Smidary Castle stands on the right bank of the Cidlina. A water fortress originally stood on its grounds, documented together with a manor farm in 1413. The masonry-built castle replaced the old fortress between 1810 and 1813. This combination of a riverside setting and an older fortification offers a tangible way to explore Smidary’s history.
Baroque Church and Column
The Church of Saint Stanislav adds a sacred architectural and artistic perspective. It is a late Baroque church dating from around 1749; its ceiling paintings, from 1750, were created by J. KramolĂn. The MariánskĂ˝ sloup ensemble in Smidary is a Baroque column dating from 1718. The dates 1718, around 1749, and 1750 mark different points of reference: the column, the church building, and its painted decoration. This lets you distinguish the architectural and artistic features chronologically, rather than treating them as belonging to a single period. For travelers interested in art, the particular appeal lies in comparing these forms and dates.
Archaeological Traces of the Fortification
In Smidary’s archaeological core, a circular moat remains from the former fortification; it is most visible on the western side of the site. T-shaped cellars have also been preserved beneath the northwestern part of the fortification. This makes it possible to distinguish two different structural traces: the moat, most visible on the western side, and the rooms beneath part of the complex. These archaeological features add another perspective on the fortification structure to the history of the later castle.
The Cidlina as a Landscape Feature
The Cidlina connects different features of Smidary. The protected area in the center includes the last remaining section of the river’s meandering course. Alongside the castle’s location on the right bank, this provides a distinct landscape feature in the center of the town. If you consider cultural and natural themes together, you can compare these two aspects of the Cidlina: the connection to the castle on the one hand, and the preserved winding course on the other. This offers a concrete point of comparison for your own travel interests, without combining the historic buildings and the landscape into a single theme.
Planning by Train and Bicycle
There are also specific options to consider when planning how to get around. Railway line 040 between Chlumec nad Cidlinou and Nová Paka has a local station in Smidary. If you plan to arrive by train, check the line’s timetable before your trip. Cycle route 4284 runs through Smidary and is a specific reference point for planning a cycling trip. The train and bicycle offer different points of reference: a numbered railway line with a local station on the one hand, and a cycle route that passes through the town on the other.
Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests
If you are considering Smidary as a place to stay, you can base your holiday apartment search on two decisions: Which themes would you like to focus on—castle and local history, sacred art, archaeological traces, or the Cidlina as a landscape feature? And do you plan to travel mainly by train or bicycle? Line 040 and its local station, along with cycle route 4284, offer different planning options.
Discover more destinations: Kosice, Libčany, Převýšov, Hvozdnice, Praskačka, Lužec Nad Cidlinou, Roudnice, Radostov.
For the regional travel overview: Okres Hradec Králové.
