10,166
The Poděbrady Castle was originally a wooden fort from the year 1108. It became a royal water castle under Ottokar II of Bohemia in the 13th century. Its current form dates back to a Baroque reconstruction in the 18th century. | Photo: admin.
Published: Apr 30, 2025 | Autor: admin.
A visit to Poděbrady can be seen as a tour of the historical part of the town, a moment of relaxation, and a chance to taste mineral waters. A full-day trip can be a pleasant escape from everyday worries. Let’s go.
The spa town of Poděbrady lies east of Prague. From the outskirts of the city, it’s about half an hour via the D11 motorway. It takes a few minutes longer by car from Pardubice or Hradec Králové.
The first settlement here dates back to the Upper Paleolithic. A wooden fort once stood on the site of today’s castle, later a castle of the King of Bohemia, Margrave of Moravia and Carniola, Duke of Austria, Styria and Carinthia, Lord of Cheb and Pordenone – Ottokar II of Bohemia.
But it was the sons of George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia, who elevated Poděbrady to the status of a town (in 1472).
The oldest depiction of Poděbrady in a veduta by Swiss engraver Matthäus Merian from 1650 is partially fictional. There are no hills in the area, and instead of a castle wall, a different structure once stood there. | A painting of the square and castle (already Baroque in style) by Karel Smrkovský from the late 18th century.
There is no authentic portrait of George of Poděbrady, but anthropological research of his remains confirms with certainty that he was obese. In fact, toward the end of his life, he had difficulty moving. Yet artists portrayed him differently:
1. Nuremberg Chronicle | 2. Chronicle of the Founding of the Czech Lands and Its First Inhabitants | 3. Chronicle of Přibík Pulkava of Radenín | 4. Portrait Collection of Czech Personalities by Jan Vilímek.
The image of King George in the Nuremberg Chronicle from 1493 takes some weight off our king. The portrait in Chronicle of the Founding of the Czech Lands by Martin Kuthen of Šprinsberk (1539) is considered the most realistic. The depiction in Pulkava’s Chronicle from 1609 bears only a slight resemblance to reality, and the portrait in Vilímek’s 19th-century collection is mostly imaginary.
But King George was ahead of his time not by years, but by centuries.
George, not by weapons but by wisdom and diligence – both of which he possessed – won the favor of many people.
George, not by weapons but by wisdom and diligence – both of which he possessed – won the favor of many people.
Petr Eschenloer, chronicler of Wrocław
He strove to create a General Peace Organization among Christian rulers. The states were to retain sovereignty, refrain from interfering in one another’s affairs, and resolve disputes before an international tribunal. Each state, even those joined into larger unions, was to have one vote in this new community. Clearly, such secular thinking about governance and power left little room for the dogmatic pope, who disapproved.
The king sought a united Europe also for the purpose of resisting the Turks, whom he wanted to drive out of lands once held by Christians. He was a skilled negotiator, ambitious, willing to change allies when it brought advantage, adept at pulling strings behind the scenes, and not averse to deception. But he was a successful, resourceful, and respected monarch who uplifted the Kingdom of Bohemia.
We don’t always realize it today, but the king’s vision for world order was extraordinary for his time. So much so that in 1964, UNESCO included his efforts among events of pan-European significance. George of Poděbrady is seen as someone who laid the ideological foundations for the creation of the European Union and the United Nations.
But was he truly from Poděbrady?
According to current knowledge, George of Poděbrady was most likely not born there – about 90% certainty. Of course, this is a marketing blow for the town, schools, tourism, the spa, and so on, so the issue is treated carefully. But the exact place of birth is unknown and cannot be reliably determined.
Poděbrady by Johann Venuto (1818) and the oldest photo of the castle (lightly colorized), taken around 1865.
George was also unique in being the only Czech king not from a royal dynasty, but chosen by the estates. So why “of Poděbrady”?
At the time, the castle in Poděbrady did not yet belong to George’s family from Kunštát. But the Czech national revival, led by František Palacký, needed a symbolic myth of a Czech king connected to a place in Bohemia. The title “of Poděbrady” does not indicate his birthplace but refers to property in Poděbrady. The first and only contemporary mention linking him to Poděbrady appears some 70 years after his death, and not in connection with his birth.
Today you might read that he was “George of Poděbrady and Kunštát,” and hypothetically he could have been born in Bouzov, Horažďovice, or Litice. Most researchers favor a Moravian birthplace (Bouzov).
Truth (of the Lord) Prevails
During the Czech National Revival, a claim emerged that the motto “Truth (of the Lord) Prevails” was coined by George of Poděbrady. But this isn’t true. Although George drew on Hussite ideals (the Hussites had used the motto), he was personally quite moderate. Nevertheless, the motto fit well with his peace efforts and emphasis on dialogue, reason, and tolerance. He adopted it as his own.
In a gold rendering, the motto was placed above the façade of Prague’s Týn Church, along with a chalice and a statue of King George, by Jan Rokycana – a Hussite theologian and archbishop of the Utraquist Church. It remained there until the Battle of White Mountain in 1620.
The motto was inspired by the apocryphal “Third Book of Esdras,” also referenced by Jan Hus. It was later popularized again by President Tomáš G. Masaryk, which is why it appears on the presidential standard to this day.
Let’s Go for the Springs
On the map, you’ll find a relaxed and relatively short route that leads mostly along flat terrain. You’re not lazy — you arrived by train. So the journey begins at the station.
- Starting point – Poděbrady railway station.
- Žižka Spring (marked as a drinking fountain) in Moučná Street. Drilled on the outskirts of Poděbrady in 1970. One of the tastier ones.
- Trnka Spring (drinking fountain). Drilled in 1912, sealed in 1972. Connected to the spa reservoir of mineral water (referred to below as the reservoir).
- Boček Spring (drinking fountain). Drilled in 1911, sealed in 1972, reservoir.
- Poděbradka Spring (drinking fountain) is somewhat hidden inside Hotel Libenský, reservoir.
- Chariclea Spring (named after Princess Charicléa of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, née Ypsilanti) is in the foyer of the Summer Spa building. Drilled in 1906, sealed in 1990, reservoir.
- Eliška Spring. Revived in 2013 via a nearby borehole. It has a somewhat bitter-sour taste and a faint odor.
- Interesting spot with a fountain, a statue, and flowing water.
- Hohenlohe Spring (named after Prince Philipp Ernst of Hohenlohe–Schillingsfürst), located in the castle moat near the entrance from the square. Drilled in 1907, sealed in 1967, reservoir.
- Bülow Spring (drinking fountain) in the castle's second courtyard. Drilled in 1905, sealed in 1955, reservoir.
- Castle waterfront.
- Statue of St. John of Nepomuk.
- Shared path for cyclists and pedestrians.
- Swimming pool, campsite, and a separate nudist beach.
- St. John’s Spring. Originally a monitoring borehole from 2002, opened to the public in 2011. The best-tasting spring (although the composition of the waters is relatively similar).
- Rieger Spring (drinking fountain). Drilled in 1911, sealed in 1972, reservoir.
From the station you can walk through a nicely painted underpass to the first spring. A lot of people are put off by the fact that it is behind the railway line and therefore looks some way off. But it really isn't.
The underpass under the railway serves as an access to the platforms of the Poděbrady railway station and connects the centre with the Žižkov suburb and the Koutecká quarter. | Foto: admin.
If you take a closer look at the map, you’ll find plenty of other attractions to keep you busy. With a swim included, one day might not be enough. Even a 100-year-old hydroelectric plant is actually a rare gem.
Alternatively, you can avoid main roads and head to the family spring in Kouty (Kouťanka). It’s publicly accessible and takes about two hours to reach. Based on taste, smell, and the way it gradually clouds, I’d rank it just behind St. John’s Spring.
The functionalist building of Poděbrady railway station (1926) and the neoclassical hydroelectric power plant with cubist elements from 1923, declared a national cultural monument by the Czech government in 2017. | Photo: admin.
Since not a single spring in Poděbrady is the typical artesian type that surfaces naturally, they were all discovered by chance. In 1905, during a drought, Prince Hohenlohe invited Prussian prince and dowser Baron Karl Bülow to find a water source. He located it on July 31, 1905, in the second courtyard of the castle. After analysis revealed the water had healing properties, the Poděbrady spa was founded in 1908.
A Poděbradka advertisement from the 1930s and a water composition chart at the Hotel Libenský drinking fountain. | Photo: admin.
The mineral water in Poděbrady is a bicarbonate-chloride-sodium-alkaline acid with a free CO₂ content (2,200-2,800 mg/l) and an increased amount of iron (depending on the borehole). The reservoir water is a mix of several probes/wellings. The advantage is easier control and reduced risk of yield fluctuations with possible water treatment (e.g. iron reduction) before distribution. However, the popular tourist walking associated with tasting the springs is disappearing.
Poděbrady - Král Jiří a minerální prameny 2025
Weather forecast for the trip area
The second courtyard of the castle is exactly in the middle of the map.
Terrain Difficulty
The route is flat and should be manageable for everyone.
On warm days, you’ll share the riverside paths with cyclists.