Smiřice combines a distinctive history of castles with the landscape along the upper Elbe. When planning your trip, you can choose between different focal points: architectural history centred on the fortress, castle and chapel, or river and nature themes at Obora and Plivátky. A cycle route also leads into the castle park, offering another way to include the town in a tour.
Fortress, castle and chapel
The fortress of Smiřice was first mentioned in 1392. In the 16th century, it was remodelled in the Renaissance style and incorporated into the east wing of today’s castle. After 1661, Antonín Pankrác Galas had the fortress converted into an early Baroque castle; the outbuildings were completed in 1687. This sequence shows how the building changed over several centuries: from the fortress first mentioned in the Middle Ages, through the Renaissance, to the early Baroque castle.
The castle grounds also include a chapel of the European High Baroque. A government decree of the Czech Republic dated 16 August 1995 declared it a national cultural monument. The castle’s history and the chapel therefore form a shared cultural and historical focal point, while the building phases mentioned mark different stages of its development.
The castle park also adds to this picture of the town. It is considered a collection of dendrological exotics that are uncommon in local parks. The castle area therefore offers a landscape feature alongside its architectural history.
The Elbe and the historic landscape
Smiřice lies on the plain along the upper Elbe. In the past, the river split into at least three branches near Smiřice. Frequent floods carried sand, gravel and fertile reddish soil into the surrounding area. These details describe a landscape shaped over a long period by the river’s courses and floods.
The area was once marshy and included alluvial forests. Such forests were still present in the second half of the 19th century. The historic river landscape can thus be distinguished chronologically from the natural areas at Obora described today: the former refers to historic landscape features, while the latter is a reclaimed site with habitats.
Obora Biocentre and the Plivátky nature trail
The Obora Biocentre lies east of Smiřice on the reclaimed site of a former gravel and sand pit. It is divided into an ecological zone and a recreational zone. A footbridge over the main body of water marks the boundary between the two areas. The habitats described include wetlands as well as habitats for heat-loving insect communities.
The Plivátky nature trail is a walking path between the Obora Biocentre and the Elbe. Its design symbolically imitates the course of a meandering river. The trail features an insect hotel, beetle castles (log piles), the “Ježek” element as a winter shelter for vertebrates, part of the “Vrbová Galerie” (Willow Gallery), two benches and a flower meadow. Individual installations may change; check the current condition of the trail and its stations before your visit.
A cycle route as another option
The 26-kilometre cycle route from Hradec Králové to Kuks leads into the castle park in Smiřice. It is classed as easy, is suitable for standard bicycles and can be ridden comfortably with a child trailer. This gives cyclists a specific option for including Smiřice in a longer route. As route conditions can change, it is a good idea to check the current route before setting out.
Those primarily interested in architectural history will find a clear focal point in the fortress, castle and chapel. Those more interested in the landscape can compare the former Elbe and alluvial landscape with the Obora habitats and the design of the trail at Plivátky. The cycle route adds an explicitly quantified touring option to this selection.
Discover more destinations: Myštěves, Radostov, Třebechovice Pod Orebem, Dolní Přím, Zdechovice, Písek, Hlušice, Vinary.
For the broader travel overview: Hradec Králové District.
