Brandýs nad Labem - Stará Boleslav

The best-known united pair of Czech towns is entered in the list of Czech geographical records as the town with the longest name. It is located in central Bohemia and divided by the Elbe River. Brandýs, with its Renaissance chateau, lies on the left bank, whereas Stará Boleslav and the oldest Czech place of pilgrimage is on the right bank.

Boleslav was made famous by the death of Saint Wenceslas, who is the main patron of the Czech nation and a symbol of Czech statehood. He was murdered there by his brother Boleslaus in 935. The crime took place next to the Church of St Cosmas and St Damian. The Basilica of St Wenceslas today stands in its place. The Romanesque Church of St Clement and the Baroque Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary are also worth visiting in this renown place of pilgrimage. Displayed on the main altar is a relief of the Virgin Mary of Stará Boleslav with a child, worshipped since the 17th century as a palladium, a symbol of protection and patronage of the Czech lands.
The Habsburgs had a special liking for the chateau in Brandýs nad Labem. Emperor Ferdinand I, Maximilian II, as well as Rudolf II, liked staying there. A tragic accident happened near Brandýs in 1732 as Emperor Charles VI shot Adam Franz of Schwarzenberg, an Obersthofmarschall at the Vienna court and the founder of the Ohrada hunting lodge, when hunting for stags. As a result, the passionate hunter’s love for hunting proved to be fatal. The prince succumbed to his injury the very same night.

The environs of the town are also attractive. Bathing and windsurfing lovers are attracted by the Proboštská lakes, where various cultural events and music festivals are regularly held. Both banks of the Elbe also encourage one to go for a walk or trip. You can set out, for example, for the nearby spa town of Lázně Toušeň, where there is a water fort located on its outskirts.