Cerhonice – Literary Heritage, Cultural History and Cycling Routes

If you are considering Cerhonice as a destination for a hotel stay, you will encounter mainly literary and architectural history. There are also memorial sites and two named cycling routes. These themes can help you plan a stay focused on cultural history and cycling.

Literature and Memorial Sites

The writer Ladislav Stroupežnický was born in Cerhonice on 6 January 1850. His play “Naši furianti” is set in his hometown of Cerhonice. Both connect the town with the author, but in different ways: his date of birth is part of his biography, while Cerhonice is also the setting of the play. If you are interested in literature, you can distinguish between his life story and the connection to his work.

A regional legend is also connected with literature. Alois Jirásek popularized it in his story “Ballada z rokoka”. The legend is sometimes mistakenly located in Boudy. This note helps place the story in context; it does not identify an additional stop in Cerhonice.

A distinct memorial landscape is formed by the Red Cross in the forests of Vráž and three identical chapels built in a regular triangle around Cerhonice. Together, they serve as a lasting reminder of a bloody event. The description thus covers several memorial sites: the Red Cross in the forests of Vráž and the chapels around Cerhonice. Until the First World War, a penitential procession also took place every year on the first Sunday in June, from Cerhonice to the Red Cross.

The Manor Farm, Castle and Chapel

Until the end of the 15th century, the Cerhonice manor farm was the estate’s only farm. It also served as the administrative centre for the area on the left bank of the Vltava. These two details show its importance both within the estate and in administering a larger area. The farm saw its greatest development after the middle of the 16th century, including the expansion of fish farming. Thus, its earlier status as a single farm and the area’s later development belong to different historical contexts.

The castle complex was created by converting an older fortress and is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Its origins therefore link an earlier fortification with the later castle complex. Both the history of the manor farm and the castle’s architectural history are relevant to understanding Cerhonice’s cultural history.

The Chapel of St Lawrence, including its altar, has been restored and consecrated; services are once again held there. If you plan to attend a service, check the date in advance.

Cycling around Cerhonice

Cycle Route 31 passes through Cerhonice. The Alšova stezka can be cycled as a route from Ostrovec via Cerhonice to Mirotice. The descriptions therefore differ: for Cycle Route 31, the route through the town is specified, while the Alšova stezka also lists a sequence of starting point and destination. If you would like to include Cerhonice in your trip by bike, you can use these route descriptions as different points of reference. For specific planning, it is advisable to check the latest route information.

Discover more destinations: Nerestce, Vráž, Drhovle, Radvánov, Okrouhlá, Králova Lhota, Smetanova Lhota, Kestřany.

For the broader travel overview: Písek District.