bell tower in Tuklaty

The bell tower of Tuklaty is a three-story stone tower standing on a rocky rise above a pond in the northern part of the village of Tuklaty, in the Kolín District of the Central Bohemian Region. The neighboring settlement of Tlustovousy is now part of the same municipality, which is why both names sometimes come up when describing this one site.

Where did this tower come from?

The structure wasn't built as a bell tower at all — it started out as the defensive tower of a medieval fortified manor, or tvrz. The first written record of the local stronghold dates to 1400, when a tower called "turis" is named as the seat of Jeňek (Jan) of Čáchy; it had been raised shortly after 1385. Tuklaty changed hands several times during the turbulent 15th century, and by 1428, under the Čečko family of Pakoměřice, the manor was already recorded as abandoned. The rocky hill, dropping steeply on three sides toward the pond below, made the spot a naturally defensible position.

How did a manor tower become a bell tower?

Rather than being torn down, the ruined tower got a second life more than two centuries later. After 1668, the abandoned manor's tower was rebuilt in Baroque style and repurposed as a bell tower — an unusual path for a religious structure, reusing the thick stone walls of a former stronghold instead of building from scratch. That layered history is still visible today: narrow defensive loopholes from the tower's military past sit alongside Baroque windows added during the 17th-century conversion.

What's inside, and what happened here?

The bell tower originally held three bells cast in the 16th and 17th centuries. One was destroyed during the First World War, while the others survive as evidence of the region's old bell-founding craft. The tower also has a wartime footnote: in May 1945, it served as an observation post for the Czech resistance, tying it into the local story of the war's final days.

There's an unexpected scientific chapter as well. In 1819, the tower served as a survey point for František Ignác Kasián Halaška, a noted Czech mathematician, physicist and astronomer, during the first historical triangulation survey of Czech towns and villages, carried out with a naval sextant. It's a rare case of a small village structure having a documented role in the history of Czech cartography.

Getting there

Tuklaty lies in the Kolín District, close to the route connecting Prague and Kolín, making it an easy stop while touring Central Bohemia. The tower stands somewhat apart from the village center, on high ground above the pond, so plan on a short walk uphill — the terrain around the rock is uneven due to the steep slopes on three sides. While in the area, it's worth also seeing the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the village's main religious landmark.

Who is this stop for?

The bell tower of Tuklaty appeals mainly to visitors interested in medieval defensive architecture and local history rather than travelers looking for a major, infrastructure-heavy attraction. It's an authentic remnant of the region's old feudal settlement pattern in the Kolín area. Pairing the visit with other nearby sights makes sense, since the village of Tuklaty — together with Tlustovousy — has a documented history going back to the 13th century.

Frequently asked questions

Was the Tuklaty bell tower always a bell tower? No — it began as the defensive tower of a medieval fortified manor, built shortly after 1385. It only became a bell tower after 1668, when it was rebuilt in Baroque style.

Why was the manor abandoned? The stronghold was already recorded as abandoned by 1428, under the Čečko family of Pakoměřice, following several changes of ownership during the unsettled 15th century.

What role did the tower play during wartime? In May 1945 it served as an observation post for the Czech resistance, and earlier, during the First World War, one of its three historic bells was destroyed.

Are Tuklaty and Tlustovousy the same place? They are two neighboring settlements belonging to the same municipality in the Kolín District, which is why the bell tower is sometimes referenced under both names.