Horky Nad Jizerou – Castle, Church and Stará Jizera

Horky Nad Jizerou brings together, within a compact thematic area, the history of an important river ford, remarkable religious and secular architecture, and a protected floodplain landscape. If you are looking for a place combining culture and nature for your trip to the Czech Republic, discover the different facets of the Jizera here: from the castle complex and St. Nicholas Church to oxbow lakes and a cycle path along the riverbank.

Church, Castle and the History of the Ford

The complex of St. Nicholas Church, including the Kostka Chapel and the former surrounding cemetery, is listed in the state register of immovable cultural monuments. The area of the church and the fortress or castle in Horky nad Jizerou is also classified as an archaeological monument. The first written record of St. Nicholas Church by the ford across the Jizera dates from 1357.

The castle stands on the site of an old wooden fortress that guarded an important ford across the Jizera. The castle contains a preserved tower from the Gothic fortress, with a chapel on the first floor; a four-sided stone tower remains from the original Renaissance chateau. The castle and its associated buildings are currently used by a vocational school. As a result, different historical layers meet here alongside the present-day use of the complex.

St. Nicholas Church with Baroque and Later Works of Art

The present-day St. Nicholas Church was built as part of a construction project carried out from 1723 to 1738. The construction work from 1723 to 1725 was carried out by the Italian-born builder Mikuláš Rossi from Mladá Boleslav. The furnishings include reliefs from the workshop of Matyáš Braun. The late Baroque chapel also contains an altarpiece depicting the Nativity of Christ, created in the first half of the 19th century by J. F. Leubner. These details make the church area particularly interesting if you want to explore architectural history and individual works of art not merely as a backdrop, but as tangible traces of different eras.

Stará Jizera and the Cycle Path along the River

The natural landscape of Horky nad Jizerou includes Stará Jizera, a protected natural monument consisting of oxbow lakes in a meander of the Jizera between Dražice and Horky nad Jizerou. It is one of the last remaining examples of a floodplain ecosystem along the Jizera. Two oxbow lakes, known as pools, have been preserved in the protected area. The larger pool, called Stará Jizera, is horseshoe-shaped.

For further travel planning, Cycle Route 17 Greenway – Jizera complements the area's natural and cultural attractions. It runs along the banks of the Jizera through Horky nad Jizerou and leads from the river's confluence with the Elbe to Turnov. This allows you to focus your research on different themes: the church, castle and history of the ford, or the river landscape and cycle path.

More Destinations for Your Planning

For further orientation within this selection, you can also view Horní Slivno, Srbsko, Malé Horky, Židněves, Bukovno, Horní Bukovina, Krásná Ves and Řitonice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Mladá Boleslav District.