Discover Rychnovek: Nature, Railways and the Kladská Trail

Rychnovek combines natural monuments, historic routes, rail connections and small cultural landmarks into a destination with many different points of interest. The first documentary mention dates back to 1497. Today, you can get to know the town through its landscape as well as its transport history, sports facilities and local districts.

Landscape between Stará Metuje and the Úpa

One distinctive natural feature is Stará Metuje. It is a protected natural monument located in the cadastral area of Rychnovek. More than ten dragonfly species live in its former riverbed. This particular feature also makes the watercourse interesting for visitors looking for smaller nature observations and characteristic landscape elements during their stay.

The Úpa flows north of Rychnovek. In addition, Zvolská stráň in Rychnovek is designated as a significant registered landscape element.

Arriving by train and getting your bearings

Rychnovek railway station is located on the Jaroměř–Trutnov line and is the first stop from Jaroměř. The railway stop is situated in the centre of the municipality. Rychnovek therefore has a clearly defined arrival point that also helps with orientation in the town. For visitors who want to choose their accommodation based on access to rail services and central starting points, this location is an important part of the town’s profile.

The Church of Saint Justus in Zvole is about 500 metres from the Rychnovek railway stop.

Sports, summer and cycling connections

The SK Rychnovek sports complex is open mainly during the summer months to residents and visitors to the municipality. It has three clay tennis courts as well as a multi-purpose court for volleyball and nohejbal. All sports facilities can be reserved. The complex also offers seating and refreshments, including during a cycling trip. In addition to the individual sports areas, this provides a specific stopping point for an active stay.

Cyclists also encounter the Kladská Trail in Rychnovek. The project includes a connection from Jaroměř to Rychnovek with a link to the Elbe Trail. The first construction phase of the cycle path to Jaroměř was fully completed and successfully approved on 13 February. The historic Kladská Trail led from Jaroměř via Zvole and Doubravice between the Úpa and today’s railway line, connecting Bohemia and Silesia.

Zvole and history along the route

In Zvole, a district of Rychnovek, the Church of Saint Justus stands on the site of a former feudal fortress. A catalpa protected as a natural monument grows in the square in front of the church. The site thus brings together a religious building, a historic location and a protected natural feature in a compact area.

Further evidence of the local history is spread throughout Rychnovek and Zvole. In Malá Strana there is a Baroque stone cross with a small bell tower. A chapel of the Virgin Mary is located at Na Vokolku. In Zvole, a monument erected in 1926 commemorates the soldiers who fell in the First World War. There is also a stone cross dating from 1861 depicting the tortured Redeemer. Those interested in smaller historical markers away from major sights will find several independent destinations here, each with its own history.

Rychnovek as a starting point for your search

Rychnovek is particularly suitable as a destination when you want to combine different interests: natural monuments and dragonfly species at Stará Metuje, rail and cycling connections, reservable sports facilities, or cultural landmarks in Zvole and the other local districts. The historical records range from the first mention in 1497 to the monuments of the 19th and 20th centuries. This means that accommodation in Rychnovek can be chosen not only based on where you want to stay overnight, but also on the preferred mix of landscape, activity and local history.

If you would like to expand your search to other destinations, you can also find Červená Hora, Bezděkov Nad Metují, Nahořany Nad Metují, Suchý Důl, Šonov, Velký Třebešov, Vestec U Hořiček and Bohuslavice Nad Metují.

For the broader travel overview: Náchod District.