Chroustovice combines a distinctive riverside setting with a baroque garden landscape and a number of historic landmarks. The castle complex stands on both banks of the Novohradka. In the formal garden, lime tree avenues line the monumental canal of the Novohradka. The castle itself is not normally open to the public. Before travelling, check whether special access is available.
Castle Garden and River Landscape
The castle garden is the centrepiece of a baroque-designed landscape and part of a unique historic green space from the late Baroque period. Its design was influenced by André Le Nôtre and is strongly illusionistic. The lime tree avenues and canal give the garden clear lines; its illusionistic design shapes the wider concept. Visitors interested in garden art can take in both its distinctive features and the overall composition.
The stretch of the Novohradka River that passes through Chroustovice also has its own distinctive landscape character. Its natural riverbed features meanders, sand and gravel banks, pools and remnants of floodplain vegetation. These features reveal a different side of the landscape from the formally designed garden: here, the scene is shaped by changing river forms and bankside areas. When choosing a theme for your stay, you can therefore choose between baroque garden art and a natural river landscape.
Church and Monuments in the Town
The present-day Church of St James the Greater was built in 1744, after the earlier church had been demolished. The church has a pewter baptismal font dated 1510. The two dates represent different historical periods: the font is considerably older than the present church building and adds a specific example of church furnishings to its history.
In the square’s small park, to the left of the church, stands a column topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary, dating from 1804. At the lower end of the square, in front of the municipal office, is an iron cross with a figure of Christ, erected in 1836. Their forms and dates distinguish the two landmarks, while the descriptions also place them in two different parts of the square.
A statue of the Holy Trinity stands on the road to Luže. It was created in 1891 by local sculptor Dušánek, based on a model from the sculpture school in Hořice. The monument thus combines a local attribution with a connection to a model from that sculpture school.
A stone statue of St John of Nepomuk, dating from 1729, stands between four mature lime trees on the road via Březovice to Chrudim. Its date, material and four trees make it easy to distinguish from the 19th-century statue of the Holy Trinity.
The signpost in Chroustovice also stands out for its combination of materials: it is made of local sandstone and has an inset ceramic element. It stands on the left at the junction for Městec and Uhersko, at the edge of a large lawn belonging to the local school. The junction and materials are useful landmarks for distinguishing this signpost from the figurative monuments in the town.
Discover more destinations: Rabštejnská Lhota, Rostejn, Úhřetice, Dvakačovice, Prosetín, Jeníkov, Křižanovice, Dolní Bezděkov.
Return to the main travel overview: Chrudim District.
