Plaňany: Churches, History and Mírkovská Fortress

Plaňany appeals to travelers who want to discover several ways of accessing the history of a Czech town during their stay. Church history, historic buildings and opportunities for active recreation create a varied picture that is suitable both for cultural exploration and for an eventful day.

History Since the Neolithic

The settlement area at the confluence of the Kouřimka and Bečvárka rivers has been continuously inhabited since the Neolithic. This long development is particularly tangible in the surviving buildings. The Church of the Annunciation is a surviving Romanesque church from the 12th century. Beneath its floor, masonry from the 10th century was discovered in 1937; it may have belonged to an original rotunda.

When exploring the town's history, several periods can therefore be considered side by side: Romanesque architecture, a possible predecessor building and Neo-Gothic Historicism. This sequence makes the town's historical themes accessible even to visitors without in-depth prior knowledge, because they are based on specific buildings and surviving sections of masonry.

Two Churches from Different Periods

Opposite the Church of the Annunciation stands the Church of St. John the Baptist. It is a Neo-Gothic church from the period of late Historicism and was completed in 1913. Its slender, distinctly elevated prismatic tower forms a visible landmark of Plaňany and an unmistakable point of reference in the surrounding landscape. The church therefore shapes not only the town's history but also how the town is perceived.

Synagogue and Mírkovská Fortress

The synagogue in Plaňany was built between 1858 and 1861 and served as a prayer house of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church from 1926 onward. The Husův sbor is located in the former synagogue. Another historical focal point is Mírkovská Fortress: in the 1740s, it was converted and expanded into a granary and has essentially survived in this form to the present day.

The southern part of Mírkovská Fortress contains original Renaissance masonry from the residential palace of the fortress. It reaches up to the height of the window sills on the upper floor. This gives you a nuanced picture of the complex, in which the fortress's earlier function and its later use as a granary can be traced.

Active Recreation and Playful Discovery

The sports field in Plaňany is available to the general public of all ages for active recreation. It is intended in particular for ball games such as tennis, volleyball, football, nohejbal and basketball. For families who want to combine cultural impressions with physical activity, this offering provides a separate complement to the town's historical themes.

Plaňany is also associated with the tourist game “Pečeckem kolem dokola”. It offers a playful approach to discovering the region without losing sight of the historic buildings and their different layers of time.

Discover More Places

If you would like to consider other destinations in the selection besides Plaňany, you can continue directly to Ždánice, Ratbor, Kbel, Uhlířská Lhota, Svojšice, Ratenice, Pašinka and Grunta.

For the higher-level travel overview: Kolín District.