What to see in Kolín? Bears, the Elbe and the historic centre

Kolín wasn’t the main goal of our trip this time. After visiting the Vysoká lookout tower near Kutná Hora, we kept going and decided to stop right here on the way.

We had no big plan and no list of places we had to see. We just wanted to stretch our legs a bit, have a look around the town and then continue on. In the end, though, I was glad we stopped in Kolín, because even a short visit let us discover a few interesting places.

A little about Kolín

Kolín lies in the Central Bohemian Region on both banks of the Elbe, and its history reaches deep into the Middle Ages. The royal town was founded here in the 13th century, and Kolín is mentioned in written sources as early as 1261.

Thanks to its location, Kolín was important for trade, and its development was also closely tied to silver mining in the nearby Kutná Hora region. Today, alongside everyday town life, it has preserved a historic centre, several important monuments and also places connected with Jewish history. 🕍

And it was precisely this combination of the old town, the Elbe and greenery that quite surprised me about Kolín. In a single walk you can go from the river and the park to old houses and Gothic landmarks in the centre.

They met near Kolín

One of the places we headed to was, of course, the famous bears. Hardly anyone doesn’t know the phrase “Potkali se u Kolína” (“They met near Kolín”) and the bears from the animated fairy-tale series Pojďte, pane, budeme si hrát. You’ll find them by the Borky forest park. First a stone memorial was created here, and later large wooden bear figures were added too. It’s more of a small stop, but if you’re in Kolín anyway, it would be a pity to skip them. 🐻

What I like about places like this is that they instantly remind you of something from childhood. And of course I had to take photos of the bears too. Borky is also a pleasant place for a walk. The forest park stretches along the Elbe and there is a nature trail running through it. If you have more time, you can walk here much longer than we did.

The bears of “Potkali se u Kolína” by the Borky forest park

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To the Elbe and across Kmochův Island

Then we continued towards the Elbe. This part of Kolín is the one I liked. The trees, the river and the footbridges feel completely different from the historic centre we reached later.

A footbridge leads across the Elbe, and you can also use it to get to Kmochův Island. It serves mainly for relaxation, and you’ll find greenery, playgrounds and an amphitheatre there. 🌳

The island bears the name of the well-known bandmaster and composer František Kmoch, whose life was closely tied to Kolín. His name, after all, turns up in several places around the town, and the well-known Kmochův Kolín festival still commemorates him today.

The footbridges offer nice views of the Elbe, and this is where we stopped for a while and looked around. I like it when you can get to know a town on foot and the surroundings change gradually along the way.

Footbridges and views of the Elbe in Kolín

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Charles Square and the historic centre

From the Elbe we walked on to the historic centre and Charles Square. The square has been the natural heart of Kolín for centuries. It is surrounded by historic houses, and there is also the town hall, whose present form comes from a Neo-Renaissance reconstruction at the end of the 19th century.

In the middle of the square you’ll find a fountain and a Marian column. But what I like most on squares like this is simply looking around. Every house is a little different, and it’s often on the façades that you discover things you wouldn’t notice at all when passing quickly through a town.

Charles Square in Kolín

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The sundial that caught my eye

One of those details was the colourful sundial on a yellow house in Brandlova Street. It’s exactly these little things that I often remember from my travels. You walk down a street, not really looking for anything in particular, and suddenly something catches your attention so much that you stop and pull out your phone or camera.

The sundial bears the Latin inscription “Fac dum lucet sol”, meaning something like “Act while the sun shines”. And I have to say it looks really lovely on a colourful house. 🔅

The sundial on the yellow house in Brandlova Street

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Church of St Bartholomew

The most striking historic landmark we saw in Kolín was the Church of St Bartholomew. Its beginnings go back to the 13th century, and after a fire in the 14th century Petr Parléř took part in its reconstruction — most of us know him mainly in connection with St Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Even from the outside the church looks truly massive. I also liked its surroundings – the old walls, the paving, and the whole area around Bartholomew Hill has a slightly different atmosphere from the nearby square. Next to the church there is also a late Gothic bell tower from the early 16th century. The whole Bartholomew Hill complex is today one of the most important historic places in the town.

The Church of St Bartholomew and its surroundings

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This time we mostly walked around its surroundings, but if you have more time, you can also visit the church interior, the bell tower or the ossuary.

What else can you visit in Kolín?

Kolín of course offers much more than we managed to see during our stop. Worth a look, for example, is the Kolín synagogue, one of the oldest surviving synagogues in Bohemia, or the old Jewish cemetery. The Jewish community was of great importance in Kolín’s history, and Jewish monuments are among the town’s other attractions.

You can also visit the Práchovna, a late Gothic tower that originally formed part of the outer fortifications of Kolín castle and later served as a gunpowder store. Or, for example, the Vodárna lookout tower, or a ride on the Kolín sugar beet narrow-gauge railway. So if you wanted to spend a whole day in Kolín, there is definitely still plenty to discover here.

Was it worth the stop?

This time we included Kolín in our trip simply because we were driving past. It wasn’t the main goal of our day, and perhaps that’s exactly why I didn’t expect anything big from it. But this stop really was worth it. 🙂

In the end, I enjoyed how different the places were that we saw during one stop. From the bears and the greenery along the Elbe we made our way to the old square and to one of the most important Gothic churches in central Bohemia.

And maybe we’ll come here again some day. A few places in Kolín have been left for next time. 🙂