Short walks starting from the folk architecture museum in Přerov nad Labem: 4 km to 8 km

The open-air museum in Přerov nad Labem features some perfectly reconstructed or relocated examples of 18th and 19th century folk architecture, all conveniently located in small enclosed area just next to the intriguing Renaissance chateau. It is well worth a visit.
Take a moment also to walk around the impressive chateau, with its striking Renaissance sgraffito wall decorations and deep brick/lined moat. The chateau is not open to the public but was used at various points in the 20th century. Its origins as a moated medieval castle are obvious but it takes a while to work out that this was originally a four-winged chateau, only two of which remain (somewhat precariously it appears given the rather incongruous modern buttresses supporting the remaining walls).
If tempted to extend a visit to Přerov with a short walk in the area, consider a stroll to the top of the nearby Přerovská hůra, an unusual flat-topped hill, which was the site of an Iron Age (Celtic period) fortification. The trip can be extended with a loop taking in a section of the Labe river path, returning to Přerov through the riverside forests, to discover the abandoned 19th century flood protection system.
Přerovská hůra one of three so called ‘witness hills’ in the area around the village of Přerov nad Labem. These prominent hills are relics of the time when the low lying Bohemian basin was flooded with a tropical sea during the Cretaceous period, some 90 million years ago. The hills are formed from sand and silt deposited on the bottom of the shallow sea and compressed into hardened sandstone and marlstone layers. The surrounding layers were eroded away over leaving these hills isolated in the otherwise flat floodplain of the Labe river.
The full circuit described above is around 8.5 km long, with just 50m of ascent up the hill. The paths are easy, but can be muddy at times. For refreshments, try the popular Hostinec u skanzenu pub, with its rustic interior and outside terrace area. It is just down the main street from the museum.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’ to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

Přerov nad Labem can be reached by bus from the mainline train station in Nymburk. For drivers, there is a large parking area opposite the chateau, just next to the museum.
After visiting the museum and walking around the chateau moat, walk down the main street following the YELLOW hiking trail marks
After 500m at the playground turn right, still following the YELLOW marks. The path leads gently uphill to reach the summit area of Přerovská hůra after 1 km
Return back down the hill on the same route to reach the playground
If wanting to do the loop including a section of the Labe river path, turn right at the playground and then left after 50m
Take the marked cycle route past the sports fields and reach the river after 1.3 km
Turn left when reaching the river and walk on the riverbank path for 1.2 km until reaching a trail junction, where one branch of the GREEN marked trail continues along the river to Čelákovice, and the branch to the left returns back to Přerov after 2.5 km
In the forest area on the way back there are the visible traces of the flood protection system created in the 19th century to protect the village (before the weir and lock system were built at Nymburk)