PLACE DU ROI-GEORGES-DE-PODEBRAD

The center of the old town is the almost triangular (you can see a deformed trapezoid) King George's Square in Podebrad (Náměstí kralé Jiřího z Poděbrad). Discovering, at the turn of a street, its colorful houses from various eras is an enchantment. As around many squares in the Czech Republic, the architecture displays a great diversity of styles and periods, without this detracting from the harmony of the whole, particularly successful in this case. The houses with high pointed roofs and characteristic mansards are charming and each one deserves a few minutes of attention for its architectural details, windows, sashes or sgraffiti. The colors of the blue, yellow, sienna or pink facades create a patchwork on which the eye glides with ease from one building to another.

The inhabitants themselves come to contemplate them, from the two fountains of the square, representing Hercules and the knight Roland. The square was once the site of a large market.

In the northern part of the square, in the lower part, there is a small detached block of houses. This is the Špalíček ("block"), a collection of small houses and stores of Jewish merchants from the 16th century. This tiny complex is traversed by an alley and would have developed from the market stalls of the time, which would have gradually lost their temporary character.

Taking Kamenná Street (north of the square), one quickly reaches the Church of St. Wenceslas (Kostel Sv. Václava), which was once used for the ceremonies of a Dominican monastery. The Church of St. Nicholas (Kostel Sv. Mikuláše), which can be reached by taking Kodtelní Street to the north of the square, is a Gothic church remodeled in the 18th century by the famous architect Balthasar Neumann, a native of Cheb. Continuing along the same street, we reach the Church of St. Bartholomew (Sv. Bartoloměj). It dates back to the 15th century and now houses an exhibition of Gothic art.

To the south of King George of Podbrad Square. Františkánske Square is reached via Provaznická or Jateční Street, then Dlouhá, southwest of the main square. It is surrounded by two interesting churches. The first one, on the east side, is a small Baroque gem by Christoph Dientzenhofer. Dedicated to St. Clare (Sv. Klára), it was the main place of worship of a former monastery. Opposite it is the Gothic church with a long name: the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary (kostel Zvěstování Panny Marie).