Kostelec U Křížků brings together several historical landmarks and a specific route for arriving by road. The town’s history includes the Romanesque Rotunda of St. Martin, a Jewish cemetery, the district of Kalifáč, and a salt road between the Mediterranean and the Baltic. The pond and game reserve also tell of different uses of the landscape. When planning your visit, it helps to distinguish these features from one another and from their actual accessibility.
Cultural History Across Several Eras
The Romanesque Rotunda of St. Martin was built at the beginning of the 12th century and contains valuable frescoes. Settlement in Kostelec U Křížků dates back to the beginning of the first millennium. The building is therefore a medieval landmark within a settlement history that reaches back much further. Together, these details provide a timeline from the earliest settlement to a specific building.
A salt road connecting the Mediterranean with the Baltic also passed through Kostelec U Křížků. This route adds a regional dimension to the history of the settlement and its buildings. The local history can thus be viewed on different scales: a long history of settlement, the medieval rotunda, and a route between two widely separated seas.
Jewish Cemetery and Kalifáč
The Jewish cemetery lies in the northwestern part of Kostelec U Křížků and is an important historic monument. It covers 2,510 m², and the grounds contain around 100 old gravestones. The oldest legible gravestone dates from 1724. The cemetery served the Jewish communities in Michle and Kunratice. In contrast to the rotunda, the focus here is on the history of the Jewish community and a specific date on a gravestone, while the rotunda is distinguished by its Romanesque construction and frescoes.
Kalifáč is considered the municipality’s oldest district. In the early Middle Ages, it was a shelter for pilgrims; the area lies around the cultural center and a restaurant. This adds another historical landmark to the buildings and cemetery: a district whose early role was connected with welcoming pilgrims. Its location can be identified by the cultural center and a restaurant.
Landscape and Access
The Kostelecký rybník is in the southern part of the municipality and is currently used as a fish-farming pond. The Březka game reserve is different: it extends over several hectares within the cadastral area of Kostelec U Křížků and is not open to the public. It is currently managed by VÚLHM Jíloviště–Strnady; breeding herds of mouflon and fallow deer are kept there. The pond and reserve illustrate different uses of the landscape; the access restriction at the game reserve is especially important for your plans.
Road Access
The road route follows the D1 motorway and the exit near Velké Popovice, then continues via Štiřín. In Želivec, cross the old Benešov road; Kostelec U Křížků is another 2 km away. This distance refers to the stretch after Želivec. Road conditions and signs may change; check the route before setting off.
Discover more destinations: Sudovo Hlavno, Zdiby, Zapy, Panenské Břežany, Záryby, Nová Ves, Dubiny, Svojetice
For the broader travel overview: Okres Praha-Východ.
