Staré Smrkovice: Traces of a Fortress on the Javorka

Staré Smrkovice combines traces of a former fortress with the river landscape of the Javorka and an unusually tangible local economic history. If you are looking for a place in the Czech Republic with historical details and an area of natural interest for your stay, you will find not interchangeable sights here, but concrete evidence: ditches at the site of the former fortress, a protected stretch of river, a preserved chicory drying plant, and traditions from the worlds of schooling, crafts, and agriculture.

Fortress history on the edge of the village

Staré Smrkovice lies on the site of a former fortress for which written records date back to 1347. At the site on the edge of present-day Staré Smrkovice, remains of the ditches can still be seen; however, no structural remains of the fortress have survived. The historic complex stood on the right bank of the Javorka. Its protective embankments, which are still documented today, were supplied with water from the river. This connection between watercourse and fortification is precisely what makes the site interesting as a historical point of reference: the landscape is not merely a backdrop but forms part of the locality’s recorded history.

The Javorka, wet meadows, and protected species

A documented stretch of river in Staré Smrkovice belongs to the European Site of Community Importance “Javorka a Cidlina - Sběř”. The area is a habitat of the dusky large blue (Maculinea nausithous) and the depressed river mussel (Unio crassus). In the area, part of the population of the depressed river mussel was transferred to the channel of the Javorka near Staré Smrkovice. The main channel is partly regulated and partly close to its natural state; the surrounding area contains extensively managed wet meadows. This gives visitors interested in nature a clear thematic focus: they encounter a river landscape where water protection, meadow management, and the preservation of rare species are interconnected.

School, chicory, and local crafts

The history of the locality can also be traced through several different themes. The school in Staré Smrkovice was built in 1861. At the historic “Cikoria” company, 3,404 q of chicory and 234 q of sugar beet were dried. A chicory drying plant, also referred to as a chicory coffee roasting plant, still stands in Staré Smrkovice today. The connection with chicory is therefore documented both by the traditional processing and by a surviving building, without this implying that it is currently open to visitors.

The local tradition of crafts also included three basket makers. For families, this combination of major historical themes and small local details can be particularly appealing: the former fortress leads back to the Middle Ages, the school to the 19th century, while chicory and basket making tell the story of earlier working life. The local village pub also offers short-term rental of its ancillary rooms and hall. Kittlerův mlýn, a mill on the Javorka watercourse, is not accessible, however, and should therefore not be planned as a regular destination.

Further points of interest for your trip

At the “Farewell to the Summer Holidays” event, entertaining competitions involving games and physical activity were planned for children. This describes the programme of that event and not a permanently available facility. For further orientation, you can also visit Vidochov, Sekeřice, Horní Nová Ves, Libun, Holovousy, Kopidlno, Stara Paka and Sobčice.

For the broader travel overview: Jičín District.