Interpretative trails through the landscape and a community orchard: these are just a few of the projects we supported in the latest round of the community grant program “We Can Do More” funded by Česká spořitelna bank.

From a regional museum in a church to a lookout tower

The Association for the Preservation of St. Jiljí Church (“Spolek Za záchranu sv. Jiljí”) in the village of Libyn in the Louny region took on stewardship of the local church fifteen years ago. The transformation that they have accomplished takes your breath away: what was once a ruin has once again become the dominant feature of the village. The church hosts exhibitions, concerts and weddings. Now the Association is working with the company Skloart to create a unique stained glass museum showing copies of stained glass windows from various historical periods, a stained glass workshop and presentations about how stained glass is made today.

The Association also takes care of the nearby Vochlice lookout tower. The path leading to the tower used to be so overgrown with rose hip bushes that it was almost impossible to walk along it, which made it impossible for senior citizens and people with disabilities to visit the tower. The Association built a geological-artistic interpretative trail connecting the church with the lookout tower. Supporters of the Association and a few local residents (about 20 people live in the village) helped build the trail, which features e.g. artwork symbolizing one of Franz Kafka’s books and a miniature Stonehenge. The grand opening of the trail will take place on June 4, 2022.

Interpretative trail to Hartenberg Castle
The town of Josefov u Sokolova has four parts. Ivana Černíková, who lives in Luh nad Svatavou, knew that there used to be a path in the forest connecting her area with Hřebeny, another part of Josefov. She and some 40 other volunteers cleaned and restored the trail and built benches and added carved wooden animals along the way. Now you can walk along the path to Hartenberg Castle, a journey of 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the pace of walking and breaks to admire the wooden animals.

Planting an orchard in Loučky
Residents of Loučky, part of the village of Vílanec in the Jihlava region, worked together to repair two cellars that will be used to store fruit, potatoes or specialties made from local fruit. This community project, which was initiated by local resident Lenka Danková and her family and friends, has gradually attracted many of the other 40 people who live in Loučky. Their next project will be to plant an orchard on a site above one of the restored cellars and install seating and other amenities to encourage people to use it. The municipality of Vílanec has taken note of the community activities in Loučky, so further neighborhood projects may count on the support of the municipality in the future.

Via supported these projects through the “We Can Do More” program, which we administer for Česká spořitelna bank.