Horky: St. Wenceslas Church, local history and railway

The St. Wenceslas Church, local history and railway station offer different points of reference when choosing Horky as a place to stay. This destination can thus be explored from several perspectives: through architecture, historical events and the development of rail transport. Those interested in architectural history will find different layers of history at the church; the memorial sites nearby commemorate specific events.

St. Wenceslas Church: Romanesque core, Baroque appearance

St. Wenceslas Church is a Baroque building with a Romanesque core dating from around the early 13th century. Some sections of its walls are originally Romanesque. The church thus brings together older fabric and a later Baroque design. Its exterior is simple and Late Baroque in style; the wide windows have segmental arches.

The furnishings also point to the 18th century. The Baroque organ loft dates from the middle of that century and was built at the same time as the church. The wooden Rococo pulpit also dates from the mid-18th century. It is on the north side of the nave and can be accessed from the sacristy. The different architectural elements give the church its own architectural character, with its form and furnishings revealed through a range of details.

The complex includes a cemetery surrounding the subsidiary church, enclosed by a stone wall. The church stands on a low, highly visible rise at the transition where the Čáslav Basin gradually gives way to the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Its architecture and this location describe two distinct aspects of the place: the building history of the church and its position in the landscape.

Local history and memorial sites

The first written mention of Horky dates from 1268, when a priest from Horky was mentioned. A fortified manor in the village is first documented in 1454 and later disappeared. During the fighting in 1618, Horky and its church burned down. These milestones represent different moments in the village’s history, from its first written mention to the destruction during a conflict.

Several memorial sites near Horky commemorate individuals and events. The Pomník padlých commemorates five people who were killed in Horky by shots fired by occupying troops on 5 May 1945. The dead included members of the resistance, which had just been established. The memorial thus records a specific date and the events in Horky.

The Pomník inženýra Muchy was erected at the accident site in 1935, a year after the accident. During a training session, a driver went off the road near Horky on 6 June 1934. He was seriously injured and died from his injuries on 24 June. Another memorial, the Pomníček Josefa Havelky, commemorates Josef Havelka, a farmer from Potěhy who was shot in Daleky on 23 January 1902. The sites near Horky thus relate to different events and people; the dates given help distinguish them chronologically.

Rail connections and the village’s development

Horky u Čáslavi railway station is on line 230 between Kolín and Havlíčkův Brod. There is step-free access to the station building or shelter and to all platforms. If you are considering taking the train as part of your travel plans, check the current timetable before setting off.

The railway is also part of Horky’s historical development: after the construction of the important line in the 1880s, the village grew considerably. The station’s location and the village’s history can therefore be viewed as two aspects of the same development, without drawing any conclusions about current journey times. To understand Horky, you can weigh up three key aspects: St. Wenceslas Church and its architectural history, the memorial sites nearby, and the historical role of the railway.

Discover more destinations: Šebestěnice, Hostovlice, Nové Dvory U Kutné Hory, Paběnice, Mocovice, Dobrovítov, Vlačice, Vlastejovice.

For the overview of the wider area: Okres Kutná Hora.