The Opatovický Canal is still operational today, while the Elbe has shaped the landscape with meanders, lakes and wetlands. Historic buildings and local traditions add to the picture. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, you can start by considering whether the history of engineering, the river landscape, architecture or a particular event date should shape your stay. Opatovice nad Labem offers specific points of interest for each of these themes.
Canal Construction and the Elbe Landscape
The man-made Opatovický Canal is 34.42 km long. The Pernštejns built it at the beginning of the 16th century; it once supplied a system of 230 fishponds. Today, the canal is still operational. Its construction period, length and former purpose give it several dimensions: it represents both the historic fishpond industry and an engineering structure that remains operational to this day.
The Elbe shaped Opatovice nad Labem through its shifting river courses, meanders, lakes, pools, wetlands and alluvial deposits. An almost untouched strip of nature along the Elbe also includes the protected Hrozná Nature Area. Both the man-made canal and the landscape shaped by the river are therefore part of the townscape. Visitors interested in nature and landscapes will find a different theme here than at the churches and technical monuments.
Monastery History and Notable Buildings
The former Benedictine monastery stood in the northeastern part of Opatovice nad Labem. After being destroyed by the Hussites, it was lost in 1421. Morávkův Water Mill is a technical monument in the immediate vicinity of the former monastery site. The history of the lost monastery and that of a technical monument thus meet in this place.
Architecture takes centre stage at St. Lawrence Church. It is an exceptionally valuable Gothic village church complex with a significant Baroque building phase. One of its unusual features is the tower, with a crenellated battlement and a masonry spire. Its Gothic and Baroque architectural history, along with the distinctive shape of its tower, makes the church a subject of its own within the local architectural history.
A bell tower next to the Zatáčka restaurant belongs to the Československá husitská Church. Mass is celebrated at St. Lawrence Church every Sunday at 8 a.m. As service times may change, check the time before your visit.
Routes and Local Traditions
Marked hiking and cycling routes pass through Opatovice nad Labem. This means that both hiking and cycling are possible activities in the town. Route infrastructure may change, so check the local markings before planning your specific route.
A regular date in the events calendar is the Pohřebačský Jarmark in Pohřebačka, a district of Opatovice nad Labem. This traditional folk crafts fair takes place every year on 28 September, St. Wenceslas Day. If you would like to plan your trip around this date, check that year's programme before travelling.
The Tour de Opatovice nad Labem is also one of the traditional local events: it is a ride on historic bicycles. Unlike the fair, which has a specific date, no date is given here for this ride; it is therefore of interest primarily as part of the events theme, rather than as a firmly scheduled travel date. Together, the two traditions illustrate different aspects of local life: folk crafts and historic bicycles.
Discover more destinations: Labské Chrčice, Trnavka, Býšť, Brloh, Spojil, Horní Ředice, Podůlšany, Kladruby Nad Labem
For the overview of the wider area: Okres Pardubice.
