Velke Karlovice

Velke Karlovice spreads for many kilometres along several valleys in the Beskydy near the Slovak border, in the pattern the Wallachian colonisation left across these hills: houses scattered up the slopes on individual holdings rather than gathered in a village core, with pasture between them. The church of Our Lady of the Snows, founded in 1754, is the landmark - a timber church on a Greek cross plan with a shingled roof and a tower, one of the larger wooden churches in Moravia and unusual in its centralised plan. The Karlovske museum in an old timber house covers the Wallachian building and farming tradition. The valleys are used for cycling and cross-country skiing, and the local food is what the sheep economy left: sour cabbage, potato dishes, smoked meat and frgale, the large sweet flat cakes of the region. The Slovak border ridge is walked from here.

History

Velké Karlovice was founded by Jindřich of Zierotin in 1714. Its wooden Baroque church of Our Lady of the Snows, built on a Greek cross plan, was founded in 1754 by Count František of Žerotín; the first mass was said in August 1754 and the church was blessed a few days later, on the day of the first pilgrimage feast. A chaplain was appointed in 1755, independent from 1784, and the village had its own parish priest from 1843. The interior was at first left unpainted and was painted white before 1900, the original altar was replaced in 1894, and in 2015 the shingles of the walls and roof were renewed (Wikipedia, Velké Karlovice; Czech Wikipedia, Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné (Velké Karlovice)).

Highlights

• A timber church of 1754 - built on a Greek cross plan with a shingled roof.
• Scattered valley settlement - the Wallachian pattern of houses on individual holdings.
• A house museum - the local building and farming tradition, in an old timber cottage.
• Frgale - the region's large sweet flat cakes, made locally.

When to go

May to October, or the ski season. A day.

Things to know

The village is very spread out - a car or a bike is needed. The church opens on limited hours. Rain is frequent in the Beskydy. Accommodation is mostly pensions and it fills in season.

Nearby

Pulcin rocks are south; the Beskydy ridge runs north.

Key facts