Starý Bydžov

Starý Bydžov offers several distinct points of interest for a stay: the centrally located Kostel sv. Prokopa church, the memorial to Jan Malát on the village square, an archaeological hoard and a remarkable ash tree. If you are looking for a hotel in Starý Bydžov, you can choose the destination based on whether architectural and local history, archaeological finds, nature or a cycling route should shape your stay. The church is in the centre of the village, while the ash tree is in the southeast. This distinction will help you locate the two points.

Church and local history

Kostel sv. Prokopa church was originally a Romanesque building dating from around 1200. The church also preserves eight gravestones from the 16th century. This brings together two historical periods: the building’s origins and the later gravestones. The Romanesque classification refers to the original building; the gravestones add another specific connection to the history of Starý Bydžov.

The church stands in the centre of Starý Bydžov, at a crossroads leading towards Stará Skřeněř, Nový Bydžov, Hlušice and Křičov. These directions locate the church within the village and provide a spatial reference to the surrounding places. For orientation, its central location is distinct from the ash tree’s location in the southeast. This makes it possible to distinguish between the two points by their location alone, without assuming they are part of a shared route.

Jan Malát and the hoard

Jan Malát was born in Starý Bydžov on 16 June 1843. A memorial to him stands on the village square, consisting of three sandstone blocks and a commemorative plaque. His birthplace and the memorial connect a specific biographical detail with a visible landmark in the village. This topic focuses on one individual, while the church connects its original construction with the surviving gravestones.

The hoard of Starý Bydžov is another archaeological point of interest. It was discovered in 1893 during drainage work in the northwestern part of the cadastral area. The find belongs to the Únětice culture and comprises eight disc-shaped earrings. It is considered the largest assemblage of this jewellery found in the Czech Republic. The drainage work provides a specific context for the discovery, while the number and shape of the earrings describe the assemblage. Prehistory thus adds a different perspective to local history than the church and the memorial.

Ash tree and cycle route

As a natural attraction, the ash tree Jasan u Starého Bydžova stands out. It grows in the southeast of Starý Bydžov, to the left of the road to Nový Bydžov, and has a trunk circumference of 660 centimetres. It is described as one of the five largest ash trees in the Czech Republic. Its location and circumference provide specific points of reference: the ash tree is in the southeast of the village, while the church is in the centre.

Cycle route 144 passes through Starý Bydžov, adding a named cycling route to the description of the village. In terms of choosing a destination by theme, there is a clear distinction: the church, memorial and hoard focus on cultural history, while the ash tree offers a single nature-related attraction. The cycle route adds a cycling connection through the village.

Discover more destinations: Lochenice, Písek, Ledce, Neděliště, Blešno, Petrovice U Nového Bydzova, Dohalice, Lodín.

See the overview of the wider area: Okres Hradec Králové.