In the early Middle Ages, there was already a fishing village situated here on the banks of the Jizera River. The village was founded by the Cistercian Order from the nearby Hradiště monastery. Possibly the legendary “Baka”, one of the first colonists, gave the village its name. The first written reports on the settlement from the beginning of the 14th century state that Zdislav of Lemberk (son of the legendary St. Zdislava of Lemberk) completed the work on Zvířetice Castle on the nearby promontory above the right bank of the Jizera River. This was his Gothic twin-towered fortress. Bakov, originally a parish village and then a town with a pottery tradition from the 16th century, became part of the Zvířetice estate for many centuries onwards.

Bakov always survived the hardships through the centuries, such as the  fires of the Thirty Years’ War, the Plague and periodic flooding. At the time when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was performing his superb operatic works in Prague and Vienna in the second half of the 18th century, the gallery of the Church of St. Bartholomew (Chrám svatého Bartoloměje) in Bakov was resounding with the church compositions of Jiří Ignác Linek (locally born composer).

The traditional crafts of weaving with reed-mace and reed were born in Bakov in the 19th century. The fame spread beyond the borders of the region. The king of poets, Johann Wolfgang Goethe himself bought a basket from the Bakov workshop during his stay at Mariánské Lázně spa. The town on the Jizera River gained a new connection to the world in 1865 — the railway line to Trutnov and Prague.

The square in Bakov is guarded by the Church of St. Bartholomew, a silent witness of the past with a memory stretching back to the very beginnings of the town settlement. The basis of the massive Renaissance building is the ancient Chapel of the Virgin Mary, the first shrine in the former village. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Church of St. Barbara (Chrám svaté Barbory) arose on the outskirts of the small town. The entrance to the grounds of the cemetery that surrounds it is fitted with a majestic gateway decorated with a relief from 1588. The Holy Trinity Column was believed to help avert the Plague; the column has been the centrepiece of the Bakov square since 1729. Three major modern architectural achievements were implemented in the 20th century. These were the Ensemble of Prokop the Great in Functionalist style during the golden era of the First Republic, and also the buildings of Sokolovna and the Municipal Savings Bank.

Nowadays, Bakov nad Jizerou is both a dynamically developing town and a peaceful place for living in the modern world. In a region with numerous job opportunities, the town provides cultural, sporting and recreational activities, as well as facilities suitable for families with children.

The Museum of the Bakov Region provides information on the history of the town and its traditions. The Museum is situated near the Church of St. Bartholomew. In the recently opened Zvířetice Tourist Information Centre in the village of Podhradí, there is a unique virtual reconstruction of the ancient structure of Zvířetice Castle. It is a fascinating insight into the many shapes and changes. Active sportsmen can enjoy the modern leisure complex with an inline track. Hiking enthusiasts can go to the Klokočka Forest Park, which also contains an educational trail with tasks for children. The educational trail  leads to the Baroque Chapel with a spring of excellent tasting drinking water.

A festival of folk dancing and singing has traditionally been held annually in Bakov nad Jizerou, with participation by leading Czech ensembles.