Ždánice: Monument history and landscape

Ždánice combines distinctive hilltop settings with a rich monument history. The hill locally known as Panák bears a memorial; nearby, Hradiště Na Hradišťatech is a cultural monument. The church and chapel are distinguished by their locations west and northwest of the town, respectively.

Ždánice at a glance

• Panák is the local name for the hill with the memorial above Ždánice.
• The Švehlův památník was built in 1936; today the memorial is called Památník obětem nacismu (padlým bojovníkům za svobodu v letech 1938–1945).
• Hradiště Na Hradišťatech is a cultural monument (ÚSKP number 33563/2-909) on a spur between Oleška and Ždánice.
• A description from September 2025 lists five stops with interactive information boards along the section of the Středočeská ovocná stezka at rybník Svatý Prokop. The section is described as unmarked; route information may change.

Panák and its monument history

Panák is the local name for the hill with the memorial above Ždánice in the Okres Kolín. The Švehlův památník was erected in 1936 by the Republican Party of the Agricultural and Smallholder People (Republikánská strana zemědělského a malorolnického lidu) in memory of former Prime Minister Antonín Švehla. A bronze bust of Švehla stood there; it was removed after the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia.

After 1945, the memorial was renamed several times. Today it is called Památník obětem nacismu (padlým bojovníkům za svobodu v letech 1938–1945). Its current name commemorates the victims of Nazism and the fallen freedom fighters of 1938 to 1945. Several layers of names thus come together at Panák: Panák refers to the hill, Švehlův památník to the memorial site for Antonín Švehla, and the current name to its later commemorative purpose.

Monument sites and orientation

Hradiště Na Hradišťatech is listed as a cultural monument under ÚSKP number 33563/2-909. It lies on a distinctive spur between Oleška and Ždánice. Its setting differs from that of Panák: here, the spur between the two named places defines the landscape, while Panák is the hill with the memorial above Ždánice.

Kostel sv. Havla stands west of Ždánice, in the elevated location known as „Na Poušti“. Kaplička Panny Marie, by contrast, lies at the northwestern edge of the town, at a crossroads below the church. The church’s elevated position and the crossroads below it provide two clearly distinct points of reference.

A section of the Středočeská ovocná stezka

The description of the section at rybník Svatý Prokop near Ždánice, published in September 2025, lists five stops with interactive information boards and is intended for children, families and schools. It describes the section as unmarked and notes that route information may change. For planning your visit, it is therefore advisable to check the latest information about the route.

Čertova brázda in the wider region

In the wider region around Ždánice, Čertova brázda offers a different landscape scale from the individual monument sites. This clearly visible, 21-kilometre system of hollows, ditches and sunken lanes lies between Sázava and Chotouň. In the Baroque period, Čertova brázda served as a pilgrimage route between Sázavský klášter and Chotouň, the birthplace of Saint Procopius. A legend about Saint Procopius also connects his birthplace with the monastery. Together, this striking landform, its historic use as a pilgrimage route and religious tradition offer different perspectives on the region’s cultural history.

Discover more destinations: Krychnov, Toušice, Klučov, Radim, Choťovice, Plaňany, Červené Pečky, Grunta

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View the broader travel guide: Okres Kolín.