Olešnice

Olešnice is a small triangular town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, sitting on the Hornosvratecká vrchovina hills at the northwestern edge of the Blansko district — right where the borders of three Czech regions meet. Despite its modest size, it packs a UNESCO-listed craft tradition and three museums clustered around its main square.

How do you get to Olešnice?

Olešnice lies in the Boskovicko area, on the fringe of the South Moravian Region near the border with the Pardubice Region and the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. That position makes it a convenient base for exploring in either direction: south toward the Moravian Karst with its cave systems, or north into the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. The surrounding countryside also offers solid year-round hiking and cycling.

What's on the main square?

The triangular square is the town's core. It's dominated by the Church of St. Lawrence, built in 1839 on the site of an earlier 15th-century church, with the town hall from 1794 standing close by. Under a statue of St. Wenceslas near the church, a memorial plaque marks the site of what was once the second-oldest stone theatre in Moravia, housed in a former school building — a legacy of the town's lively 19th-century patriotic associations.

Where does the blueprint tradition come from?

Olešnice has been known since the early 19th century for its hand-made blueprint textile printing, called modrotisk. The local Danzinger workshop is one of only two surviving blueprint workshops in the Czech Republic. Patterns are still applied by hand using original wooden forms and old recipes, with the fabric then dyed in indigo vats. The craft has been on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2018, and the town runs a museum dedicated to its history and technique.

What museums and sights are worth a visit?

Beyond the blueprint museum, Olešnice offers a Museum of Historical Vehicles and a Museum of Legends and Ghosts of the Olešnice region, set up in the cellar of a former ice storage house beneath the Church of St. Lawrence — a favorite with families traveling with children. Anyone after a view should head to the freely accessible lookout tower on Kopaniny hill, 1.5 km from the town centre. In winter, from December to March, a small local ski resort operates nearby.

What else is worth knowing about the town's history?

Olešnice is one of the oldest settled places in the region. The original village, known as Moravská Olešnice, stood on the Moravian side of the border; the market town around today's square only took shape later, during the reign of Přemysl Otakar II. A series of fires — the worst in 1827 — reshaped the town almost entirely. On the Moravian side, the Church of St. Nicholas from 1725 (modernized in 1852) and an Evangelical church from 1868 both still stand. The family of the baroque painter Karel Škréta came from Olešnice, and for generations the town's economy also relied on flax growing, which gave rise to its weaving and dyeing crafts.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Olešnice located? In the South Moravian Region, Blansko district, on the Hornosvratecká vrchovina hills, close to where the borders of three Czech regions converge.

Can you watch blueprint printing in person? Yes — the Danzinger workshop still produces blueprint textiles by hand using traditional methods, and the town has a museum dedicated to the craft, which is UNESCO-listed.

How much time should you plan for a visit? Half a day covers the square, the church, the town hall, and one museum; a full day lets you also climb to the Kopaniny lookout tower and see all three museums.

Is Olešnice a good destination for families? Yes — the Museum of Legends and Ghosts, set in a former ice cellar, is aimed squarely at younger visitors, and the walk to the nearby lookout tower is an easy outing for the whole family.