Podhradí U Jičína

Podhradí U Jičína between Veliš and Baroque Culture

Podhradí U Jičína lies on the slopes of Veliš and combines a striking landscape with an unusually dense succession of Baroque monuments. At its centre is the Loreta Chapel: built in 1694 to a design by Jean Baptiste Mathey, it is also an integral part of Mariánská zahrada. František Josef Schlik gradually had this unified Baroque landscape composition created. Anyone wishing to combine culture, historic buildings and cycling during their stay in the Czech Republic will find several distinct points of interest here to incorporate into their travel planning.

The Loreta and the Baroque Landscape

The Loreta Chapel near Podhradí is noteworthy not only because of the period in which it was built. From the chapel, it is possible to reach the roof through a roof hatch and walk across its entire surface. From there, the view extends across the former Schlik estate and the Jičín Basin. The building thus connects its architectural history with a direct view of the landscape in which the Schlik composition was created.

The cultural character of Podhradí also includes the Krista Pantokratora (Eupatora) ensemble. It is a Late Baroque, regionally significant sculptural work by an unknown artist and is registered as an immovable cultural monument in the Central Register of Cultural Monuments. Another distinctive building is the Chapel of the Guardian Angels. It was built in 1720 in the Baroque style as a hexagonal structure vaulted by a dome, probably to a design by J. Santini. The chapel was intended to be open to the public during liturgical events and upon request.

Monuments on the Slopes of Veliš

Even smaller historic features deserve attention. The Boží muka on the southern slopes of Veliš are among the oldest monuments of this type in the region. Together with the buildings in Podhradí, they form not merely a collection of individual sights, but a cultural context in which Baroque ecclesiastical buildings, sculpture and landscape complement one another.

The history of Veliš can also be read in its archaeological site near Jičín. The ruins of a castle are preserved there on a prominent basalt hill. At the ruins of Veliš Castle, parts of the enclosure, the remains of two buildings and a very deep well can be found. For an excursion focused on history, this provides, alongside the chapels, a place where the medieval fortifications remain visible in their surviving remains.

Vokšice and the Berlin–Prague Cycling Route

Another element of the region’s cultural history can be found in Vokšice. The Baroque granary dates from 1700 and was built to a design by J. B. Mathey. The château in Vokšice was originally Baroque; in 1660 it was listed as new and was remodelled in the 19th and 20th centuries. Anyone wishing to compare different periods during their stay can therefore include ecclesiastical architecture, castle ruins and aristocratic buildings in their own research.

For cyclists, international cycle route No. 14 is significant: it connects Jičín with Dětenice via Podhradí and Veliš. This route also makes Podhradí interesting for travel planning in which cultural discoveries and a cycling tour are considered together. When looking for accommodation, you can therefore weigh up whether you primarily want to explore the Loreta and the monuments in Podhradí or consider the town as a starting point for the route via Veliš and onward to Dětenice.

More Places for Your Research

You can find more pages about local destinations at Zeleznice, Samšina, Lískovice, Meziluzi, Vidochov, Rohoznice, Záhuby and Doubrava.

For the overarching travel overview: Jičín District.