Skřivany

Skřivany combines distinctive architectural history with a river landscape, ancient trees and a regional cycling route. If you are looking for a place with cultural discoveries and varied landscape impressions for your trip, you will find several distinct points of interest here: the castle, St. Anne’s Church, the historic bell tower, Vojtěchův dub and the view from Vrší.

Castle and Ecclesiastical History

The castle in Skřivany is protected as an immovable cultural monument under registration number ÚSKP 46918/6-694. Its architectural history reaches back to an old Renaissance fortress, which was probably extensively rebuilt as a Baroque castle around 1720. A later, particularly defining alteration was commissioned by Gustav Ledvinka: in 1867–1868, he had the castle completely rebuilt in the Windsor Gothic style based on a design by Josef Niklas.

St. Anne’s Church also represents the connection between the history of the castle and that of the village. It was founded in 1720 as the castle chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and dedicated to St. Anne in 1842. It has been protected as a heritage site since January 22, 1964. In Skřivany, you can therefore encounter different historical layers – from the Renaissance fortress and Baroque castle to the later Neo-Gothic transformation and the protected church.

River, Viewpoint and Vojtěchův dub

The Cidlina flows along the eastern edge of Skřivany; its riverbed has been partially regulated. Vrší offers a different view of the village. From there, the view extends across Skřivany and the surrounding area, and in fine weather also reaches the Chlumecké vrchy and the Jičín volcanic hills, with the Krkonoše mountains in the background.

A special landscape feature is Vojtěchův dub near the forester’s lodge where Dr. Václav Vojtěch was born, on the road from Skřivany to Myštěves. The pedunculate oak, more than 400 years old, has a trunk circumference of 690 centimetres and is 27 metres tall. There are benches and information panels by the tree. The Dr. Václav Vojtěch educational trail also runs around Vojtěchův dub. This connects the natural site with a historical memory and a marked thematic route, without the two impressions telling the same story.

Bell Tower and Remembrance of Václav Vojtěch

The wooden hexagonal bell tower in Skřivany is estimated to date from the period after 1720. Following the sugar factory fire in 1905, it was built behind the road at its present location. Its more recent history includes a complete restoration in 2004; the following year, it received a newly cast bell.

A monument to Václav Vojtěch stands in the park in front of the Skřivany municipal office. It commemorates the traveller who, as part of Admiral Byrd’s expedition, became the first Czech to set foot in Antarctica. Together with the educational trail and Vojtěchův dub, it forms a distinct commemorative context within the history of the village.

Cycling and Rail Connections

For active days, the 36.5-kilometre cycling route “Město českých královen a studentských merend” leads to Sloupno via Skřivany. In addition, railway line No. 040 between Chlumec nad Cidlinou, Stará Paka and Trutnov provides another transport connection from Skřivany. These two references offer different perspectives on the surrounding area: an established cycling route and a railway line connecting several places.

Other Places Nearby

If you would like to compare several destinations for your trip, the direct links lead to Prasek, Čistěves, Nový Bydžov, Nechanice, Dolní Přím, Kunčice, Chlumec Nad Cidlinou and Klamoš.

For the higher-level travel overview: Hradec Králové District.