Hradčany: Nature and Historic Earthworks

Hradčany combines a protected hillside area and a bird sanctuary with preserved earthworks and a restored monument. Its highlights range from the landscape of the Žehuňsko–Báň natural monument to medieval sites near Stará Báň and Zámeček. If you are choosing a hotel in Hradčany, the area offers specific nature and cultural highlights rather than just a list of attractions.

Natural Landscape and Bird Area

The Žehuňsko–Báň natural monument is located in Hradčany and covers 10.58 hectares at an elevation of 240 to 270 metres. The south-facing slope has been protected since 29 December 1972. The area includes a former orchard and a former pasture. Today, the protected area is characterised by, among other features, partly shrub-covered forest-steppe, a white slope with exposed bedrock, and young forests of downy oak.

Different habitats also meet across the wider Žehuňsko area: forests on plateaus, steep white slopes with thermophilous oak forests, and wetland habitats around ponds. Notable plants in the well-preserved thermophilous oak forests include the purple orchid, dittany, blue gromwell, Micheli's sedge and white helleborine. Plant visibility varies depending on the season.

The Žehuňský rybník–Obora Kněžičky bird sanctuary also includes the cadastral area of Hradčany u Žehuně. For the period from 1996 to 2002, it was significant as a breeding area for 131 bird species; it is also a migration area for waterbirds and birds of prey. The slope of the natural monument offers views of the landscape of the middle Elbe region. The landscape, plants and bird area each offer a different reason to explore the nature around Hradčany.

Cycling Route and Historic Sites

A class III cycling route passes through Hradčany u Žehuně and continues via Dlouhopolsko, Opočnice, Běrunice, Městec Králové and Činěves. For navigation by bike, the sequence of places is the main point of reference.

Hradčany is also home to a restored monument to those who fell in the First World War. Made of yellow sandstone, it features a figurative relief. Stará Báň adds a much older historical connection: its preserved earthwork is part of a medieval fortification dating from around the 14th century and associated with the local landed gentry. Its existence is documented in 1497; in 1550, the site was described as abandoned.

A horseshoe-shaped summit platform measuring approximately 26 × 19 metres survives at the Stará Báň site. A prominent ditch protects it on three sides. An outer rampart along the south and east sides completes the fortification and reaches a height of up to three metres. The platform, ditch and rampart illustrate different aspects of the earthwork: its shape, its boundaries and the surviving height of the outer fortification.

Another earthwork lies on the hill of Zámeček. The well-preserved conical mound is surrounded by a circular ditch and is located near a former forester's lodge. The Zámeček archaeological site also documents the remains of a vanished medieval castle complex and the lost village of Mastnice. This makes it possible to distinguish between the visible shape of the mound and the historical record of the former castle and village site.

Accommodation in Hradčany

One specific accommodation option is the UŽ6 bunker. Reservations are required, and it has sleeping capacity for three people. The bunker is accessible by private car, and up to four cars can park on the grounds. Check current availability and operating conditions before booking, as both may change.

The cycling route adds a specifically named itinerary through Hradčany u Žehuně and several other places.

Discover more destinations: Běrunice, Třebestovice, Senice, Opočnice, Jizbice, Úmyslovice, Sany, Činěves.

For the regional travel overview: Okres Nymburk.