Český Šternberk Castle has an unbelievable history and is still owned by the same family that built it in the middle of the 13th century – the Sternbergs. The mighty early-Gothic residence looks proudly over the River Sázava, its magnificence having survived the centuries. You can still admire the expansive castle grounds, a jewel in the crown of period fortification building, and the opulent interiors, reflecting the appearance given to them by early-Baroque renovation. The tour takes you around richly-decorated and stuccoed rooms, of which the Knights’ Hall really does stand out. The Baroque Chapel of St. Sebastian and its Rococo altar are also worthy of note.
The trip begins in Kolín, which is itself an impressive sight, although one we will have to leave for some other time. Cycling route 0106 runs from the railway station through Kutnohorské Předměstí do Hluboký Důl, where you should take a right on to the Ratbořský Circuit. In Polepy, cycle past the St. John brewery, which unfortunately no longer brews beer, and go left along a trail with different types of surfaces that will take you over the little valley of Chotouchovský Stream, otherwise known as the Polepka. From the road you will see a magnificent stone viaduct and railway line on the other side of Pašinka.
It is not far from here to Ratboř, where Jan Kotěra left a strong imprint of his art. The founder of Czech architectural Modernism built a manor here for the Mandelík family, who were active in the sugar industry, between 1911 and 1913 and renovated the old 18th-century chateau nearby at practically the same time. There is a restaurant in the new chateau, where you can also spend the night - getting to know the genius loci really is worth it. Continue along the unmarked road to Solopysky, from where cycling route 1 heads to Zásmuky.
There is a chateau not far from the square here that was owned by the Šternberg family from the Thirty Years War until 1948. It later became a military store, meaning that stage-by-stage repairs have been required and ongoing since the building was returned to the descendants of the original owners as part of restitution. All that can be accessed in the chateau at the moment is its historical exhibition and the cellar space of the medieval fortress, although you can also stroll through the adjacent park with its beautiful Baroque grotto, laid with a mosaic made of lava slag. One important local monument is the former Baroque Franciscan monastery, which is now used to stage various cultural and social events.
Cycling route 0120 will then take you to Uhlířské Janovice, where the pretty square is dominated by the Baroque Church of St. Aloysius. The landscape on the other side of the town is more undulating, as is common in the area along the River Sázava, meaning that you have some more demanding climbs and enjoyable downhill sections ahead of you. Follow cycling route 0106 (to Mitrov), then 0122 (to Zbizuby), and 19, from which a marvellous view of Český Šternberk Castle, reflected on the surface of the River Sázava, will open up before you.
