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Holašovice Historic Village

By Rachel Heller

What is Holašovice Historic Village?

Holašovice, Czechia, is a small village near Český Krumlov and České Budějovice, made up of two rows of farmhouses set around a long, rectangular village green. There’s a small chapel and a forge as well.

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Text: Holašovice Historic Village, Czechia. Images: above, a single house, with decorative detail in a folk art style. Below, a row of similar farmhouses.
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Why is Holašovice a UNESCO World Heritage site?

According to UNESCO, Holašovice is “an exceptionally complete and well preserved example of a traditional central European village, containing a number of high-quality vernacular buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries …. it represents the fusion of two vernacular building traditions to create an exceptional and enduring style, known as South Bohemian ‘Folk Baroque’.”

The chapel is very small and simple, with a single small window in each wall and a small spire. The front has a decorative outline to the gable. In front of it is a statue of a saint in robes, holding a cross.

What can you expect on a visit to Holašovice?

The two rows, comprising 23 farmhouses, are very pretty, and each one is decorated differently, yet simply. It makes for a pleasant stroll that won’t take more than 15 minutes. The farmhouses are generally U-shaped around a small farmyard, and include both housing and farm-related spaces. You can’t enter any of them except the one that operates as an agricultural museum.

One of the Holasovice houses: Its gable is rounded on the side, and its top is a half circle. Inside the half-circle top is a decorative element with orange and yellow rays extending out from the tiny window. There are three sculptural elements on the story below that looking like, perhaps, sheaves of wheat. The ground floor is plain except for a simple painted trip around the three windows and the door.

Is Holašovice worth visiting?

Probably not, unless your particular interest is vernacular architecture. You will see similar farmhouses all over this part of Czechia as you drive through the countryside. The difference here is that so many of them are original and intact in Holašovice, giving an impression of what such villages used to be like.

To book accommodations near Holašovice, click on the map below:

What sorts of travelers would like Holašovice?

If you are particularly fascinated by home-grown vernacular architecture, you would like this. For pretty much anyone else, it’s only worth a short stop and only if you happen to be close by. It’s near enough to another UNESCO site that’s much more impressive, Český Krumlov, that if you’re in a car, you might as well stop here too.

Tips for visiting

The main things to do here, besides looking at the farmhouses and the tiny chapel, are to see the museum, if it’s open, and possibly to have a drink or snack at a café. There are no other tourist facilities here.

Looking down a row of houses in Holasovice. Most are white, and have trim in pastels. The gables all face the street in front of them, and vary in shape, some pointed, some rounded at the top. They are all 2 stories tall, but with an additional small window in the top of the roof.

Where is Holašovice Historic Village?

Holašovice is north of Český Krumlov (24 km/15 miles, or about a half-hour’s drive) and west of České Budějovice (17 km/10.5 miles, a 25-minute drive). Public transportation seems to be scarce.

For more information about Holašovice, its opening hours and admission fees, see its official website.

Have you been to Holašovice Historic Village? If so, do you have any additional information or advice about this UNESCO World Heritage site? Please add your comments below!