Chotesice: Church Ensemble, Village Architecture and Ponds

Chotěšice is located in the flat Polabian Lowland. The first historical mention of Chotěšice dates back to September 26, 1199. Today, the history of the village, ponds, a stream and preserved rural buildings combine to create a diverse village landscape. For planning your trip, two main themes stand side by side: historical details and a landscape with water, distinctive trees and fish farming.

Cultural history in Chotěšice and the surrounding area

The Church of the Sending of the Holy Apostles stands on elevated ground west of the village center on the road to Břístev and forms a prominent feature of the landscape. The protected church ensemble includes the church, the mortuary, the cemetery’s surrounding wall and the associated plots. The present-day Baroque church was built in 1746–1748; repairs followed in 1817–1820 and again in 1844. The single-nave building has a rectangular presbytery and a tower on the east side.

The cemetery contains several high-quality sandstone gravestones, especially in its western section, dating from the second half of the 19th century. Several farm buildings from the 19th century have also been preserved in Chotěšice, complemented by a monument to the Crucifixion. These details make the history of the village visible through specific buildings and places of remembrance. The range extends from sacred complexes to rural everyday architecture in the village surroundings.

In Malá Strana, a statue of the Virgin Mary from 1876 stands on a Neo-Gothic pedestal. In Nová Ves, a solid stone cross with Christ from 1845, log house No. 5 from the early 19th century and a two-room log granary recall the local history of architecture and faith. Several picturesque log houses can be found in Břístev.

Ponds, trees and rural nature

The landscape also features several distinct, clearly identifiable attractions. On the dam of Vražda Pond stand a pear tree designated as a natural monument and two pedunculate oaks estimated to be around 300 years old. Near Nouzov, remnants of a near-natural alluvial forest can be found around Komárovský Pond. In Malá Strana, a pair of black poplars stands about 50 meters from Slatinka Pond.

The forests and ponds around Chotěšice are intensively used for fish farming and keeping waterfowl and are therefore not suitable for swimming. The Smíchovský Stream flows through the village. A local culinary specialty is honey, which the municipality sells from its communal apiary.

When looking for accommodation, you can first decide whether your days should be shaped by local history and architectural heritage or by ponds, trees and the rural landscape. In Chotěšice, the range of themes extends from the protected church ensemble to the natural monument and the ponds.

Further places to help you find your bearings

For further orientation, you can also visit Úmyslovice, Ostrá, Podebrady, Kouty, Čilec, Běrunice, Kounice and Oseček.

For the broader travel overview: Nymburk District.