Hostěnice (population around 790) lies on the road from Ochoz u Brna to Pozořice, on the south-eastern edge of the Moravian Karst. The parish covers almost 2,000 hectares, most of it woodland within the Říčky Nature Park. In the village, the Hostěnice Stream disappears underground at the Hostěnice Sinkhole. On the western boundary of the parish lies the rugged Říčka valley, with an educational trail. In the woods north of the village stands the octagonal Chapel of St Anne, dating from 1748. We found no accommodation in the village with verified operation, so Hostěnice is best treated as a day-trip destination from Brno or Křtiny.
QUICK LINKS 👀 What to see · 🥾 Walks and trips · 🛏️ Where to stay · ❓ FAQ
Hostěnice has an unusual story. In the 1960s a limestone quarry opened on the edge of the village, and the community below it suffered. Only after the quarry operator introduced environmental measures did it become a sought-after place to live and to spend leisure time. In 2000 it won the district round of the Village of the Year competition and, in the regional round, was awarded the Green Ribbon for environmental care. Its popularity is also reflected in the fact that there are almost 200 holiday chalets here.
What to see
Chapel of St Anne
The chapel stands in the woods north of the village. It was built in 1748 and has an octagonal ground plan. It was renovated in 1947 and given statues of saints. It is a listed cultural monument.
Hostěnice Sinkhole
The Hostěnice Stream flows through the village and vanishes underground in its western part. The Hostěnice Sinkhole is a semi-blind sink valley at the contact between the limestones and the Culm rocks of the Drahany Highlands. Where the water drains away depends on how much is flowing at the time. In the old quarry by the sinkhole you can see layers of limestone containing fossils of stromatoporoids, prehistoric marine organisms resembling sponges. For an explanation of what a sinkhole and a semi-blind valley are, see the article Karst features of the Moravian Karst.
The village
The first written mention dates from 1371. For most of its history Hostěnice belonged to the Liechtenstein estate of Pozořice. The school building of 1899, now a nursery school, is the village’s landmark. The village bell tower of 1877 was repaired and reconsecrated in 2015. There are four small ponds on the Hostěnice Stream.
Walks and trips
- Říčka valley. A rugged karst valley on the western boundary of the parish, between Hostěnice, Ochoz u Brna and Líšeň. The Říčka Valley educational trail will guide you through it. Along the way you will find sinkholes in the bed of the Říčka, the Pekárna Cave and the Ochoz Cave, which is not open to the public. More in the article The Říčka valley and the Pekárna Cave.
- To Křtiny and the Křtiny valley, see Křtiny.
- Southwards, cycle routes lead to the protected heritage zone of the Battle of Slavkov (Austerlitz).
- On horseback: horses are bred in the village, and a local farm offers hippotherapy.
Where to stay
We were unable to find accommodation with verified operation in Hostěnice. The nearest reliable options are in Křtiny, see Křtiny, and in Brno. For more suggestions, see the article Where to stay in the Moravian Karst.
FAQ
Is Hostěnice part of the Moravian Karst? Only a small part of the parish is, where the south-eastern edge of the protected landscape area extends. Most of Hostěnice’s woodland lies within the Říčky Nature Park.
Where is the Hostěnice Sinkhole? In the western part of the village. The Hostěnice Stream disappears underground here.
Can you visit the Chapel of St Anne? It stands in the woods north of the village and can be reached on foot. It is a cultural monument dating from 1748.
Can you stay overnight in Hostěnice? We found no verified accommodation in the village. The nearest options are Křtiny and Brno.
Information verified as of 12 October 2026. Sources: brochure of the Moravian Karst Rural Development Association, Hostěnice village profile; AOPK ČR (Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic), Rozbory CHKO Moravský kras (2017), geological sites (Hostěnice Sinkhole, Říčka Sinkholes); Hostěnice municipality.
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