Libun: Architectural History, Monuments and Nature

If you are planning a stay in Libun, you can focus on cultural history, landscape or hiking. In the village centre, the Baroque rectory stands opposite St Martin’s Church; other monuments reflect different periods and forms of remembrance. The Libunecké rašeliniště natural monument adds a landscape focus, and a hiking route ends in Libun. If you are looking for a hotel in Libun, it helps to decide first whether architectural history, nature or hiking is the main reason for your trip.

St Martin’s Church and the Rectory: Building Phases in the Village Centre

St Martin’s Church was built in the 14th century as a single-nave Gothic church and was given a Baroque makeover in 1771. The two details mark different building phases: the medieval origins were followed by a Baroque transformation. “Single-nave” describes a church with one main nave. Opposite St Martin’s Church stands the rectory, a Baroque building dating from the 18th century. The comparison helps distinguish the terms: for the church, “Baroque makeover” describes a later alteration; the rectory itself is classified as a Baroque building.

Monuments and Remembrance

In front of the façade of St Martin’s Church, on the boundary wall, stands a Baroque statue of St John of Nepomuk, dating from 1746 and set on a three-tier plinth. Another memorial is the four-metre-high Tuscan sandstone column dedicated to the Jesuit Burnatius, dating from 1689. It incorporates a chapel with relief decoration and commemorates the death of the missionary Matěj Burnatia in 1629. The two dates associated with the column serve different purposes: 1689 is the year it was created, while 1629 is the year of the death it commemorates. The column was therefore erected sixty years after the event it recalls. The comparison with the statue from 1746 also shows two different Baroque-era monuments: a saint’s figure by the church façade and a column with a chapel and reliefs.

Art in St Martin’s Church and the Rectory

Inside St Martin’s Church is a statue of the Assumption of Mary from the mid-16th century. The rectory houses a memorial room dedicated to P. Ant. Marek and a small gallery with paintings and writings by F. Kaván. Cultural references are thus spread across two different places and forms: religious art in the church, and remembrance and a gallery in the rectory. The statue from the mid-16th century adds another work of art to the picture of the later Baroque building phases.

Wet Meadows and Hiking Route

The Libunecké rašeliniště natural monument extends into the cadastral area of Libun. It comprises wet meadows along the natural course of the Javorka, where protected plant and animal species can be found. Unlike the church, rectory and column, this is a landscape area of wet meadows, a watercourse and protected species.

Hiking is also a distinct reason to visit. The “Pěšky z Rovenska přes horu Tábor” route ends in Libun. This is a different point of reference from the village’s monuments: the route identifies a specific hike with Libun as its endpoint, while the church, rectory and column represent architectural and local history.

Discover more destinations: Vysoké Veselí, Úlibice, Jitschin, Sobotka, Dobrá Voda U Hořic, Konecchlumí, Rokytňany, Mlázovice

For the wider travel overview: Jičín District.