Klecany: History, the Vltava and Cycling Route

Klecany is a destination for travellers who want to combine historical traces, the Vltava landscape and routes for cyclists in a single trip. Architectural history, an archaeological landscape, viewpoints, a ferry and a memorial site offer different ways to explore the area. This allows you to shape the focus of your stay around culture, landscape or activity.

Church, Château and Hillfort

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Klecany is first mentioned in historical records in 1332. It was originally a Gothic building and was later remodelled in the Baroque style. A single building thus reveals two clearly distinguishable historical influences.

Klecany Château also points to a long past: a fortress stood on its site and was already mentioned in 1380; the château itself has been documented since 1607. This sequence of dates makes the site interesting for anyone who wants to discover not only today's landscape but also older settlement and architectural history during a trip. The succession of periods places today's château within a local history reaching further back in time.

A particularly notable historical trace is the Klecany hillfort. It is classified as an important archaeological site and lies between Klecany and the Vltava, above the right bank of the river southwest of the town. The site covered approximately 5.8 hectares and was fortified all around. In places, an earthwork rampart has survived in the terrain to this day. The visible earth structure complements the archaeological classification with a tangible landscape feature.

Views and Connections to the Vltava

For views of the river landscape, the Vyhlídka viewpoint above the Vltava offers views into the river valley as well as of Levý Hradec and a lock. The Vyhlídka nad jezem viewpoint is situated on a steep rock; a wooden cross stands at its summit.

The Klecánky ferry provides another connection to the Vltava. It carries people, bicycles and small motorcycles. Crossings at this location have been documented since 1911. Here, the Vltava is both a landscape and a crossing between the banks.

Cycling Route, Path and Commemorative Culture

Long-distance cycling route No. 7, “Labská stezka Praha – Drážďany”, passes through Klecany in the Klecánky district. In addition, the mostly artificially constructed Čertovka path leads from the Klecany hillfort to the Vltava. Thus, the long-distance cycling route and the riverside path represent different forms of travel.

Commemorative culture is also connected with a specific place. A memorial plaque at Černá skála commemorates Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk's visit on 16 July 1920. An annual commemorative procession in his honour ends at Černá skála on the eve of 7 March; locally, the site is also called “Masarykova skála”. The place thus connects a precisely dated event with an annual recurring commemoration.

More Destinations to Compare

If you would like to check other destinations in addition to Klecany, you can find Kunice, Nehvizdy, Větrušice, Mukařov, Hovorčovice, Ladvi, Nupaky and Polerady here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Praha-Východ.