Sometime between 1134 and 1139, a market village was founded on the site, probably by the Prague bishop John I. In the 13th century, another Prague bishop, John III of Dražice, promoted the village to a town named Biskupský Brod. Český Brod was promoted to a free royal town in 1437 by the emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg. It is one of only a few central Bohemian towns with partially intact medieval city walls and bastions. Other historic landmarks include the Gothic Church of St. Gotthard, which was later rebuilt in the Baroque style, a Gothic bell tower and the neo-Renaissance Podlipanske Museum building. Another place of interest is an ancient Gothic cellar network stretching out underneath many of the historic buildings in the town centre. In 1993, the underground areas were made partially accessible to the public.