Zvěřínek between village history and Kersko-Bory Nature Park

A place between village history and landscape

Zvěřínek combines a long local history with a landscape on the eastern edge of Kersko-Bory Nature Park. The first written mention of Zvěřínek dates back to 1345. The place was originally called Zvěřinec; the name is said to derive from the large number of game animals in the surrounding forests. For your travel planning, this creates a destination where historical traces and nature-related themes have equal space.

In the southern part of the municipality, the Zvěřínek chapel stands at the center of the historically shaped village square. The chapel is part of a public park and thus forms its own cultural focal point in the village. The municipal bell tower on the road to Hořátev is also part of the village’s history: it was built in 1865. The bell was rung in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, as well as for funeral tolling. The three daily ringing times represent the rhythm of the day, while the funeral tolling marked a special occasion.

Further memorial sites are located at prominent points around the village. The war memorial in Zvěřínek was unveiled on September 20, 1936. At the road junction at the entrance to Zvěřínek, a metal cross was erected on a stone base in 1887. Together with the chapel and bell tower, these details make the village’s history visible at several different locations.

Water, forests, and open landscapes

Kersko-Bory Nature Park protects pine and birch forests on the gravel-sand subsoil of the Elbe lowlands, as well as open parts of the agriculturally shaped Polabí landscape. Zvěřínek lies on the eastern edge of this nature park. The landscape setting therefore extends from wooded areas to open, agriculturally shaped regions.

The Černavka stream runs along the eastern side of Zvěřínek and flows into the Výrovka near the hamlet of Kopaník. The Černavka and Výrovka waterways near Zvěřínek have been regulated since 1896. A sand lake is located in Sadská, near Zvěřínek. The surroundings of Zvěřínek offer ideal conditions for walking and cycling tourism. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose between different focuses, including local history, waterscapes, forests, and open parts of the Polabí landscape.

History as part of your travel planning

The development of the village also extends beyond individual buildings. Nymburk bought Zvěřínek from Bedřich, Burgrave of Donín, in 1525. A brickworks built in 1909 formed the basis of the Asbestos factory. These stages complement the religious and memorial sites with political and economic aspects. If you assemble your stay according to your interests, Zvěřínek therefore offers both specific historical points of interest and a landscape that explicitly includes walking and cycling tourism.

More destinations for your research

Further destinations that you can visit for your research include Kounice, Jiřice, Třebestovice, Písty, Zbožíčko, Starý Vestec, Dvory, and Vlkov Pod Oškobrhem.

To the overview of the wider area: Nymburk District.