Discover Žandov: Cultural Heritage on the Ploučnice

Žandov lies in the Ploučnice Valley and combines distinctive cultural landmarks with paths through a protected landscape. The area encompasses Zones I to IV of the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area. This creates different focal points for planning your trip: in the town, the well, column, church and historic house details take centre stage, while the surrounding area offers its own experiences with a nature trail and a longer hiking stage.

Stone Landmarks and Historic Details

The stone town well of Žandov replaced an earlier wooden well in 1853, was restored in 1997 and bears the town coat of arms and the year 1853. The well is a national cultural monument. Another striking feature is the sandstone column with a statue of Saint Sebastian. Without the statue temporarily kept in the church, it is approximately 6 m high. The column bears a German inscription in capital letters dated 1717.

The Church of Saint Bartholomew is also one of the clearly documented cultural landmarks: it is registered as an immovable cultural monument under registration number 18625 / 5-3460. Historic local details can also be found at the Koruna House. Its main corridor was formerly a passage to the courtyard where horses were changed. After 1918, the inn in the Koruna House was renamed from “U císaře rakouského” to “U Koruny”.

Hiking and Cycling with Two Different Profiles

Stage II of the Výroční stezka Češka – Slunečná – Žandov is a 14 km hiking route of moderate difficulty. It reaches Žandov via a blue-marked hiking trail through Radeč and along Dvorský kopec. For route planning, it is also important that, 1.5 km after Volfartice, the stage joins the paved cycle path No. 15 “Ploučnice, Varhany”. This means the route can be regarded as a hiking stage and at the same time connected with cycle path No. 15, without equating the two routes.

Nature Trail and Landscape in the Surrounding Area

The Okolím Karlovských rybníků za poznáním nature trail is located in the immediate vicinity of Žandov. It is a marked, easy 2-km circular route with seven stations and an intended visiting time of approximately one hour. Its manageable length and fixed number of stations give this excursion a distinctly different profile from the 14 km stage of the Výroční stezka.

The nature trail explores the history of the area as well as the lives of local aquatic and forest animals and plants. In this way, the circular route combines nature observation with regional history, while its classification within the České středohoří Protected Landscape Area makes Žandov’s broader landscape setting visible.

A Recurring Event in November

The Žandovská desítka is a recurring running event held in November; editions from 2014 to 2026 are listed for Žandov. The 2025 edition started at the Žandov swimming pool and followed a loop through the forest around the Karlovské rybníky.

More Places in the Travel Overview

If you would like to compare Žandov with other places, the same travel overview includes Dubá, Svor, Böhmisch Leipa, Okna, Žďár, Chlum U Dubé, Velký Valtinov and Ždírec V Podbezdězí.

To the overarching travel overview: Okres Česká Lípa.