Dymokury: Castle History and Nature

Dymokury can be explored through two themes: architectural history and landscape. The castle and the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary represent different architectural periods. In the surrounding area, ponds, a bird sanctuary, and a nature trail complement the cultural and historical attractions. When planning, you can decide whether to focus mainly on understanding architectural styles and historical dates, or on getting to know the natural environment with its bodies of water and themed stops. The location and route details help you distinguish between these interests and prepare for a stay in Dymokury.

Castle and Architectural History

Dymokury Castle was converted from a medieval fortress into a Renaissance château between 1615 and 1618. The present château, with its extensive courtyard, was built in the second half of the 17th century. It is a three-winged, single-storey Baroque building. “Three-winged” describes the arrangement of the building’s wings; “single-storey” indicates the number of floors. Together with the large courtyard, these features give a concrete impression of the complex. Both the architectural styles and the different dates are therefore important for understanding it.

Church and Local Heritage

The Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary was built between 1723 and 1725; the design is probably by J. Santini. A Baroque central-plan building, it has an oval exterior and an octagonal interior floor plan. The two shapes describe different aspects of the building: its external form and the shape of its interior. Together with its construction date, they offer a distinct architectural perspective on Dymokury, different from the history of the castle.

On Kalvárie Hill, southwest of Dymokury in the direction of Vestec, stands a stone cross dating from 1866. The directional information locates the hill geographically; the year provides another chronological reference alongside the architectural history of the castle and church. Visitors exploring the local cultural monuments will therefore find not only larger buildings here, but also a single, dated stone monument.

Ponds and Nature Trail

Nearby Pustý rybník is part of the Rožďalovické rybníky Bird Sanctuary. The Pustý rybník Nature Trail explores the area around the pond system and is two kilometres long. Its seven stops cover flora, fauna, and geology. The trail therefore includes geological topics as well as plants and animals; its stops give the nature experience a clear thematic framework.

The starting point is on the embankment of Pustý rybník, on the road between Poděbrady and Jičín. From there, it is about one kilometre to Dymokury railway station; the route ends on the embankment of Jakubský rybník. The two embankments mark the start and end of the nature trail, while the approximate distance to the railway station provides an additional point of reference for planning. The route’s length, number of stops, and themes make it a concrete way to explore the pond system and its surroundings.

Another Excursion

The “Za památkami, drážkou a pověstmi do Dymokur” excursion can be done with a stroller and by bicycle. Because of the meadow paths, off-road tyres are required. This practical advice applies to this excursion: when preparing, take both the path surface and the required tyres into account. This makes it possible to distinguish the tour, based on its conditions, from a visit focused on architectural history, architecture, or the stops along the nature trail.

Discover more destinations: Písty, Vrbice, Zvěřínek, Milovice, Kamenné Zboží, Chroustov, Křečkov, Podmoky

For the broader travel overview: Okres Nymburk.