Discover Bílá: History and Cycling Route

Bílá brings together several cultural and historical perspectives with a regional cycling route. On the village square stands a wooden house dating from 1833; a former manor farm is mentioned as early as 1567 and is associated with a novel by Karolina Světlá. A Baroque chapel stands north of Bílá. This gives you a choice between historical architectural and literary connections and a cycling-focused stay.

Architectural history in Letařovice

The Church of St. James in Letařovice is documented as early as 1363. It retains wooden coffered ceilings, as well as traces of medieval wall paintings. The ceiling panels give the architecture a clearly structured appearance; the paintings preserve traces of another historical layer of decoration. In this way, written records and surviving architectural features come together. For those interested in culture, this interplay between documented history and details of the interior is an especially appealing way to explore the site. The 2025 program for the Pouť mezi dvěma Jány festival in Letařovice mentions a traditional Corpus Christi procession.

A house on the village square and the history of the manor farm

A wooden house dating from 1833 stands on the village square in Bílá. A former manor farm in Bílá is mentioned in the 1567 urbarium of the Český Dub estate. The writer Karolina Světlá set the story of her novel Nemodlenec in this very manor farm. These three references offer different ways to explore the site: architectural history, a historical mention, and literature. Those interested in local and literary history can look at a dated house, an entry in the urbarium, and a specific literary connection.

Baroque chapel north of Bílá

A Baroque chapel, originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, stands north of Bílá. It was built in 1773 and renovated in 1881. The chapel is located on the road from Český Dub to Petrašovice. The dates for the Church of St. James in Letařovice are given differently: the church is documented in a record from 1363, while the chapel has two dates for its construction and subsequent renovation. This distinction helps clarify the historical information about the two religious buildings.

Cycling route 3049 as an active option

Regional cycling route No. 3049 Trávníček–Pěnčín–M. Rohozec connects Bílá to Proseč pod Ještědem to the north and to Vlastibořice near Sychrov to the south. These places provide specific reference points for both directions. If cycling is your main focus, you can first decide whether the northern or southern connection better suits your plans. Before setting out, check the route signage again independently.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Janovice V Podještědí, Lažany, Čtveřín, Janův Důl, Lázně Libverda, Cesky Dub, Dětřichov, Vrtky.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Liberec.