Discover Svatojanský Újezd

Svatojanský Újezd lies in the Bělohrad Basin, three kilometres west of Lázně Bělohrad. The village combines a clearly recognisable village structure with traces of cultural history and paths into the surrounding landscape. Those considering a smaller, historically shaped place as a base for a trip to the Czech Republic will find several distinct themes here: the church and village square, folk architecture, marked hiking trails, and historic names dating back to the Middle Ages.

Village Square, Church and Rural Architecture

The centre is formed by the village square, which is now laid out as a park. Svatojanský Újezd preserves the circular settlement structure of the original agricultural farmsteads there. Preserved timber houses also provide an insight into folk architecture. A class III road runs across the village square in a north–south direction, while a class II road runs outside the built-up area.

The Church of Saint John the Baptist is protected as an immovable cultural monument under catalogue number 1009153539; the protection has been in force since 2 January 2006. The present church stands on the foundations of a wooden church from the second half of the 14th century. Its history of furnishings includes a bell cast in 1606, which is among the oldest bells in the region. A statue of Saint John the Baptist from 1902 also stands in the village square.

Monuments in the Open Air

A distinctive tree in the village square is the Liberty Linden. It was planted on 14 May 1919 behind the statue of Saint John the Baptist. Its trunk circumference is 419 centimetres and its height is approximately 23 metres. Residents meet at the linden during the traditional event “Setkání pod lipou”. The tree is therefore part not only of the visible history of the village, but also of a long-standing local event.

A protected common ash stands in the northern part of the built-up area. The Svatojanský Újezd ash was designated as protected by the municipal administration of Lázně Bělohrad in 2004. Southwest of the built-up area, the 314-metre-high Újezdský kopec dominates the landscape. The highest areas of Svatojanský Újezd offer significant views of the village and the surrounding landscape.

Trails and Historical Traces

The marked “Cesta Karla Jaromíra Erbena” hiking trail passes through Svatojanský Újezd. Existing field and forest paths also connect the built-up area with the natural surroundings of Svatojanský Újezd.

The surrounding area also bears names with a medieval background. At the site of today’s “Okrouhlík” farmstead stood the medieval village of “Okrouhlice”, which was also known as “Okrouhlé”; it is mentioned for the years 1392 and 1603. At the location called “Bačálky” above the “Okrouhlík” farmstead stood a medieval fortress named “Okrouhlík”, built before 1592 and mentioned in 1606. The Stanislav-Rudolf Library provides free publicly accessible internet, thereby supplementing the local orientation options.

Other Places for Your Search

For further options, you can also consider Ubislavice, Bašnice, Valdice, Ostroměř, Sekeřice, Nova Paka, Třtěnice and Vidochov.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Jičín.