Historical centre of the town of Odry

A mocking legend that can be heard while walking through the historic centre of the town of Odry says that the townspeople of Odry even had the very Virgin Mary pilloried.

The story is based on the fact that the original pillory, which stood in front of today’s town hall, was used as the basis for a statue of the Virgin Mary. Today, the statue is one of the attractions for those interested in the history of Moravské Kravařsko and the place where most guided tours of the town begin.

Another statue used to stand in the square, a depiction of St. Florian. It gave way to car traffic and was transported to the local rectory, where it still stands today. What you will still see in the square, on the other hand, is a fountain from 1897 with cherubs, made of metal alloy.

What Odry is proud of is the church of St. Bartholomew. Its bell is one of the oldest in Moravia. It was cast in 1374. Not much remains of the town’s Gothic face. The last tangible reminder of the Gothic period and the strong local Hussite garrison is the bastion, part of the mediaeval fortifications. The bastion has now been opened to tourists and, in addition to the loopholes, visitors can admire a collection of beer glass, bricks and tiles. The original pebble pavement in front of this monument is worth noticing.

The next stop is the building of the former execution chamber and the town dungeon. Although the building is called a hangman’s cell, Odry did not have its own executioner and prisoners who forfeited their throats were taken elsewhere to serve their sentences. It’s not a coincidence that the nearby alley is called Swedish. The Swedes fought their way here during the Thirty Years’ War. There were supposedly passages under the alley that led to the chateau, the underground town hall and the church.