Kovanice: Elbe, Cultural Monuments and Quiet Discoveries

Kovanice is a destination for travelers who want to discover both the Elbe landscape and tangible evidence of local history and remembrance culture in one place. These include St. Wenceslas Church, a Jewish cemetery, a small chateau on the Elbe River and a developed path for pedestrians and cyclists. If you are planning a family trip, you can give different weight to cultural themes and activities by the water without reducing the destination to just one attraction.

Historical Traces in Kovanice

A distinctive detail near St. Wenceslas Church is the life-size sandstone statue of Saint John of Nepomuk. It stands about 15 meters northwest of the cemetery enclosure wall at the church; the date 1728 is carved into its pedestal. The statue belongs to a group of 18th-century stone sculptures created in the workshop of Josef Jiří Jelínek in Kosmonosy. This individual monument therefore combines a visible local connection with a precisely dated tradition that has been placed in an art-historical context.

The Jewish cemetery in Kovanice was established in 1830 as a burial ground for the Jewish communities of Kovanice, Nymburk, Poděbrady and Křinec. The site covers 1,457 square meters and contains 282 gravestones arranged in regular rows. A memorial plaque at the entrance commemorates the victims of the Holocaust. For your planning, it is important to know that the Jewish cemetery is locked: You can obtain the key from the Kovanice municipal office. Anyone wishing to visit the cemetery should plan to collect the key from the municipal office in advance as a separate step in preparing for the visit.

St. Wenceslas Church also contains a noteworthy art-historical detail. It houses a painting of Saint Wenceslas by V. Kramolín from around 1770. The chateau in Kovanice is a small chateau on the Elbe River. Together with the enclosure wall and gate of the former park, as well as the enclosed plot, it is protected. A war memorial to the victims of the First World War adds a place of remembrance to Kovanice’s attractions.

Along the Elbe

The cycle path leading to Kovanice runs along the left bank of the Elbe and mostly in the immediate vicinity of the river. The developed path is intended for pedestrians and cyclists. If you would like to include an active section in your trip, this path provides clear guidance when choosing between a walk and a bike ride. The Elbe is therefore not only the setting for the small chateau, but also the landscape alongside the route to Kovanice.

Further Places for Your Research

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Kovanice, you can expand your search to include Prerov Nad Labem, Mcely, Dvory, Netřebice, Milčice, Kněžičky, Kněžice and Oskořínek.

For the higher-level travel overview: Nymburk District.