Dvory: Church, Monument and Zdonín Castle

When looking for a hotel in Dvory, the destination’s cultural history can be a helpful focus for planning your trip. This includes St. Wenceslas Church and its churchyard in Veleliby, the Cubist war memorial in Dvory, and Zdonín Castle in Veleliby. Their construction periods and architectural styles differ; access to Zdonín Castle is a particular point to note.

St. Wenceslas Church and Churchyard in Veleliby

The protected St. Wenceslas Church complex includes more than just the church building. Its protected features also include the boundary wall with its fence, the gates, the statues of saints and the associated plots. This means the site can be viewed as an architectural ensemble: the protection covers several components, not just the church.

The present church was built from 1876 to 1878 in the Neo-Romanesque style. The builders were M. and J. Červený from Nymburk. It replaced the earlier Church of St. Giles, which had been demolished around 1874. St. Wenceslas Church is a cemetery church dating from the 1870s. If you would like to visit the church, check access in advance, as public access may vary.

The churchyard also contains a notable Art Nouveau tomb for the Mazánek family, a work by E. Kodet from 1912. Together with the Neo-Romanesque church, it offers a comparison of different styles and periods within the churchyard: the church was built in the 1870s, while the tomb followed decades later.

Cubist War Memorial and Park

The war memorial in Dvory is a Cubist work. Its slanting lines, triangular shapes and faceted surfaces make its geometric visual language a tangible point of interest when viewing it. Unlike the church complex, the focus here is on the memorial’s forms. It thus adds another aspect of local history to the view of the religious architecture in Veleliby.

Part of the former pond around the war memorial has been turned into a park with mature lime trees. The memorial and green space bring together remembrance and a transformed landscape. The park’s layout may change over time; if it is important to your plans, check its current condition on site.

Zdonín Castle: History and Access

Zdonín Castle is in Veleliby, a district of Dvory. The building dates from 1903 and was constructed in the Neo-Renaissance style. Compared with the church from the 1870s, it is a later architectural point of interest. Visitors interested in architectural styles can distinguish this Neo-Renaissance building from the Neo-Romanesque church and the Art Nouveau tomb.

The castle can be reached on foot, by bicycle or by car, but it is not open to visitors. Reaching the site and visiting the castle are therefore not the same thing. As access may change, check the current situation before travelling.

Practical Information for Train Travel

Tickets are sold on board at Veleliby station because the station does not have a ticket office. If you are travelling by train, plan to buy your ticket on board. Station services can change, so check the current arrangements before departure.

Discover more destinations: Úmyslovice, Kněžice, Stratov, Straky, Chrást, Všechlapy, Zvěřínek, Chotesice.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Nymburk.