Český Brod, Kolín District, Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic

🇨🇿 Český Brod is a town in Kolín District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.

Administrative parts The villages of Liblice and Štolmíř are administrative parts of Český Brod.

Geography Český Brod is located about 23 km (14 mi) east of Prague. It lies in a flat agricultural landscape of the Central Elbe Table. The Šembera river flows through the town.

History Český Brod was probably founded in the 12th century by the bishop of Prague Jan I. In 1286, it was promoted to a town. From that time till the beginning of the 14th century, the town's name was Biskupský Brod (Broda Episcopalis, meaning "Bishop's ford"). In 1437, the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund designated Český Brod a free royal town.

Until 1918, the town was part of the Austrian monarchy (in the Austrian part of the empire after the compromise of 1867), head of the Böhmisch Brod – Český Brod District, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.

Transport Český Brod is situated between road I/12 from Prague to Kolín and the D11 motorway from Prague to Hradec Králové. The town also has a railway station located on the international corridor from Prague to Česká Třebová. The station was opened in 1845, and is served by local trains from Prague to Kolín.

Education In Český Brod, there are 3 kindergartens, 2 primary schools, a school for students with special needs, a gymnasium, and a high school of economics (in Liblice).

Culture Rock for People, an annual summer music festival, was held in Český Brod from 1995 to 2006. In 2007 the festival relocated to Hradec Králové.

Sights The remains of the town walls have been preserved almost the entire perimeter of the old town. Despite their incompleteness, the preserved fortifications of Český Brod are among the most important examples of town fortifications from the reign of George of Poděbrady.

The Church of Saint Gotthard was originally a Romanesque church from the 1130s. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the mid-14th century, modified in the Renaissance style in the 17th century, and then completely rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1765–1772. A late Gothic belfry from 1578–1580 stands next to the church.

The Church of the Holy Trinity is a Renaissance building from 1560–1562, originally built behind the town walls as a cemetery church.

The Old Town Hall is one of the oldest town hall buildings in the Czech Republic. The originally Gothic house was built before 1402. Today it is the seat of a gallery, the town's cultural and information centre and the town library. The premises of the former prison are used for exhibition purposes.

The current Neo-Renaissance town hall was built in 1897–1898. It has been used as the town hall since 1949 and is also protected as a cultural monument.

Telecommunications A large medium wave broadcasting facility is located in Liblice part of Český Brod.