Plaňany: Churches and Local History

Plaňany brings together buildings from different eras and a settlement history dating back to the Neolithic period. Its defining historical features include a preserved Romanesque church, a Neo-Gothic church and a former fortress with Renaissance masonry. The sports ground adds an opportunity for active recreation. You can get to know the town through both its architecture and its leisure activities.

Churches from different centuries

The Church of the Annunciation is a preserved Romanesque church from the 12th century. In 1937, masonry dating from the 10th century was discovered beneath its floor; it may have belonged to an original rotunda. The masonry therefore dates back further than the preserved church, while the interpretation that it was part of a rotunda remains explicitly a possibility.

A later building phase is represented by the Church of St John the Baptist. It is Neo-Gothic and belongs to the period of late Historicism. Completed in 1913, it became the new landmark of Plaňany. Its slender, notably tall, prismatic tower is a prominent feature of the townscape and a landmark in the surrounding countryside. By contrast, the preserved Romanesque architecture is the focal point of the Church of the Annunciation: the two churches bring together distinct historical and architectural features.

Synagogue and fortress architecture

The synagogue in Plaňany was built from 1858 to 1861 and served as a prayer house of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church from 1926. The Husův sbor is located in the former synagogue. The building’s origins as a synagogue and its later use as a prayer house therefore belong to different periods of its history.

Mírkovská Fortress also shows how the function of a historic building can change. In the 1740s, the fortress was converted into and enlarged as a granary; it has largely survived in this form to the present day. The southern part of Mírkovská Fortress contains original Renaissance masonry from the fortress’s residential palace. It extends up to the level of the upper-floor window sills. The original Renaissance fabric and the later conversion into a granary thus represent different building phases of the same structure.

Local history and active recreation

The settlement area at the confluence of the Kouřimka and Bečvárka rivers has been continuously inhabited since the Neolithic period. This long span of time provides a historical context for Plaňany’s later buildings. Archaeological traces, religious buildings and the converted fortress each offer a different way to explore the town’s history.

The sports ground in Plaňany is open to the general public of all ages for active recreation. Ball games available there include tennis, volleyball, football, nohejbal and basketball. This offers a different focus from the historic buildings: here, the emphasis is on taking part in sport yourself. Conditions of use may change, so check the latest information before your visit. The tourist game “Pečeckem kolem dokola” is also associated with Plaňany.

Discover more destinations: Veletov, Chotutice, Polní Chrčice, Tři Dvory, Přistoupim, Mrzky, Kolín, Veltruby.

For the broader travel overview: Kolín District.