Písek: Sports, History and Culinary Traditions

Písek lies on the southern edge of the Východolabská tabule. Sporting competitions, a memorial site and the history of former fishponds offer different points of interest. If you are looking for a hotel in Písek, the reason for your trip can help you plan the timing and theme of your stay—for example, around a competition, a recurring culinary gathering or local history.

Sporting competitions and routes

The Písecký duatlon consists of three stages: a 3-kilometre run, a 30-kilometre road-cycling stage and another 3-kilometre run. Another edition was scheduled for 27 June 2026 at the football pitch in Písek. In the 2025 edition, the 30-kilometre cycling route ran from Písek via Kosice, Kosičky, Babice, Trnava, Boharyně, Zvíkov, Barchov, Barchůvek, Měník and Bydžovská Lhotka to Mlékosrby and back to Písek. This list of places describes the route at that time; future editions may follow a different course.

At the Písecký koloběh, mixed teams of two compete over 5 kilometres: one person runs while the other rides a mountain bike. The approximately 5-kilometre route for the 2025 edition also crossed a ford over the Bystřice. The Písecký koloběh is part of the listed duathlon programme, but the route may change in later editions.

Another format is the Miniduatlon. In the format described in 2024, a 1-kilometre run is followed by a 5-kilometre mountain-bike stage and another 1-kilometre run. The 2026 event programme also included a Miniduatlon. In the traditional Písecký turnaj v nohejbalu, teams of two compete; the 2025 edition was the 18th event. Fishing competitions are also a recurring feature of Písek: SDH Písek held them at Hejbánek in 2024 and on 4 October 2025.

Memorial site and traces of the fishponds’ history

The Památník Svobody was erected in Písek in 1920 to commemorate local residents who fell in the First World War. It links a specific historical event with a named place in the town. Písek’s former aquatic landscape is also part of its history: the historic Písecký fishpond covered 114 hectares.

Another archaeological trace concerns a late-medieval fishpond. In 2019, archaeologists discovered remains of its dam, with an outlet or overflow, in Písek near Chlumec nad Cidlinou. A report from 2019 describes the find, in terms of its scale and state of preservation, as having no comparable counterpart in East Bohemian archaeology. Thus, alongside the commemoration of those who fell, the history of former fishponds is a distinct historical point of interest.

Culinary gatherings and recurring dates

Písecké posvícení is traditionally held on the first weekend of November. It features posvícenské koláčky. The public family programme includes music and dance, as well as a children’s carnival and a disco; individual activities may vary from one edition to another. The traditional timing offers a guide for planning your trip, but does not replace checking the programme for the specific edition.

Sousedské vaření a pečení is a recurring culinary gathering at the fire station in Písek. At the April 2025 edition, children baked sweet and savoury strudels. There was also a competition for the best Moravian tlačené koláče. For future editions, check the dates with the municipality. This keeps your plans tied to the specific edition, rather than assuming that past programme items will be offered again.

Sporting events, memorial sites and culinary gatherings give you different ways to plan a stay in Písek. If you are planning to attend an event, it is worth checking the dates and programme details for the relevant edition; competition routes can also change.

Discover more destinations: Šaplava, Lhota Pod Libčany, Obědovice, Lovčice, Libřice, Hněvčeves, Králíky U Nového Bydžova, Vysoká Nad Labem

For the broader travel overview: Okres Hradec Králové.