Chotuc

Chotuc is a solitary, wooded hill rising right above the village of Mečíř in the Central Bohemian Region, Nymburk district. It sticks up from the flat Polabí lowland like an island in a sea of fields, which explains why people were already climbing it in the Iron Age. The whole area has been protected as a natural monument since 1999, and a well-marked nature trail leads all the way to the top.

What kind of hill is Chotuc?

Chotuc is a classic "witness hill" — an isolated remnant ridge built from Upper Turonian to Coniacian limestone (opuka), capped with layers of siliceous claystone near the summit. It stretches on an east–west axis, rises roughly 65 metres above the surrounding plain, and its highest point sits a little above 250 metres above sea level. The protected area itself covers just under 29 hectares of forest and slope grassland.

How do you get to Chotuc?

The hill sits between the villages of Mečíř and Křinec, a few kilometres north of Nymburk. The easiest approach is to drive or cycle to either village and pick up the marked educational trail from there — the climb is short and needs no hiking experience, making it a good option for a family walk or an afternoon bike trip through the Polabí countryside.

What will you see at the top?

The summit holds a small Chapel of the Holy Trinity, built in the 13th century, next to an old cemetery. That's no coincidence: Chotuc had been a pilgrimage and cult site long before Christianity arrived, and rather than fight the tradition, the Church simply took it over by putting its own shrine on the same spot. The clearing around the chapel opens up wide views over the fields and villages of the Elbe lowland below.

What's the history behind the hill?

Between the 6th and 5th centuries BC, the summit carried a Hallstatt-to-La Tène period hillfort — traces of a settlement more than 2,500 years old are still visible in the shape of the terrain today. The hill was regarded as an important cult site both in Celtic times and throughout the Middle Ages, when pilgrims from surrounding villages regularly climbed it.

Is there anything interesting for nature lovers?

The sunny south-facing slope is one of the region's botanical highlights. It's home to a rare orchid species (locally called vstavač nachový), with around 80 flowering specimens counted here in a good year, alongside other heat-loving, dry-grassland plants typical of sun-exposed limestone hills.

When is the best time to visit?

Late spring and early summer are ideal, when the orchids are in bloom and the slope grasslands are at their most colourful. In autumn the hill offers a quieter atmosphere and clearer views through the thinning canopy, while in winter, on a clear day, snow on the summit contrasts nicely with the dark green of the surrounding forest.

Frequently asked questions

How high is Chotuc? The hill reaches a little over 250 metres above sea level and rises about 65 metres above the surrounding Polabí plain — not much in absolute terms, but enough to dominate the flat landscape around it.

Can you drive up to the top? No, the summit is only reachable on foot, via the marked nature trail starting from Mečíř or Křinec. The walk up is short and easy.

Why is there a chapel on the summit? The site was an important pagan cult place as far back as the Iron Age. In the 13th century the Catholic Church absorbed that pilgrimage tradition by building the Chapel of the Holy Trinity right on top of the hill.

What's the main natural attraction on Chotuc? A population of a rare orchid growing on the sunny southern slope — one of the more notable botanical sites in the Nymburk district.