An organ dating from 1829, a botanical route linking eleven sites and a bicycle museum tracing the development of cycling offer different thematic ways to explore Zirec. To help plan your trip, start with a simple distinction: are you more interested in music history, plant diversity or the history of the bicycle? The themes range from a historic instrument to botanical sites and the history of cycling over time. This lets you choose a focus for your stay rather than treating the individual themes as a fixed itinerary.

An organ with a special history

The Church of St. Anne houses an organ built in 1829 by Johann Antonín Barth of Dolní Olešnice. It is the only surviving organ by this maker that is still playable in concert. Two distinct features help put it in context: its construction date places the instrument in time, while its state of preservation makes it stand out among Barth’s organs. A visit therefore offers a clearly defined subject in music history.

You can visit the church with an audio guide or as part of a guided tour. Since visitor arrangements may change, check the visiting options before your trip.

Botany: route, park and herb garden

Via botanica begins at the Bylinkárium in the Areál sv. Josefa and connects eleven botanically exceptional sites. Its starting point is clearly identified, while the route draws attention to several botanical locations. If you would like to make plants the focus of your trip, you can choose between visiting a network of sites and a single park.

The park in the Areál sv. Josefa is open to everyone year-round. There you can see coniferous and deciduous trees from Asia, as well as North and South America. Unlike Via botanica, the focus here is on these groups of trees and their regions of origin: both conifers and deciduous trees are represented, and the regions named include Asia, North America and South America.

The herb garden in the Areál Žireč is another place to explore plants. Medicinal plants, perennials, ornamental plants and fruit plants are offered for sale there. The selection thus includes a variety of plant groups, from medicinal plants and perennials to ornamental and fruit plants. Unlike the botanical route, this is not only about an interest in plants but also about a specific range of products for sale.

Cycling history and the Kuks cycle path

The Cyklomuzeum in Žireč is the largest bicycle museum in the Czech Republic. It documents the development of cycling from its beginnings to the present day. This broad time span is an important distinction: the museum covers the development of cycling over an extended period, rather than focusing on a single era.

There is also a specific option for a bike ride: a usable cycle path leads from Kuks to Žireč. If you plan to use this connection, check its condition locally before setting off, as infrastructure status may change. The museum and the cycle path serve different interests: the former focuses on cycling history, while the latter connects Kuks and Žireč.

Discover more destinations: Zdobín, Debrne, Horní Kalná, Staré Buky, Kralovec, Dolni Dvur, Javorník, Trautnau.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Trutnov.