The first reference to the municipality dates back to 1350. The original inhabitants were Germans, however, after Hussite wars the municipality was populated by Czechs and it was given a Czech name. The municipality Cotkytle includes municipalities Janoušov, Herbortice and Mezilesí. The dominant of the area is the mountain Lázek. On its top was built a view-tower and tourist cottage. In Cotkytle there is St. John’s of Nepomuk Church that was built in 1726. The oldest association is the Brigade of voluntary firemen. The Gymnastics club organises leisure time activities for young people. The village has its own nursery and grammar school, post office and shop. You can admire on bike or on foot the most beautiful spots in near woods from spring to autumn. In winter you are invited to try cross-country tracks and near ski slopes.
Detailed information (adapted from the source "Vlastivěda Lanškrounska"): The municipality Cotkytle is situated 14 km in north east of the town Lanškroun in the Bohemian-Moravian borderland. The area is dominated by a nearby situated hill Lázek (714 m AMSL). Historically, it belongs to Moravian municipalities of the region. However, it is composed by three – originally independent – villages, two of them being originally part of Bohemia. The originally Bohemian villages were Herbortice and Mezilesí (originally Laudon) that belonged to former Lanškroun domain, whereas villages Cotkytle and Janoušov were part of the neighbouring Zábřeh domain. The borderline is still evident in the name of the brook Hraniční potok (Border brook) that is dividing the area of the modern municipality. The first written reference to Cotkytle dates back to mid-14th century (1350, 1351) in connection to foundation of Litomyšl bishopric (1344). The newly formed bishopric acquired a part the Šumperk deanery territory that included, among other areas, Cotkytle (Zackiecel, Zockicel). The donation deed mentions parish Church of Ascension. The name of the municipality reveals the origin of its founders – German colonists – the word Zottkittel means in German hairy shirt. Several decades earlier the name of the settlement Herbortice, and many other Bohemian villages in this region, appeared for the first time in written document – the deed of the king Václav II (dated back to 1304) confirming donation of Lanškroun region to Zbraslav Cistercian monks. The name Herbortsdorf is completely characteristic for Middle Age colonisation and it is derived from the name of the village locator (i.e. founder). From the name Janouš or Janek is derived the name of settlement Janoušov that was integrated in Cotkytle and formed one municipality before 1880. The first reference to the settlement dates back to 1412 – it is name was Jankov. It is mentioned in documents form 15th century – in 1446, 1464 and 1482 – the last mentioned year marks the probable disappearance of the village. The village is mentioned again in 18th century bearing the name Janoušov, in German Johannesthal, in order to distinguish it from Janoušov, in German Janauschendorf, situated in the neighbouring Šumperk district (12 km in north-western of Šumperk). The shortest history has the settlement Mezilesí – the settlement bears this name since the end of World War II. The original settlement of the modern municipality Mezilesí spread around the farmyard founded by manor called Kořen (Root) This farmyard founded (at the end of his life) Vratislav z Pernštejna at turn of 1570’s and 1580’s. The first written reference dates back to 1588. Two hundred years later the farmyard was divided and in 1789 the grounds were allocated to inhabitants of neighbouring villages Horní Třešňovec, Albrechtice, Heřmanice, Žichlínek, Sázava and others. Newly founded village was named, similarly as Koburk, after the Austrian general Ernst Gideon Laudon (1717 – 1790) who defeated Ottoman Turks on Balkans and conquered the city of Beograd in the same year. In mid-14th century the village Cotkytle belonged to the castle Hoštejn. In 1412 the village is mentioned together with Jankov-Janoušov. In this year the owner of Hoštejn and Šilperk (Štíty) – Adam ze Šternberka registered on both mentioned villages and further on villages Hadovec, Lubník, Sudina, Šumvald and Tatenice annual payment in amount of 50 threescore groschens for his brother-in-law Hanuš z Lípy. After the death of Hanuš z Lípy, his wife Markéta ze Šternberka remarried Vilém z Rýznburka and accepted him as co-owner of her property. In 1446 Vilém z Rýznburka registered above mentioned villages, except of Hadovec, in favour brothers Půta and Herš ze Sovince and in 1464 these properties were acquired by the owner of Zábřeh domain Jiří st. Tunkl z Brníčka. Jan z Dačic bought the Štíty manor (including villages Cotkytle and Janoušov) in 1481. Further owners of Štíty manor and Cotkytle – Beneš and Vaněk z Koněpas – abolished the bona vacantia rule in 1520. In this period (in 1516) there were, according to tax register, 13 properties that charged by tax duty. During 16th century, the owners of Cotkytle changed several times. Since 1531, the village was owned by Hynek Berka z Dubé, since 16th century it was Jan z Boskovic (also owner of the Zábřeh domain) who sold the Štíty manor in 1574, but he kept villages Cotkytle and Janoušov and integrated them into his domain. They were part of this domain until the end of feudalism in 1848. In 16th century the village Cotkytle grew quickly. In 1585 it had 45 families of mostly Czech origin. According to the description of the Olomouc bishopric, the village had 623 inhabitants of Czech origin in 1771, in the first third of 19th century Cotkytle and Janoušov had more than 1,200 inhabitants. The monuments in village include the Church of Ascension, first reference dates back to 1350. The church was completely reconstructed in 1726 and consecrated to St. John of Nepomuk – popular in Baroque period. After the Bílá hora (White Mountain) battle, the former non-catholic church was administrated from Zábřeh until 1669 – it was integrated to Jedle then. In 1776, the local chaplaincy was established; in 1784 the independent chapel was established (and later promoted to parish church – in 1843). The parish district included municipalities Herbortice, Janoušov and Strážná. The church school was established in 1819. The list of sacred monuments includes the stone sculpture Crucifixion (1797) standing in front of the church and the statue of St. John of Nepomuk from (1814). The oldest local association is the Brigade of voluntary firemen and there is also a gymnastic club in Cokytle. There is a nursery school, a grammar school, a post office and a shop.
Altitude: 622 m n.m.
