Kolaje: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Kolaje lies on the northeastern slope of Oškobrh. Oškobrh is a 94.1636-hectare Site of Community Importance. The Oškobrh Natura 2000 site protects the habitat of the great capricorn beetle. The area is predominantly forested and includes thermophilous oak forests as well as xerothermic grasslands on its southwestern slopes. Oškobrh also contains habitats of the great capricorn beetle, xerothermic steppe grasslands, and exposed marl outcrops.

Landscape at Oškobrh

Oškobrh consists of two peaks separated by a narrow depression. Its landscape combines wooded areas with dry, thermophilous vegetation zones and exposed marl outcrops. The area's distinctive geological and ecological structure is evident both on the southwestern slopes and on the two peaks.

Kolaje Between Its Founding and Local History

Kolaje was founded in 1777 on the pastures of the former settlement of Mastnice during the Raabisation. The settlement was named after the Hofrat Jan František Hermann von Hermannsdorf and called Hermannsdorf. Historical names for Kolaje were Heřmanice, Heřmanovice, Hermannsdorf, and Heřmandorf. Kolaje was first mentioned in written sources in 1790.

The local name “Na kolajích” referred to the poor condition of the old road for horse-drawn carts, with one rut running alongside another. In 1802, a fire destroyed more than half of the houses in Kolaje down to their foundations. The houses destroyed by the 1802 fire were subsequently rebuilt as masonry houses.

Archaeological Traces and Sacred History

The archaeological area at Oškobrh contains traces of the former medieval settlement of Oškobrhy. The historic settlement comprised 18 original farmsteads. Its houses were arranged in two rows, with nine houses in each row.

The two peaks of Oškobrh also bear different historical traces: in the 1st millennium BC, the higher peak was a La Tène hillfort site, while the lower peak was a Slavic hillfort in the 5th to 6th centuries. The remains of a medieval church have been preserved on Oškobrh; it was later transformed into a pilgrimage site in the Baroque period.

Historic Roads and the Village Bell Tower

The remaining section of the old Kolínská cesta toward the neighboring Oškobrh has been preserved almost in its original condition. In the past, this road was the shortest and most direct connection between the two villages. There are no marked hiking trails through Kolaje.

A traditional public service was held at the village bell tower in Kolaje on May 7, 2017. A traditional May service was announced for May 7, 2017, at 11 a.m. at the bell tower in Kolaje; refreshments were planned for the participants.

Other places: Velenka, Loučeň, Netřebice, Vrbová Lhota, Prerov Nad Labem, Žitovlice, Choťánky, Kovanice

To the higher-level travel overview: Nymburk District.