Libun can be approached from three perspectives when planning your trip: the architectural history around St Martin’s Church and the rectory, the Libunecké rašeliniště natural monument in the cadastral area, and a hiking route that ends in Libun. You can tailor your stay to culture, nature or hiking.
Church and rectory in the town centre
The rectory, a Baroque building dating from the 18th century, stands in the town centre opposite St Martin’s Church. The church was built in the 14th century as a single-nave Gothic building and was given a Baroque makeover in 1771. Its history thus combines Gothic origins with a later Baroque transformation. “Single-nave” describes a church space with one nave; “given a Baroque makeover” refers to its later Baroque design.
The furnishings of St Martin’s Church also reflect distinct periods: inside is a statue of the Assumption of Mary from the mid-16th century. In front of the façade, by the enclosure wall, stands a Baroque statue of St John of Nepomuk dating from 1746. It rests on a three-tiered pedestal. The interior and exterior can therefore be viewed as distinct settings for religious art, while the dates span several centuries.
The rectory offers another cultural point of interest: it contains a memorial room dedicated to P. Ant. Marek and a small gallery featuring pictures and writings by F. Kaván. The memorial room and gallery complement the Baroque architecture with themes of remembrance and art.
Monuments and their historical context
The Jesuit Burnatius Column is a four-metre-high Baroque Tuscan sandstone column dating from 1689. It incorporates a chapel decorated with reliefs and commemorates the death of the missionary Matěj Burnatius in 1629. The construction date and the event it commemorates are sixty years apart; the two dates mark different points in its history.
At St Martin’s Church, too, the construction and later transformation represent different building phases: the Gothic church was built in the 14th century, and its Baroque makeover followed in 1771. For the column, by contrast, 1689 marks its creation, while 1629 is the date commemorated. This distinction helps place the dates of Libun’s monuments in their historical context without reducing them to a single period.
Wetland and hiking destination
The Libunecké rašeliniště natural monument extends into the cadastral area of Libun. It comprises wet meadows along the natural course of the Javorka, where protected plant and animal species occur. Alongside its architectural history, this provides a distinct landscape focus: wet meadows, the natural watercourse and protected species shape the description of this natural monument.
A hiking route that ends in Libun offers another reason to visit: “Pěšky z Rovenska přes horu Tábor” ends in the town. Its name identifies Rovensko and Mount Tábor as points along the route. This gives you a specific option when considering Libun as the endpoint of a named hike.
These varied interests can help guide your travel decisions without prescribing a particular itinerary for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Luzany U Jicína, Vysoké Veselí, Třebnouševes, Nevratice, Úhlejov, Butoves, Běchary, Žlunice
For the broader travel overview: Jičín District.
