First published: 15/01/20.

Ian Cade 1.5

Kladruby Nad Labem

Kladruby nad Labem (Inscribed)

Kladruby nad Labem by Ian Cade

As interesting as a horse farm can be, if this appeals to you, there probably aren’t many better places to visit, it is well maintained and thoroughly explained (in Czech unless otherwise arranged). 

For me the appeal was rather slim, I was merely doing my duty and visiting on an unseasonably warm lovely Saturday afternoon in October 2019. The details have been covered in the other reviews, but I will say the landscape around the farms were pleasant to stroll through, seeing mares and foals gambolling away in the distance.

My visit was fine, but this is about as far removed from my interest as it is likely to get.

The highlight was the welcome and help given by the staff, mostly only Czech speaking, though one lovely guide spoke excellent English. She finished a tour on the dot to drive me to the station in a rush to get my train (more on that below).

(Site 2: Experience 5)


Visiting by public transport:

The nearest train station is at Řečany nad Labem which is about 3km south of the main stables. On weekdays there are connecting busses, however, the station one stop east is Přelouč could provide a better connection, so check the full itinerary at idos.cz to find out where is best to get off there train. These give you a chance to rejoice in getting acquainted with the Czech language’s unique and devious letter: Ř

If you arrive at the weekend though, there are no busses, nor much chance of a taxi (I was advised they would have to be booked to come in from Kolin, if you are heading in from Prague or Kutna Hora, it may be worth just getting a taxi from there, if your budget allows). 

Řečany nad Labem station is rather small, it had a ticket office, a toilet and a bench all with comically minimal opening times (07:50–08:10, 09:40–10:10, 11:40–14:10, 14:40–18:05), and not much else. So don’t be relying on it for anything substantial, and there isn’t a chance to leave any bags, or buy food/ drink.

As it was I had an enjoyable walk out to the stables (roughly 40 minutes each way), and from the moment you cross the Labe/Elbe river you are in the core zone and you can start to see the long avenues of trees. Though you will have to walk the long way around the main buildings as there is no access from the south (the direction you are approaching from).

The train connections at weekends are pretty sparse, as such a slightly delayed arrival left me with 2 hours to kill in Pardubice. Fortunately this is enough time to walk into the rather charming central square and visit the impressive castle. Whilst probably not of World Heritage quality these two are rather lovely and I’m happy to have finally visited.
Pardubice train station is also a rather lovely sleek mid century modernist ensemble selling some of the lovely local gingerbread.

If you are coming in from the west (e.g. Prague) you will probably have to change at Kolin, which many may already be familiar with as it is the point to change to get to Kutna Hora, a few kilometres to the south.

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