What to See in Poděbrady? The Spa Park, the Château and the Hearts of Europe

After visiting Kolín, we carried on with our trip. On the way we passed through Poděbrady, and since I had never been in this town before, we decided to stop there for a while. We only wanted to walk around a little, see what Poděbrady looks like and get to know another town we hadn’t been to yet.

And so we made another stop. 🙂

A Little About Poděbrady

Poděbrady lies in the Central Bohemian Region on the river Elbe and is one of the well-known Czech spa towns. Its history, however, reaches far beyond spa treatments. The town is inseparably linked with the Czech king George of Poděbrady, who lived here and whose family was closely tied to the local estate. Today his name is recalled by the main square, the mighty equestrian statue and the local château.

The history of the local spa is also interesting. As early as the 17th century, an iron-rich spring was known in Poděbrady, and in 1722 small iron baths began to be built here. The decisive change, however, came in 1905. While searching for a new source of water, a spring of carbonated mineral water was discovered in the courtyard of the Poděbrady château. Subsequent analyses confirmed its healing properties, and it was precisely this discovery that shaped the future of the town. On 5 June 1908, the new carbonated baths were ceremoniously opened. Poděbrady gradually became a sought-after spa destination, and especially since the interwar period the local spa care has focused mainly on heart and vascular diseases.

You may also know the famous saying “Na srdce jsou Poděbrady” (“Poděbrady is the place for the heart”). And it was hearts that we later discovered in the courtyard of the local château. 💚

From the Station to the Spa Park

We left the car somewhere further from the centre, if I remember correctly, behind the station. We set off into town on foot and walked through a long underpass whose walls were decorated with colourful paintings. When we came out, we reached the spa park. The first thing that caught our eye was a large fountain with a statue of a woman and a swan. I later found out that it is the sculpture group Leda and the Swan by the sculptor Břetislav Benda. The motif comes from ancient Greek mythology and is one of the interesting works of art in the local park. 🌳

Around the fountain there were neat lawns, trees, bushes and benches. This whole part felt pleasant, and you could already tell from here that Poděbrady really is a spa town. We continued through the park, where open grassy areas alternated with paths lined with tall trees. I liked above all the greenery and also the various water features.

In several places we saw fountains and a long stone channel through which water flowed. The whole spa park felt well kept and offered plenty of places to sit down or simply stroll. I can imagine that especially in the summer season it is really lively here. People walk along the colonnade, sit on benches, go for a coffee or just spend time outdoors. Simply that pleasant atmosphere that spa towns have. ⛲

The colourful underpass from the station and the spa park with the Leda and the Swan fountain

✕ ❮

❯

The Spa Colonnade and the Mineral Spring

During our walk we also came to Professor Libenský’s colonnade. This glazed colonnade was built in 1937–1938 to a design by the architect Vojtěch Kerhart. It includes a pavilion with the Boček mineral spring, one of the publicly accessible drinking fountains in Poděbrady. We also looked inside, where there is a place for drawing the local mineral water.

Professor Libenský's colonnade and the water features in the spa park

✕ ❮

❯

Jiřího Square and the Statue of King George of Poděbrady

From the spa park we continued towards the historic centre of the town. We reached Jiřího Square, where one of the most important monuments of Poděbrady stands: the mighty equestrian statue of King George of Poděbrady. The monument is by the sculptor Bohuslav Schnirch and was ceremoniously unveiled in Poděbrady on 15 August 1896. Interestingly, the equestrian statue itself is not cast in bronze, as it might seem at first glance. It was made of hammered copper sheets fixed to an iron structure. It is an unusual way of working, which makes this monument exceptional. The statue stands on a high pedestal and you really cannot miss it.

Right behind it is the entrance gate of the Poděbrady château, so we decided to have a look there too.

The equestrian statue of King George of Poděbrady and the château entrance gate

✕ ❮

❯

Poděbrady Château and the Colourful Hearts of Europe

Poděbrady château stands on the site of the original royal castle, which was built in the 13th century by the Czech king Přemysl Otakar II. Over the following centuries it went through several reconstructions. The original medieval castle gradually turned into a Renaissance and later Baroque-style château. King George of Poděbrady, who came from the family of the lords of Kunštát and Poděbrady and used the residence here, is closely linked with its history.

We walked through the historic entrance gate and reached the château courtyard. And right here, something I had not expected at all was waiting for us. On the lawn, several rows of large colourful hearts were arranged. Each one was painted differently, and at first glance it was clear that this was not just ordinary decoration. I later found out that it is the Hearts of Europe project, created in 2014. Students of nine Czech secondary schools of applied arts took part in its creation and designed a total of 28 large hearts. They represented the individual member states of the European Union at the time. In 2014, the European Union had exactly 28 members. Each heart received its own decoration inspired by the culture, history or typical symbols of the country. It is also interesting that the hearts were made of fibreglass and placed on rotating structures. Thanks to this, they can turn in the wind. 💛

The whole project was created to mark the 550th anniversary of the peace mission of King George of Poděbrady. It also commemorated ten years since the Czech Republic joined the European Union. As early as the 15th century, King George strove to create a community of European rulers that would help maintain peace and settle mutual disputes. The Hearts of Europe were ceremoniously presented on 17 May 2014 in the spa park in front of the station. Later they moved to the first courtyard of the Poděbrady château. And because Poděbrady is known above all as a spa specialising in the treatment of heart diseases, the whole project has yet another symbolic meaning.

I have to say that these colourful hearts really caught my interest. Each looked different, and you could look at the individual pictures and wonder which country they represented. Of course, I had to photograph them too. 🙂

The colourful Hearts of Europe in the courtyard of Poděbrady château

✕ ❮

❯

Roses of Famous Personalities at Poděbrady Château

Besides the colourful hearts, something else caught our attention in the château courtyard. Along the château walls grew a great number of beautiful roses in different colours. Some were pink, others red or yellow, and together they created a lovely floral decoration. I also noticed small tags with names by the individual roses. Only later did I find out that this is not an ordinary flower bed, but the château rose garden connected with the Poděbrady Days of Poetry festival.

This festival focuses on the artistic recitation of poetry and prose. An important part of it is the presentation of the prestigious Crystal Rose award, intended for outstanding personalities of Czech and Slovak artistic recitation. Since 2009, the award has also been linked with the tradition of planting real roses in the courtyard of Poděbrady château. The laureates can symbolically plant their own rose bush here, which then commemorates them in the years to come. 🥀

Gradually the rose garden also grew to include roses commemorating some previously honoured personalities. The Crystal Rose recipients have included, for example, the actors Rudolf Hrušínský, Hana Maciuchová and Josef Abrhám. The roses of the acting couple Libuše Šafránková and Josef Abrhám also have a special place in the rose garden. They planted their roses together in the château courtyard on 27 April 2013. Suddenly those little tags by the individual bushes began to make sense to me. Each such rose commemorates a particular personality and their contribution to Czech or Slovak culture.

And I have to say that I really like this idea. It is a nice way to remember people who left their mark on the world of the arts.

The courtyard also contains a historic stone fountain, and the whole place is worth a visit even if you are not planning to tour the château itself.

The château rose garden with roses of famous personalities and the stone fountain in the courtyard

✕ ❮

❯

We Took Home Spa Wafers from Poděbrady, Too

Since we were in a spa town, we could not leave without something tasty. We bought Poděbrady spa wafers and also cocoa-flavoured wafer rolls. Little things like this are part of our trips. Sometimes we bring home a small keepsake from our travels, other times something delicious. 🙂

Poděbrady spa wafers and cocoa wafer rolls

✕

What Else Can You Visit in Poděbrady?

Poděbrady of course offers much more than we managed to see during our short stop. Other attractions include, for example, the well-known flower clock in the spa park, which was first installed and planted in 1936. Its floral decoration changes regularly, so it can look a little different on every visit.

If you like history, you can also visit the Memorial of King George of Poděbrady, located right inside the château. The memorial is part of the Polabí Museum and is devoted to the personality of King George and the history of his time. The exhibition also includes a gallery of the sculptor Bohuslav Schnirch and a lapidarium.

The surroundings of the river Elbe are also worth a walk. Poděbrady is a popular place for walks and cycling trips along the river. If you like water and want to rest a little during your trip, in the summer season you can also visit Lake Poděbrady. It is a natural swimming lake created on the site of a former sand pit. There are grassy and sandy beaches and opportunities for summer recreation.

So if you have more time, you can plan a visit to the town for a whole afternoon or even a whole day.

Was It Worth Stopping in Poděbrady?

Poděbrady is a pretty spa town with a rich history, where there is definitely plenty to see. I liked above all the well-kept spa promenade, the park with lots of greenery, the fountains and the historic centre with the château. What surprised me most were the colourful Hearts of Europe and also the château rose garden, which I knew nothing about before our visit. I think that especially in the summer season it must be very lively here. And that is part of spa towns.

I am glad we stopped in Poděbrady. Once again I got to know a town I had never been to before, and if we ever drive past again, perhaps we will take more time for the places we didn’t manage to see this time. 🙂

And you, have you been to Poděbrady? Have you seen the colourful Hearts of Europe? 🙂