and its part Sedlisko became a property of royal town of Olomouc in 1535.
In 1710 J. Holuska was the reeve of Horka, R. Konecny was the portreeve, and R. Ondracek, M. Drahosil, and R. Navratil from Sedlisko were the aldermen. Another alderman was added in 1729 which made the number of counselor to 6. Ranger and water bailiff were also appointed, toll was collected by an innkeeper, two sextons were nominated. This type of local government worked until the half of the 19th century. Agriculture, stock raising, and fishing were the main sources of income of the inhabitants. There was also a smith, a miller, and an inn in the community.
Abolition of serfdom in 1848 meant a significant change for Horka. Horka was administratively connected with Sedlisko at that time and bound to Olomouc, which was a seat of a court of justice and political center. The population grew slowly but constantly. Several industrial companies started their enterprises in Horka in the late 19th century. They were mostly companies from Olomouc which leased lots and cultivated soil: sugar refinery, distillery and a yeast plant A. and H. May from Hejcin. There was a mill, 5 butchers, 3 stove fitters, 2 smiths, a joiner, a shoemaker, groats miller, a green-grocer, a poultry farmer, and 4 inns. On the other hand, there was only a cottage cheese salesman, speaking of stores.
Crisis years of W.W.I and following great depression didn’t avoid Horka. The reflection was that many citizens of the community left Horka for different regions, some of them escaped from the uneasy situation to Austria or even emigrated to the USA or Canada.
New era of the community’s progress is linked with the development of industry in Olomouc after W.W.II which brought new job opportunities in the city. Progress of Horka nad Moravou didn’t stop even after the putsch in 1948 and during following years of communist regime and normalization. The Velvet Revolution in 1989 has changed lives of the citizens completely. A lot of changes came both in private lives of common people and in business. New era of business enterprising began and this changed the structure of the community significantly. This era is an unfinished chapter by now…

History and interesting facts of the Olomouc region

History of the region is linked in particular with the development of Olomouc, which has been a historic centre of the whole area. Although Olomouc was first settled in the pre-historic era, modern history of the city dates back to years around 1017. At that time Moravia was connected to the Czech Premislyd state and prince Bretislav had a castle built here. This started a great evolution of the city whose past is rich and corresponds with the history of the whole Moravia and the Czech Lands. Olomouc would be an important fortress whose walls would protect precious cultural treasures of the inner city many times.
The city is sometimes called “the pearl on a green cushion” thanks to its beauty and numerous cultural and historic treasures. It is, second to Prague, the biggest monument preserve in the Czech Republic. The Holy Trinity Column was even inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.
To many places of historical interest belong precious churches and temples, a city hall with a lookout tower and an astronomical clock, a set of baroque fountains, several plaque columns, and a number of unique historical buildings, e.g. the Premislyd Palace or the Archbishop Palace.

Basilica of the Visitation of Virgin Mary on Svaty Kopecek is a famous pilgrimage point and another dominant of the city. There is even a renowned ZOO and an observation tower on Svaty Kopecek.

One can find many various attractive places worth visiting around Olomouc: town Sternberk with its castle, a chateau in Namest na Hane, Bouzov castle, Javoricko or Mladecske caves, or an open-air museum of Hana region in Prikazy.

There is a spa in a nearby community Slatinice, which were founded in the 16th century.