Podzvičinsko

In terms of size, the region around Dvůr Králové nad Labem and Hořice is not one of the Czech Republic’s more notable parts. However, it surpasses many regions in terms of attractiveness and diversity. This is made evident by the number of travellers who come to admire its picturesque countryside nooks and numerous historical and tourist attractions. There probably isn’t a Czech who has never even heard of the unique safari in Dvůr Králové, or who has never tasted a delicious “Hořice tube” (Hořická trubička). The region, which also enchanted writer Karel Václav Rais and is the birthplace of poet Karel Jaromír Erben, also offers much more.

The region’s landscape weds elements of the Krkonoše Uplands with those of Bohemian Paradise. The highest mountain is Zvičina (671 metres), from which you can see almost all of Krkonoše on a clear day. The Rais Chalet, named after the famous writer and Podzvičínsko enthusiast, stands at the top of the mountain. The region’s multifaceted essence makes it a unique landscape full of forests, pleasant valleys and well-preserved rustic structures.

The entire area is known for its unusually eventful geological past, which, together with individual natural monuments, you can get to know quite well by visiting the Klenotnice Museum in Nová Paka. Rich deposits of sandstone contributed to local traditions of sculpting and stone-cutting, which you can admire in a number of places, including the Kuks Chateau, which houses a collection of Baroque sculptures created by Matyáš Braun, and naturally in Hořice, which certainly did not get its nickname “The Town of Stone Beauty” by chance.

Today the Podzvičínsko region is interlaced with hiking trails and bike paths. Tourists head for places where the giants of Czech and European history resided – to Pecka Castle, which belonged to Kryštof Harant, to Ostroměř, where writer Edward Štorch was born, or Bílé Třemešné, where the Teacher of Nations John Amos Comenius (Jan Ámos Komenský in Czech) stayed before going into exile.

Hiking

The varied landscape of Podzvičínsko is connected to the Polab Plains, the Podkrkonoše Uplands and Bohemian Paradise. This is also why this region is a popular tourist destination. Many of the area’s tourist attractions can be found along its well-marked paths. Several trails run from Lázně Bělohrad, leading to, for instance, Miletín, through Byšičky and Červená Třemešna to Dvůr Králové. Other trails go through or run out of Hořice, leading to Ostroměř through Holovousy, or to Dvůr Králové nad Labem through Velký Vřešťov and Dubenec and past Kuks Castle.

Cycling

The district has several clearly marked bike paths. Several paths also start in the village of Miletín and will lead you through such places as Vidin and Kaly to Pecka Castle or to Hořice. There is also a very interesting trail that runs out of the village of Debrná, through Dvůr Králové nad Labem, all the way to Kuks Castle. In total, the Podzvičinsko region has 234 km of marked bike paths.