Machov

The village of Machov is unique in that it is located in the picturesque valley of the Židovka River, in a basin wreathed by wooded hills, with the Stołowe Mountains and Broumovské stěny rocks. Machov is a traditional starting point and destination for ramblers, where international hiking, skiing and cycling routes come together. 

The Machov region borders the Czech part of the Kladsko borderlands and has always had strong ties to the Czech inhabitants of what is now the Polish border region. Machov (the first written record of which dates back to 1354) was originally a manor house on the left bank of the Židovka River. It belonged to the Lords of Adršpach and was founded in the early 13th century. Another record from 1405 mentions Machov as a settlement and later as a market town - a township forming part of the Náchod estate. The original wooden church built before 1354 with a separate bell tower fell into disrepair and was demolished in around 1672; the present Church of St. Wenceslas dates from 1675. Bartoloměj Henrich’s Baroque Marian column with its two emblems in the square was built in 1761. At No. 26 there is a protected commemorative small-leaved "Šrůtkova Linden ", estimated to be 500 years old (its trunk is 688 cm in circumference, and it stands 24 m high) - the oldest tree in the region. The first school was built in 1740; the burgher school was founded in 1924. The "Bor" amateur dramatics club was founded in 1875, the volunteer fire brigade in 1892. In 1920-1924, the church, rectory and cemetery were forcibly taken over by the Czechoslovak Church, a matter which ended up in court, and the affair was finally resolved with the construction of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church in 1929. 

In 1949, Machovská Lhota and Nízká Srbská (founded in 1254), the villages on the right bank of the Židovka River, originally part of the estate of the Benedictine monastery in Police nad Metují, were added to Machov. They have since merged with Machov to form a single settlement. In 1960, the village of Bělý with the settlement of Řeřišný were also added. 

Since the 1930s, the village has been a ski resort and has hosted national competitions in Nordic disciplines. In the immediate surroundings of Machov, in the beautiful and diverse countryside, home to many rare species of protected fauna and flora, we can find a number of rock towns. These are very popular with tourists, with an exemption from the Ministry of the Environment enabling organised climbers to practice their sport there. 

The region contains some important sources of drinking water for the Police region and Náchod. There is a textile factory, built in 1910 (now being refurbished by its current owner, Mr Kobelt from Switzerland), a school with a gym, a post office, a health centre, and a shopping centre. The village has a gas supply, a sewerage system and a wastewater treatment plant.