Kbel: History, Art and Hills in the Surroundings

Kbel is first mentioned in written records in 1295. This early record opens the historical perspective on the place and marks the beginning of a history that can later also be traced through individual buildings and memorials.

Geographical Location

Road No. 12548, a Class III road, runs through the area of Kbel along the Lošánky–Kbel route; it joins Class II Road 125. The course of the road adds a clearly defined geographical reference to the history of the place. Kbel can therefore be situated through both the Lošánky–Kbel connection and the historical and landscape points of reference in the surrounding area.

History and Culture

A cast-iron wayside cross on a sandstone pedestal was erected in 1874 at the expense of local settlers. It was consecrated on 15 August of the same year. The cast iron, sandstone, financing by local settlers and the precise date of consecration make this memorial an illustrative testimony to local history.

The Czech painter Václav Radimský is buried in the cemetery by the church in Kbel. He is considered an important representative of Impressionism. The cemetery by the church and Radimský’s significance in art history complement the religiously oriented wayside cross with another cultural aspect. Thus, in Kbel, a local memorial and the memory of an important representative of Impressionism come together.

The former château of Kbel was demolished in 1983 because of its dilapidated condition. The château therefore belongs to the history of the place and is not among the buildings preserved today. It is precisely this difference between a building that no longer exists and the preserved wayside cross that shapes the historical perspective on Kbel.

Landscape in the Surrounding Area

In the wider regional surroundings of Kbel lie Zámek Kačina château and Hořánck mountain. Zámek Kačina represents a château, while Hořánck appears as a mountain. Both destinations lie within the same wider regional area, but they introduce different landscape and cultural references into the consideration of the surroundings.

In the immediate surroundings of Kbel there are three further landscape points: Skála hill [Kbel u Ratboře], Chlumeček hill [Kořenice] and Chlum hill. The three hills form their own, closer landscape reference. Their full names distinguish the points from one another and at the same time show that Skála and Chlumeček are named with the additions Kbel u Ratboře and Kořenice, respectively.

The landscape references around Kbel can thus be distinguished according to their spatial level and character: the immediate surroundings feature three hills, while the wider regional surroundings feature a château and a mountain. Together with the wayside cross, the cemetery by the church and the former château, they create a varied picture of local history, art and landscape.

Other places in the shared regional context include Cerhenice, Němčice, Kouřim, Poříčany, Pňov-Předhradí, Mrzky, Vrbčany and Radovesnice Ii.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres Kolín.