Romance at Sychrov Castle
Route:
Svijanský Újezd * Pěnčín * Sychrov * Soběslavice * Svijanský Újezd
Route description:
From Svijanský Újezd, head east along route 3050 to Pěnčín, where you continue along route 3049 to Čtveřín. Turn left onto route 14, which will take you to Sychrov. For the return journey, take route 3044 to the intersection of cycle routes east of Vorklebice. Turn left and return to Svijanský Újezd via Soběslavice on route 3048.
Kamení
The house where Václav Laurin, pioneer of motorcycle and automobile production in Bohemia and co-founder of the automobile factory in Mladá Boleslav, was born on 27 September 1865.
Pěnčín
The name of the village first appeared in 1383. The village can be linked to the lords of Vartenberk, Valdštejn and the princes of Rohan. The golden lion in the village's coat of arms, with a red apple in the lower half, symbolises the tradition of fruit growing, which made the village famous far and wide. The well-known varieties Šampion, Rubín, Vanda and Bohemia were bred in Pěnčín and almost every year they are awarded the title ‘Apple of the Year’.
Svijanský Újezd
The first written mention of the village dates back to 1436, when Emperor Sigismund pledged Újezd to Bohuš of Kováň. The village got its name Svijanský Újezd in 1937. The village is dominated by a small church from 1868 in the pseudo-Gothic style. In front of it is a memorial to those who fell in 1914-1918. Svijanský Újezd is known primarily for its rich cultural and social life. The Svijanský Beer Festival, held every July, has made the village famous far beyond the borders of the region.
Sychrov - castle
On the site of today's village of Sychrov, there was a village called Dvojkov with a manor farmstead called Sychrov from the 14th century. After the Battle of White Mountain, it was acquired by Albrecht von Wallenstein and later sold to the Lamott family, who built a Baroque castle with a tower and chapel surrounded by a park on the site of the farmstead. The main renovations were carried out by the Rohan family. Sychrov Castle is one of the most important examples of French-style Romantic Neo-Gothic architecture in the Czech Republic. The interiors feature unique woodcarvings and collections, such as the Rohan Gallery. The castle park with its many exotic trees is one of the most beautiful and richest in the country. The park also features two neo-Gothic buildings, the Gloriet and Arthur's Castle. You can also see examples of falconry here. The castle and park are open to the public. Costumed tours are also held in the castle.
The complex also includes a water tower from 1891. Like the castle, it has a neo-Gothic appearance, derived from the appearance of medieval castle towers. It is cylindrical, built of cyclopean masonry, topped with a pyramidal roof with a lantern. The water tower was used to supply the park with service water, which was transported to it from Mohelka by a pump designed by Romuald Božek. The facility is currently out of operation.
Trávníček
Folk architecture. The timbered Beranův mlýn (Beran's Mill) with its rich gable, gallery and articulated porch is worth seeing – a private recreational building (not accessible).
© Geodézie On Line 2009
