Smidary – Castle History, the Cidlina and Cycle Route 4284

Smidary combines the river landscape of the Cidlina with tangible traces of its local history. Smidary Castle stands on the right bank of the river; in the centre, a protected area preserves the last remaining section of a meandering course of the Cidlina. There is also a late Baroque church, a Baroque column, remains of the former fortifications and a cycle route running through the town. Those looking for a place in the Czech Republic with several clearly distinct discoveries will find culture, archaeology, landscape and a railway connection in a compact thematic area.

Smidary Castle and the History of the River

The history of the castle reaches back to a water fortress documented, together with a farmstead, in 1413. A water fortress is a fortified structure whose position was protected by water. The present-day castle, built of masonry, replaced the old fortress between 1810 and 1813. This makes it possible to trace a historical transition in the same place: the medieval documented fortification was followed by a castle built in the early 19th century.

Its location on the right bank of the Cidlina gives this history a specific spatial context. Those interested in castles and chateaux can therefore place different architectural and historical layers within their own exploration.

Church, Ceiling Paintings and the Mariánský sloup

Another cultural highlight is the Church of Saint Stanislav. It is a late Baroque church dating from around 1749 and features ceiling paintings from 1750 by J. Kramolín. The two details combine to create a particularly tangible impression of its interior: the church belongs to the late Baroque period, while the paintings date from only slightly later.

The townscape also features the Mariánský sloup ensemble, a Baroque column dating from 1718. Together with the church, this site offers a second way of approaching Smidary's history: alongside the history of the castle and fortifications, the religious and representational design of the town takes centre stage.

Archaeological Traces of the Former Fortifications

In the archaeological core of Smidary, a circular moat survives from the former fortification. It is most clearly visible on the west side of the site. T-shaped cellar rooms have also survived beneath the north-western part of the fortification. These remains should be understood as traces of an earlier structure, not as evidence of a fully preserved fortification.

The Cidlina, Cycle Route and Railway Connection

Alongside the cultural monuments, the Cidlina is part of Smidary's character. The protected area in the centre includes the last remaining section of a meandering course of the river. For active exploration, Cycle Route 4284 passes through Smidary. This documents cycling as a concrete way of travelling through the town, without implying any particular route length or a requirement concerning its course.

The railway is also present in the town: Railway Line 040 between Chlumec nad Cidlinou and Nová Paka has a local station in Smidary. For travel planning, this provides a cycle route and a railway line as two different points of reference.

Other Places for Your Research

If you would like to include additional destinations alongside Smidary in your search, you can also compare Stěžery, Nepolisy, Lodín, Luzany Nad Trotinou, Sadová, Lejšovka, Dolní Přím and Sovětice.

For the overarching travel overview: Hradec Králové District.