In Žiželice, early local history, a local history museum and buildings along the Cidlina come together. The town lies by the river in a flat, gently rolling landscape. Cycling is another option to consider when planning a trip: Cycle Route 4199 forms part of a route connecting Žiželice with several other places.

Town Hall Museum and Local History

The Žiželice Museum is located on the ground floor of the historic town hall. The building was constructed by Martin Sobota, a master mason from Žiželice, after the town’s great fire in 1800. The town hall and museum thus link a specific building with the history of the town.

The permanent local history exhibition is devoted to the town’s history and makes a connection to Hradišťský hrad. The castle stood on a spur above the Cidlina in Hradišťko. The ethnographic exhibition also covers the heyday of crafts and guilds. The objects on display include guild banners, seals, journeymen’s and guild certificates, as well as facsimiles of guild books. Alongside the history of the castle and town, the exhibition therefore also focuses on crafts and their guilds.

Early Records and Surviving Buildings

The earliest written record of the Žiželice area dates to 1052. At that time, there was already a wooden church and a market centre serving the wider surrounding area. A later phase of construction is associated with the stone church: it was built in its original dimensions in 1437, and a substantial part of its masonry has survived to this day. These dates provide different points of reference for the town’s history, from the earliest written record to a still-visible part of a historic building.

The Bridge over the Cidlina

The road bridge over the Cidlina is another specific example of Žiželice’s architectural history. The reinforced-concrete structure dates from 1923 and consists of two reinforced-concrete girder spans. The bridge is 40.9 metres long overall. The church and bridge offer different architectural points of reference: for the church, the original dimensions and surviving masonry are recorded; for the bridge, its construction, year of construction and length.

River Landscape and Bird Protection Area

The Žehuňský rybník–Obora Kněžičky Bird Protection Area includes extensive reed beds and wet meadows around Žehuňský rybník, an area in Žehuňská obora consisting mainly of oak-hornbeam forest, and the small Kopičácký rybník. Žehuňský rybník was created on the Cidlina in 1492; Žehuňská obora was established in 1840. The bird protection area also extends into the Zbraň district of Žiželice and, to the southwest, into intensively farmed agricultural land. Alongside the river and local history, the area is thus connected with a variety of landscape features.

Cycling Route and Getting There

Cycle Route 4199 forms part of a cycling route from Nymburk via Poděbrady, Libice nad Cidlinou, Žehuň and Žiželice to Chlumec nad Cidlinou. If you include the route in your plans, check local route conditions before setting off. For those travelling by car, another point of reference is that Žiželice is directly connected to the D11 motorway and the adjoining network of class II and III roads.

These varied interests offer a practical starting point for finding hotels for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Býchory, Starý Kolín, Horní Kruty, Kšely, Tatce, Klučov, Jestřabí Lhota, Vitice.

For the wider travel overview: Okres Kolín.