Skalsko: St. Havel Church, hillfort history and cycling routes

Two distinct aspects of Skalsko’s local history stand side by side: the Church of St. Havel on a raised mound in the town centre and the rocky spur of Zadní Hrádek in the northeast. In addition, cycling routes No. 143 and No. 8159 take in different valleys and places. When planning your trip, you can consider architectural history, the archaeological history of the area and cycling as distinct points of interest.

Church of St. Havel: Baroque architecture and earlier building history

The Church of St. Havel stands on a raised mound in the centre of Skalsko. It is a single-nave Baroque building dating from 1733–1734, created by remodelling an older Gothic church.

The building has a rectangular nave, a recessed semicircular presbytery, a chapel and a sacristy. “Single-nave” means that the church has one main nave; the nave is its elongated main section, while the presbytery is the chancel area. The entire church complex also includes a perimeter wall, an entrance gate, a bell tower and the grounds of the former cemetery. This allows you to distinguish the church building from the larger complex and its additional features.

Zadní Hrádek and local history

A Slavic hillfort stood on the rocky spur of Zadní Hrádek in the northeastern part of Skalsko. At the same time, nearby Zadní Hrádek is a natural monument. One historical interpretation links Skalsko with the vanished settlement of Skály; this settlement probably belonged to a possible Slavic hillfort called Skála near Zadní Hrádek.

The historical topics highlight different aspects: St. Havel represents the remodelling of an older Gothic church into a Baroque building. At Zadní Hrádek, the focus is on the former hillfort; the link between Skalsko and the vanished settlement of Skály is part of a cautiously worded historical interpretation. This lets you treat architectural history and the archaeological history of the area as distinct interests during your stay.

Cycling routes through different landscapes

Cycling route No. 143 passes through the Skalsko area in the valley of the Strenický potok and connects Kokořínsko with Pojizeří. Heading towards Strenice, it continues via Skalsko to Lobeč Castle. If you include this route in your plans, check the current route and signage beforehand, as trail conditions and markings may change.

The marked cycling route No. 8159 passes through Boreč and Malé Všelisy and into the valley of the Košátecký potok. The two routes have different emphases: No. 143 highlights the connection between Kokořínsko and Pojizeří and the onward route to Lobeč Castle; No. 8159 can be identified by the two named places and its connection to the valley. This lets you decide whether the regional connection or the specific sequence of places is the better guide for your plans.

Discover more destinations: Horní Bukovina, Kosořice, Košátky, Krnsko, Vrátno, Chudíř, Skokovy, Bakov Nad Jizerou

For the broader travel overview: Okres Mladá Boleslav.