Lysá nad Labem: Baroque Culture and Elbe Landscape

Lysá nad Labem combines Baroque cultural history with the flat landscape of the Polabí region. The castle park, protected marsh and floodplain landscapes, an educational trail in the Elbe valley and various cycling opportunities give your trip different focal points. This allows you to weigh up culture, nature and active excursions when choosing the style of your stay.

Castle, Park and Historic Buildings

Lysá nad Labem Castle stands on the site of a former fortress and a later Gothic castle. The Baroque reconstruction was completed by František Antonín Špork between 1738 and 1739. The interior of the castle is not open to the public. The castle park, however, is freely accessible and includes extensive grounds with Baroque sculptures.

The Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is a Baroque parish church built in the first half of the 18th century according to a design by František Maxmilián Kaňka. Its surrounding wall is decorated with statues of saints, Church Fathers, evangelists and archangels. The church and wall are protected as immovable cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. The permanent exhibition of the Bedřich Hrozný Museum is located in a reconstructed, Baroque, heritage-protected building. Among other things, it covers Bedřich Hrozný’s scientific work and the Ancient Near East; its final section is dedicated to the natural attractions of Lysá nad Labem and the surrounding area.

Augustinian Monastery and Local Wine Tradition

The Augustinian monastery complex was built from 1730 to 1741 under František Antonín Špork according to plans by Bartolomeo Scotti and completed by Anselmo Lurago. Its terraces serve as a venue for cultural events. Vineyards were also restored on the reconstructed terraces; the town produces its wine from their grapes.

Marshes, Floodplains and Protected Landscapes

Hrabanovská černava protects a Polabí marshland landscape with wetland and meadow communities, as well as the population of the critically endangered tawny sedge. It is the largest surviving complex by area of species-rich marsh meadows in the Polabí region, referred to in the Czech Republic as černavy. The Káraný–Hrbáčkovy tůně Nature Reserve covers the cadastral area of Lysá nad Labem and protects natural eutrophic waters, floodplain meadows, calcareous marshes, mixed floodplain forests, as well as populations of the great crested newt and the stag beetle.

Educational Trail and Cycling Experiences

The Naučná stezka Údolím Labe runs between Lysá nad Labem and Čelákovice, mainly along publicly accessible paths, and is suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. The 21-kilometre educational trail has 24 information stations and presents the natural and historical context of the Elbe valley directly at the places where it can be observed. The cycling routes around Lysá nad Labem are well signposted; several pump stations are available in the town for quickly inflating bicycle tyres.

Shibak Bikepark is located on the outskirts of Lysá nad Labem in the Šibák area. It offers prepared trails for mountain bikes and kick scooters and is open to all visitors free of charge. The trails range from easy undulating tracks such as a pump track to larger jumps. For longer excursions, the flat landscape of the Polabí region, with its forests, educational trails and historic sights, offers suitable cycling routes. A family-friendly cycling loop of approximately 23.7 kilometres leads through pine forests; swimming is possible in the Řehačka nature area.

Horse Racing Track and Gala Show

The horse racing track in Lysá nad Labem regularly hosts race days for sports enthusiasts, families with children and day-trippers. Once a year, the Večerní koňská Galashow also takes place at Výstaviště Lysá nad Labem.

Further Places for Your Research

For further research, you can also look at Pátek, Rozdalovice, Dlouhopolsko, Sloveč, Semice, Budiměřice, Košík and Žitovlice.

To the higher-level travel overview: Nymburk District.