Doubrava – Stonecutting History and Hiking Destinations

Doubrava combines an unusual stonecutting history with historical traces and worthwhile destinations in the surrounding area.

Sandstone, rock face, and historic paths

Near Doubrava lies Vlčí skála, a former sandstone quarry with climbing routes for easy and more challenging grades. The rock face there is approximately 12–14 metres high. The site thus represents both the sandstone landscape and a sport-oriented side of the surrounding area. Near Doubrava, there are also the remains of a technically remarkable arched stone bridge. It was built in 1872 to replace an older wooden bridge.

The route to Buštěhrad branches off the road onto a forest track. At a crossroads, it continues through a small hollow way and a meadow back into the forest, passing a large disused quarry. The local-history hike “Vycházka na Buštěhrad a Doubravu” leads to a former castle site and then to the historic stonecutters’ village of Doubrava. The road from Panský mlýn to Doubrava is also part of the region’s transport history: it was built in 1853–1854 to improve the connection between Doubrava and Hořice.

The Stone-Built History of Buštěhrad and Doubrava

Near Doubrava stood Buštěhrad Castle (Pustohrad) from the mid-13th century until its destruction during the course of the 15th century. The western part of its perimeter fortifications survives; the castle was destroyed by fire. Doubrava was historically known for the extraction of fine-grained white and yellow stone, which was particularly valued by sculptors. Two quarries were worked right up to the edges of the houses standing there.

At the edge of Doubrava’s village square stands a recently restored stone cross with Christ. It was erected in 1853 at the expense of the married couple Josef and Františka Antoš from Doubrava and blessed in 1854 by the Hořice priest Leden. The group of watermills on the Bystřice includes the historic Beránek Mill in Svatogothardská Lhotka, as well as the Obecní and Panský mills. Also located there is the Neoclassical statue of Saint Wenceslas by Josef Rychtera, dating from 1822, on a small rise surrounded by four old lime trees and two benches. Sandstone from Doubrava was used, among other things, for the Jan Žižka monument on Gothard, Šaloun’s Krakonoš, and the statue of Saint George in Miletín.

Doubrava as a Base for Your Trip

When looking for accommodation in Doubrava, you can tailor your focus to your own interests. The local history leads to quarries, monuments, and historic buildings, while the destinations in the surrounding area and the local-history hike focus on discovery and activity. For families with different interests, this thematic range offers several points of interest, without every day of the trip having to look the same.

For further trip planning, you can also include Úlibice, Prachov, Radim, Petrovičky, Podulsi, Ohařice, Veliš U Jičína and Lukavec U Hořic .

For the higher-level travel overview: Jičín District.