hřbitov Mlečice

Hřbitov Mlečice is a village municipal cemetery belonging to Mlečice, a small community in the Rokycany district of the Plzeň Region in the Czech Republic. It lies roughly 2.5 km east of Prašný Újezd — the village that, together with Skoupý, now forms a single administrative unit with Mlečice — and remains an active burial site fully managed by the local authority.

Where exactly is it?

Mlečice itself is home to around 300 residents today and was historically known by its German name, Mletschitz. The cemetery sits right next to the village and, alongside the local church, counts among its main communal facilities. Travelers coming from Prašný Újezd need only a few minutes to reach it, since the two settlements have long functioned as parts of the same administrative unit, even though they remain formally separate localities.

Where does the village come from?

The recorded history of Mlečice stretches back to the 13th century. The area first appears in written sources in connection with the year 1227, when Duke Přemysl Otakar I granted the nearby settlements of Bnečice and Bujesily to his daughter Anežka, abbess of the Convent of St. George at Prague Castle. Ownership of Mlečice itself changed hands repeatedly over the following centuries until 1565, when the village became part of the extensive Zbiroh estate. From 1594 the property was held by the Lobkowicz family, and later passed under the administration of the Royal Chamber.

A parish chapel already existed here in the 14th century, and from 1344 a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity served as the parish church. The parish suffered during the Thirty Years' War, when the church building burned down. Fire struck the village again later: in 1885 a major blaze destroyed not only the church but also 23 house numbers, a direct consequence of the wood and shingle construction common at the time. It is beside this repeatedly rebuilt church that the village cemetery has stood for centuries.

What does the cemetery look like today?

The present-day hřbitov Mlečice covers an area of roughly 1,548 square meters and is maintained close to its original layout. It is enclosed by a wall, parts of which date to older periods while other sections were added more recently. Within the grounds, alongside traditional graves and newer burial plots, visitors find a mortuary building, an entrance gate, a central cross, and a well. Scattered fragments of older tombstones and individually marked graves also survive, reflecting the site's long, multigenerational use.

The cemetery is not abandoned — it continues to serve the local community and is regularly maintained. According to a volunteer database documenting historical cemeteries in the region, 142 headstones have so far been catalogued at hřbitov Mlečice, making it one of the larger village cemeteries in the area around Rokycany.

Is it worth a visit?

This is not a conventional tourist attraction, but for anyone interested in local history, genealogy, or the architecture of Central European village cemeteries, it makes for an interesting stop while exploring the area around Prašný Újezd and Zbiroh. Its quiet setting away from the main tourist routes makes for an unhurried, crowd-free visit.

Frequently asked questions

Where is hřbitov Mlečice located? In the municipality of Mlečice, Rokycany district, Plzeň Region, about 2.5 km east of Prašný Újezd.

How large is the cemetery? It covers approximately 1,548 square meters and is maintained in a layout close to its historical form.

Is the cemetery still in use? Yes, it belongs to the municipality of Mlečice, is not abandoned, and burials still take place there.

What can visitors see on site? Besides graves and newer burial plots, the cemetery includes a mortuary, an entrance gate, a central cross, a well, and fragments of older tombstones.