Meet the King and let him give you a ride
Have you never known a king in your life? Now’s your chance! King George of Poděbrady needs no introduction, but if you do return to your memories of primary school. You remember? So come and get to know him up close and personal. Where else but in Poděbrady can a steamship boast this name? King George left a big mark on Czech history, so the ship named after him is no small cockleboat. It’s a large passenger ship that was built in 1984, exactly 564 years after the birth of the King of flesh and bones. It offers passengers a lower closed deck and an upper open deck, ideal for summer sightseeing cruises. The on-board restaurant will make your cruise more enjoyable, so your royal comfort will be taken care of. Get on board and enjoy a trip on the royal steamer from Poděbrady upstream to the confluence with the Cidlina.
Where can you find him? Well, it’s in the château!
The King George cruise liner is moored in the dock below the château on Château embankment (Zámecké nábřeží), about three hundred metres from King George Square. Just lots of kings here If you arrive by motor steed you will see the boat a short distance from the road bridge over the Elbe. You can park your car in several places around the square. You usually pay something for it. You can find one of them right next to the château. You can get to the dock through it even if you walk from the square. There are steps down to the waterfront, as well as if you walk towards the road bridge. It is also accessible for disabled persons, you only need to take a small detour around the road bridge and Poděbrady Brewery. In that case, grab a parking spot right there by the waterfront cycle path.
Get out of town together
There is a lot to see along the way. Right at the beginning of the cruise you will have the Poděbrady Château in front of you and the Poděbrady lock just a short distance away. Along the bank, the entire trip is lined with the Elbe Trail cycle path, which you can use immediately for your next expedition around the floodplain forests. Just a royal estate, as it should be!
The destination of the royal expedition is at the confluence of the Elbe and Cidlina rivers, where the boat stops. It’s up to you whether you get off here or sail the boat back. Take your time on the return journey, it is worth getting off and returning with the next group on the next line. You can sit on the outdoor terrace of the local restaurant. In order not to spend all your time in the wilderness, you can take a walk to the nearby village of Libice nad Cidlinou, where you will find the remains of the Slavník hillfort.
Check the timetable because in the season from May to August the King sails every day, and you can even choose from several times. It’s not as common in the off-season, but I’m sure you’ll still get your pick.
Back to the château and maybe to the spa
You already know the way from Poděbrady, so you can make it back like a king. Besides, what ruler would walk, right? But you don’t have to sail again. If you pack your skates, scooter or even a bike, the cycle path becomes a royal way back.
By water or by land, when you arrive back in Poděbrady, take a walk through the spa park and stop at one of the local establishments. There’s more than enough to choose from here. And you can’t miss the local château, where you can also find the Polabské Museum Poděbrady and the Monument to King George of Poděbrady. You can finish it off at the local cinema, which screens directly in the château grounds. So have fun and a royal time!
