Šibice Settlement

Welcome to the Costa Lates over the Elbe. You're standing in front of the buildings that form the Šibic area. If you look at them now, you will see a set of structures that today serve as a mansion for several different companies. You may be interested in their practical character at first glance, but behind these walls lies a long history that goes deep into the history of Central Bohemia. Feel the atmosphere of this place, which is located in the part of the village of Hronetice and which has been closely connected for centuries with the surrounding countryside and powerful family kingdoms.

Let's go back in time together to understand how this place came to be. Šibice is not just an ordinary assembly of buildings but a witness to the changes that have affected our countries. The first written references to this place introduce us until the end of the fifth century before our current period, namely the year of a thousand four hundred ninety-two. At that time, Šibice appears in the will of a nobleman named Hynke z Poděbrad. It was in the year of the thousand four hundred seventy-two castle Mydlovar and the surrounding Šibice, which made this place a part of an important estate. In the early days, it was a very small settlement, probably the centre of which was the local tavern, where people from the neighborhood met.

Now that you see the space around you, focus your attention on the scope of this area. What you see in front of you is not the original small settlement, but the remains of the great court. To understand why buildings are so large, we need to look at a dramatic break in history. In the year six hundred and eighteen, after the uprising of the states, Šibice went under the administration of the imperial estate in Lysá nad Labem. But almost at the same time, there was a 30-year war that left deep wounds in our countries. Šibice was no exception. The settlement was completely destroyed during this conflict and subsequently abandoned. Imagine this wasteland, where there was nothing but debris and silence.

But it was from these ruins that what you see today was born. Around the year a thousand and six hundred fifty began to work here Count Jan Špork. He was a man of great vision and considerable means who decided to revive the destroyed settlement. Instead of a small village with a tavern, a large manor court was built here. This large estate was designed to serve as a centre of economic management and production. Note the overall structure of the buildings, which reflects the character of the court, where everything was organized for the efficient functioning of the large economy. Over the next centuries, this court has been rebuilt several times to meet the needs of that time, which explains why we see a combination of various building interventions today.

When we think about the personalities involved in this place, Jan Špork is the most prominent character. His ambition turned Šibice from a small forgotten corner into a prosperous economic hub. Without his intervention, there would probably not be the buildings you're standing by today. It is fascinating to realize that this space has in the past been a place of hard work, land management and crop collection, while today in Germany the life of modern businesses.

Here is one interesting thing that will help you better perceive the uniqueness of this place. Although Šibice today is so significant thanks to the court and is already mentioned in the documents from the end of the fifth century, it has never been a separate community throughout its history. They always remained in a certain relation to the surroundings, first to the castle of Myslovar and later to the village of Hronetice. It is a hidden jewel which, although not having the status of a separate city or village, has outnumbered many other places with its historical value and dimensions of the court. It's a reminder of how they could have a powerful influence on one man's ambition, like Count Spork.

Look around you again. Feel the contrast between the quiet surroundings of Kostomlát nad Labem and the robustness of these buildings. Even though farmers do not work in the buildings today, but employees of modern companies, history remains tangible. Every stone and every wall tells the story of the rise, a deep fall during the war and subsequent rebirth.

We now invite you to look around in peace and try to imagine what this place looked like at the time of its greatest glory, when the court and economic tourism ruled. Take a look around the area and feel the connection with the Polabi landscape. We hope this short trip to the past has helped you better understand the meaning of the Shibice. Thank you for your attention and we wish you a pleasant continuation in discovering the beauty of the Central Bohemian Region. Goodbye.