Pecka: Discover the Castle, Local History and Trails

Pecka offers several highlights to consider when planning your trip: the castle and its history, other historic buildings in the town, and marked trails through the countryside. You can shape your stay around your interests, whether you are mainly interested in architectural and local history or would like to include hiking and cycling routes. The offerings vary in content and scope.

Castle Tours with Different Themes

Pecka Castle was founded at the end of the 13th century on the rocky end of a long ridge and is partly preserved as a ruin. Two named tours explore different aspects of the castle. The Trasa A historical tour takes you through Kryštof Harant’s study and rooms devoted to the history of the castle and the town of Pecka. The Harantovské sklepy tour includes wine and beer cellars, storerooms, the Veselka ballroom, a bath and a medieval torture chamber.

The difference lies in their thematic focus: Trasa A combines the study with the history of the castle and town; Harantovské sklepy takes you through cellars and other historic rooms. If you are interested in the castle, these details can help you choose a tour. The tour names also make clear that the castle can be experienced not only as a partly preserved ruin, but through its interior rooms and the historical topics covered there.

The Church and Plague Column in Pecka

Other historic sights in Pecka include the plague column in the square and the Church of St. Bartholomew. The plague column was erected in 1720, and a statue of the Virgin Mary stands at its top. The Baroque Church of St. Bartholomew was built from 1751 to 1753. Its interior frescoes date from 1756 and were painted by Václav Kramolín. These two buildings offer a glimpse of different dates and forms of local history: the column from 1720 and the church, built a few decades later, with its frescoes.

Hiking Trails and Hravá Homolka

Well-marked hiking trails wind through the varied countryside around Pecka. Highlights described along the way include unspoiled nature, local sights and far-reaching views of the Krkonoše Mountains, Kozákov, Zvičina and the Hořické chlumy hills.

Hravá Homolka is a separately named forest trail. It starts at the reception desk at Pecka campsite and follows a stream towards the forest. Ten stations combine sporting, playful and educational activities. This sets the trail apart from a hike focused mainly on the landscape and views. The description gives neither the trail’s length nor its walking time, so plan according to the conditions on site.

Cycling Route and Natural Swimming Area

For a cycling trip, the 50-kilometre road cycling route “Do města kamenné krásy a na Zvičinu” is a clearly defined option: it starts and ends at Pecka campsite. Unlike the hiking trails, it is designated as a road cycling route and has a stated total distance. You can take the type of activity and route length into account when planning your day.

Koupaliště & kempu Pecka has a natural swimming area with treated water. As operating conditions may change, check before your visit whether the swimming area is currently open.

Getting Your Bearings Locally

Pecka’s tourist information centre is in the local library, inside the municipal office building. Free leaflets about the town, the castle and the outdoor swimming pool are available there, along with maps showing tourist attractions. If you plan to use these materials, briefly check in advance whether they are currently available.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Vidonice, Podkost, Jitschin, Ubislavice, Dětenice, Stupná, Běchary, Zelenecká Lhota.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Jičín.