Discover Kounice: Castle History, Nature and Brewing Tradition

Kounice between Castle History and Countryside

Kounice combines historical traces with a varied landscape. The focal point of the town’s history is Kounice Castle, which stands on the site of a former, presumably medieval fortress. For a stay, the town therefore offers both cultural discoveries and paths through meadows, floodplains, orchards and forest.

The listed complex of the Church of “kostel sv. Jakuba Většího” includes the former cemetery grounds, an enclosing wall with two gates, an adjoining staircase and a statue of St John of Nepomuk. The development of architecture can also be seen at the castle: between 1612 and 1634, the fortress was converted and extended under Jan Rudolf Trčka into a three-winged Renaissance chateau. A Baroque transformation followed in 1719, as indicated by a chronogram on the castle gate.

Educational Trail, Quarry and Forest

The Kounická cesta educational trail offers a particularly direct way to experience the landscape. It leads through the side streets of Kounice, across meadows along the floodplain of the Kounický potok and along the edge of an orchard to Cihelna pond in the west of the municipality. The route is marked with green-and-white educational-trail signs and currently has three stations. One of them is called “Motte” and recalls a medieval fortification. In this way, the trail combines nature observation with a historical connection, without the individual themes being confined to the town centre.

The abandoned Na skále quarry near Kounice offers a natural-history discovery. It is a rich site for fossil flora in sandstones and claystones of the Peruc Formation. Na skále lies 1 km southwest of Kounice; the site is freely accessible, and by car it is possible to approach to within 250 m. In the Kounice area, 72 bird species also occur. Kounický háj complements this landscape as a typical deciduous forest of lowlands and hilly regions that has developed into a mixed forest with diverse woodland flora.

Brewing Tradition and Preserved Monuments

Kounice also has a remarkable connection between craftsmanship, history and regional taste. The brewing tradition was revived when a batch of Kounický ležák was brewed for the first time again after 112 years. The former malt house is among Kounice’s preserved monuments. Sladovna – Panský pivovar is an original Renaissance brewery from the second half of the 16th century. This architectural and brewing history adds another cultural dimension to a visit to the town.

For 2026, the 15th edition of the “Kounická šlapka” bicycle race was announced in Kounice. The planned event adds a sporting occasion to the existing themes without replacing the town’s historical and scenic character. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore first consider whether you would like to discover Kounice primarily through its castle and monuments, its educational trail and landscape, or its local brewing tradition.

More Destinations at the Same Destination Level

If you would like to expand your research to other places, you can find Žitovlice, Sokoleč, Třebestovice, Kostomlaty Nad Labem, Běrunice, Jíkev, Kostelní Lhota and Dlouhopolsko here.

To the higher-level travel overview: Nymburk District.