jezírko Jordán

Jezírko Jordán is a small pond in Poděbrady, all that remains of a much larger body of water once known as Rybník Jordán. It sits on the left bank of the town, right next to the so-called "miners' church" of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, away from the grand spa-town centre of Poděbrady.

Where does the name Jordán come from?

The name goes back to the historic Rybník Jordán, a far larger pond that stood on this site from the Middle Ages onward. Local tradition holds that in the 16th and 17th centuries the pond was used to punish dishonest bakers - those who baked bread that fell short of the required weight or quality, known as "unworthy bread." Offenders were locked into wooden cages and dunked into the water in front of the townsfolk. By the 17th century this humiliating punishment had been replaced with a straightforward fine. Today's jezírko Jordán is only a small fragment of that original, much larger pond.

What stands next to the pond?

Between the pond and the church stands a wooden bell tower - a multi-storey, box-shaped structure with a shingle roof, housing two bells. It was built in 1516, funded by a donation from the Rynda family, and this date also happens to be the earliest written record of the tower's existence. In 1921, lightning struck a poplar tree growing beside it during a storm, then travelled into the tower's upper level and started a fire that destroyed its top section. The structure standing today is a later rebuild of the original.

The church itself, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and known locally as the miners' church, stands outside Poděbrady's historic centre, on the left bank of the river. The site carries a grim history: in August 1496, ten of the thirteen leaders of the Kutná Hora miners' uprising were executed here. The present building was rebuilt and consecrated toward the end of the 19th century.

What is jezírko Jordán like today?

Today the pond mainly serves as a recreational spot. A walking path runs around the water, offering views across the pond toward the miners' church and its wooden bell tower. It is a popular destination for both Poděbrady locals and spa visitors looking for a quiet break away from the bustle of the town's grand spa centre.

Why is it worth a visit?

Jezírko Jordán combines a calm, green setting with a genuinely dramatic past - water, wooden sacred architecture and centuries-old events all come together in a small space. Thanks to the neighbouring church and bell tower, the area feels distinctly different from Poděbrady's stately spa-town centre: quieter, greener and more intimate.

Frequently asked questions

What is jezírko Jordán? It's a small pond in Poděbrady, the remnant of the much larger former Rybník Jordán.

Why is it called Jordán? The name comes from the historic pond where, according to tradition, dishonest bakers were punished in the 16th and 17th centuries by being submerged in wooden cages.

What stands next to the pond? A wooden bell tower from 1516 and the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, known as the miners' church.

Is jezírko Jordán in the centre of Poděbrady? No, it lies outside the town's historic centre, in a quieter part of Poděbrady on the left bank of the river.