In Běchary, a church with a complex building history, monuments in the village centre and archaeological evidence of long-term settlement come together. The village connects different layers of cultural history: architecture, memorials, local traditions and its place in the landscape. For visitors interested in local history, these themes offer different perspectives—from church architecture to archaeological traces.

Church of St Adalbert and its building phases

The Church of St Adalbert stands in the centre of Běchary, on the road to Kopidlno, and is surrounded by a cemetery. The originally Gothic church was probably built in the 14th century. After a fire in 1692, it was remodelled in the Baroque style in 1708. Its form is clearly defined: the building has a single nave and a rectangular plan, the presbytery ends in a polygon, and the prismatic tower has three storeys. The Gothic origins and Baroque remodelling point to different building phases; at the same time, the architecture gives the building a distinctive character today.

Monuments in the village centre

A sandstone statue of St Wenceslas stands in a landscaped park on the village square. The municipality commissioned it in 1883; it was created by the sculptor Antoním Myslivec from Hořice. Near the statue of St Wenceslas, a stone pillar bearing a statue of St Francis of Assisi stands in the park. This sculpture is made of light-coloured, soft sandstone. The year 1775 is inscribed on its plinth. Different details stand out in the two statues: the commissioner and sculptor of the St Wenceslas statue are recorded, while the material and inscription on the plinth are notable features of the St Francis statue.

Below the church, a monument to those who fell in the First World War stands in a small park. It was ceremonially unveiled on 18 May 1922. Together with the statues on the village square, it adds another element to Běchary’s culture of remembrance.

From settlement to written mention

Běchary and its surroundings have been intensively settled since the Neolithic period. Bronze temple rings from a mass grave in Běchary date the grave to the 9th century. The oldest surviving written mention of the village is connected with a manorial roll of the Diocese of Prague. A later analysis dates the creation of this roll to 1283–1284. Archaeological evidence and written records thus offer different insights into the village’s past: the temple rings relate to a grave, while the roll relates to the written mention of Běchary.

Stream, landscape and getting here

The Stříble stream flows through Běchary and is a left-bank tributary of the Mrlina. Běchary also lies at the boundary of the geomorphological regions of Jičínská pahorkatina, Středolabská tabule and Východolabská tabule. The watercourse describes the village’s immediate setting; the three regions place Běchary within a broader geomorphological context.

Běchary has a bus stop served by the IREDO transport system in fare zone 561. If you are planning to travel by bus, check the connections that match your travel dates. This lets you compare this specific travel information with your own plans without assuming any particular connection.

Local cultural traditions

Performances by Běchary’s amateur theatre group also draw on local history: they explore historical figures from Běchary, Kopidlno and the surrounding area. The Běcharáci association also keeps the tradition of the carnival procession in Běchary alive. Alongside the stone memorials, theatrical performances and festive traditions offer further points of interest in the village. If you would like to plan your trip around a performance or the carnival procession, check the dates in advance.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Rokytňany, Prachov, Žlunice, Rohoznice, Libošovice, Miletin, Staré Místo, Nevratice.

Go to the main travel overview: Jičín District.