Hořice V Podkrkonoší: Hotels and accommodation

Hořice showcases its connection to sandstone, sculpture and regional history in many specific places. The Městské muzeum has a permanent exhibition on the tradition of sandstone quarrying and the artistic processing of sandstone in the Hořice region. The adjacent Štorchova síň of the Městské muzeum hosts thematic exhibitions. The Sochařský park U Sv. Gotharda I and II comprises a collection of more than 100 sandstone sculptures by sculptors from Europe, Asia and America. The Baroque Kostel Narození Panny Marie was built according to plans by Kilián Ignác Dienzenhofer between 1741 and 1748.

Culture and sculpture

The Sochařsko-kamenická škola was founded in 1884 as the first school of its kind in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Galerie plastik was established in 1908 as the artistic branch of the Podkrkonošské průmyslové museum. In addition to its permanent exhibition, it offers an extensive exhibition programme and has a remarkable collection of plaster sculptures by artists as well as sculptures made from high-quality materials. The first Hořické sochařské sympozium took place in 1966. At the Hořické sochařské sympozium, visitors can watch internationally renowned sculptors at work every two years in July at the Lom U Sv. Josefa.

The Riegrův obelisk is a 12.4-metre-high sandstone monolith unveiled in 1907 and regarded as evidence of the mastery of local stonemasons. The Pivovar grounds were added to the list of cultural monuments in 2002. The Baroque synagogue from the 1770s and the old Jewish cemetery with valuable historic gravestones, probably established as early as the second half of the 17th century, bear witness to the once numerous Jewish population in Hořice.

Views and trails

The Masarykova věž samostatnosti on Hořický chlum serves as a war memorial and observation tower. From the viewing platform, there is a view of the panorama of the Krkonoše Mountains and the fertile Polabí lowlands along the Elbe. The Sochařský park U Sv. Gotharda is freely accessible all year round. The Galerie plastik can be reached from the town square via a red-marked hiking trail in about ten minutes on foot.

Vrch Gothard is also freely accessible all year round and can be reached from the town square via a red-marked hiking trail in about ten minutes on foot. The Chlumíčkova stezka is approximately 1.5 km long and suitable for prams and very young children. The Naučný okruh comprises 14 stations with information panels at the town's most important sights.

Hořické trubičky

Hořické trubičky must be rolled by hand, as machine production is not permitted. Since 2007, they have carried the European Union's protected geographical indication and may only be produced in Hořice and the surrounding area. The traditional artisanal production of Hořické trubičky resumed in Hořice after 1990; in 1999, production by Pravé hořické trubičky, s.r.o. began.

The Trubičková stezka is located in Smetanovy sady in Hořice and teaches children in particular about the history and production of this traditional sweet speciality. It comprises seven stations and seven tasks and leads to a secret solution word.

Cycling and outdoor swimming pool

Traily Hořice comprises three trails named Grizzly, Dáška and Potoky, ranging from low to medium difficulty and with a total length of 3.7 km. They are located close to the town in forests near Koupaliště Dachova. Koupaliště Dachova, a natural outdoor swimming pool with notable wooden architecture from the 1920s, is located nearby.

Other places: Kněžnice, Běchary, Miletin, Osek, Doubrava, Pecka, Staré Smrkovice, Dobrá Voda U Hořic

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Jičín.