Towns
Polná – The Historic Town of 2006
Located in the heart of Vysočina, the ancient town of Polná (the earliest written record dates back to 1242) currently has a population of more than 5,000. The town’s former glory is reflected in its numerous historical monuments, which are dominated by the Dean’s Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the Gothic-Renaissance castle grounds. The inner town’s old-fashioned and nostalgic atmosphere includes some historic attractions of Jewish culture and is complemented by the varied natural scenery of its surroundings. Hence, the historic town of Polná invites you for a visit...
Practical tips:
Information center – Infocentrum
Husovo nám. 39, 588 13 Polná
+420 567 559 211, www.infocentrumpolna.cz, www.město-polna.cz, infocentrum@mu-polna.cz,
po-pá 8.00-12.00, 12.30-16.30, so-ne 9.00-11.30, 12.30-15.30 hod.
Recommended:
The Dean’s Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - National monument
The cathedral was built between 1700 and 1707 according to an original design by Italian master Dominik de Angeli. The three-nave Baroque basilica is one of the Czech Republic’s largest – it is 63 m long, 26 m wide and 22 m high. After a fire in 1863, the tower was re-built according to plans by architect F. Schmoranz, reaching up to a height of 64 m. The interior is richly decorated with stucco ornaments by Florentine artists.
The castle grounds – The Municipal Museum
The original 13th century castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance and the Baroque styles and it currently represents a set of fragments of architectural features that vary in their stylistic influences. Since a fire in 1794, it has never been restored to its original size.
The synagogue – The Regional Jewish Museum
The vaulted synagogue was built by the Jews after the establishment of the ghetto in 1684.
The synagogue is currently owned by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Prague and serves as the Regional Jewish Museum with the following permanent exhibits: “The Story of Leopold Hilsner” and “The History of Jews in Polná”.
A major comprehensive revitalization of the Jewish ghetto is being carried out using EU funds.
The old school of Polná
The old school of Polná is a separate exhibit of the Municipal Museum of Polná. It is housed in the ‘Brož House’ at 77 Poděbradova Street. This is an example of a typical Renaissance townhouse with valuable contemporary elements.
The Jewish cemetery
The walled-in Jewish cemetery contains a gate and is located 700 m northwest of Husovo Square, past Pod Kalvárií Street. The oldest tombstone dates back to 1622, i.e. the period immediately after the Battle of White Mountain.
The cemetery is repaired and maintained by an independent group of volunteer enthusiasts from Polná and Jihlava.
Do not miss:
The opportunity to visit the “U Studánky” sports and leisure area
the sports grounds include artificial grass, a half pipe, ping-pong tables, basketball nets and a children’s playground with swings.
The opportunity to visit the recreational and sports area at the Peklo pond
a natural swimming area, boat and pedal boat rides, beach volleyball courts, a soccer field, a climbing wall, ping-pong tables, a basketball net, petanque.
Make sure to visit other historic towns :
Brtnice
The earliest surviving written record of Brtnice can be found in a deed of donation issued in 1234.
It stretches along the valley of the Brtnice River and, at the same time, along the road connecting the towns of Jihlava and Třebíč. The town’s name is derived from places where beehives (brtě) used to be. Before the Thirty Years’ War, Brtnice was one of the richest towns in the Jihlava region, with flourishing trade and crafts.
Brtnice has 38 listed buildings. A monument zone has been declared that covers about one-third of the village’s current developed area.
Information center – Infocentrum
Náměstí Svobody 74 (Dům Valdštejnů), 588 32 Brtnice
+420 567 571 722, www.brtnice.cz, infocentrum@brtnice.cz
Valdstein House No 74
This corner house is located in the square across from the church and it houses an information centre that offers Brtnice’s visitors a wide range of publications, postcards etc. It also features a museum exhibit dedicated to the major events that have occurred throughout the many centuries of the town’s history, including some artifacts that illustrate these events.
Hoffmann’s House No 263
Hoffmann’s House is a significant architectural, cultural and historical monument. It closes the square’s eastern portion.
The house was owned by several generations of ancestors of architect Josef Hoffmann (born in Brtnice in 1870, died in Vienna in 1956). In 2003, the house was restored to the appearance it had under Josef Hoffmann using photographs of Hoffmann’s modifications. Since 2006, Hoffmann’s House has been a joint branch of the Moravian Gallery in Brno and the Vienna-based Austrian Museum of Applied Arts.
Chotěboř
The town of Chotěboř lies north of the Železné Mountains that are part of the western portion of the Českomoravská vrchovina highlands. In 1949, it became a district town and since 1960 it has been part of the East Bohemian Region. Later, in 2003, it became both part of the Vysočina Region and a 3rd degree municipality with extended authority to conduct state administration duties. The administrative district has a population of 22,000 living in 31 towns and villages. In terms of both size and population, it is the largest member of the Association of Municipalities of Podoubraví.
The information centre is located within the Municipal Library
Krále Jana, 583 01 Chotěboř
+420 569 626 634, www.choteborinfocentrum.webk.cz, infocentrum@chot.cz
The chateau in Chotěboř
The chateau is located on the town’s northern border. This is a two-storey four-winged structure with a courtyard that was built on the site of what was originally a fortress.
St. Anna’s Chapel near Chotěboř
This is a dominant feature that is located on high ground near the town Chotěboř.
Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou
The town lies in the Jaroměřická valley at the foot of the Českomoravská Vrchovina highlands, about 13 km away from Třebíč. Its rich historical and cultural heritage includes the Baroque chateau, St. Margaret’s Church and the life and work of composer František V. Míča and poet Otokar Březina.
Legend has it that the town was founded in 1131 at the site where Prince Jaromír of the Přemyslid dynasty killed a majestic deer. The prince liked the place and ordered it to be cleared of trees and, come spring, measured out for a future town and a small castle. The spring measurement (spring = jaro, measure = měřit) gave the town its name. For centuries, the town’s coat of arms has featured a deer.
Tourist information center
nám. Míru 2, 675 51 Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou
+420 568 408 026, www.jaromericenr.cz, mks@jaromericenr.cz
The Otokar Březina Museum
It was founded by the Otokar Brezina Society in 1931 in a house where the poet had lived until his death. The house’s facade features a commemorative plaque with the poet’s relief that was created according to a portrait by František Bílek.
Little St. Margaret’s Cathedral
Jihlava
Jihlava is located in the middle of the Českomoravská Vrchovina highlands on the border between Bohemia and Moravia (there are four surviving boundary stones bearing witness to this fact). The town boasts a number of early Gothic and Renaissance monuments that rank it – in terms of the number of monuments and their being well-preserved – among the most significant towns in Central Europe. In 1982, Jihlava was awarded the status of an urban monument zone whose 213 listed buildings, dozens of ‘movable’ monuments and its rich and colorful history offer visitors a truly unforgettable experience.
Tourist information center
Masarykovo náměstí 2, 586 01 Jihlava
+420 567 167 158, fax +420 567 167 157, www.visitjihlava.cz, tic@jihlava-city.cz,
The Gate of Our Lady
This is both a typical symbol of the town and the only remaining of the five original medieval gates that has survived. It was built as part of the construction of the town and its fortification system in the early second half of the 13th century.
Gustav Mahler’s house
The origins of what was originally a medieval house at 4 Znojemská Street date back to the 16th century.
The building houses a permanent exhibition of Gustav Mahler and Jihlava that is dedicated not only to this remarkable world-renowned composer and conductor and his family (the Gustav and Alma portion), but it also addresses the coexistence of the Czech, German and Jewish heritages within the Jihlava area.
Náměšť nad Oslavou
Náměšť nad Oslavou was formed as an original market settlement at a ford across the Oslava River. Not until the 14th century under the Lords of Lomnice did Náměšť become a vassal town administered by the nobility. Since time immemorial, Náměšť has had the right of two annual fairs and many other privileges. A period of the town’s unprecedented cultural and economic prosperity came before the Battle of White Mountain under the rule of the Zierotin family. Beginning in the mid 18th century, life in the town was significantly influenced by the last owners of the manor, the Haugwitz family. In 1850, Náměšť became the seat of the judicial district and in 1923 it was promoted to a town.
Information center – Infocentrum
Masarykovo nám. 100, 675 71 Náměšť nad Oslavou
+420 568 620 493, www.namestnosl.cz, mks-namest@iol.cz,
The chateau - National monument
This was originally a castle for Moravian princes. In the 13th century, the castle acquired the character of a Gothic fortress.
Between 1572 and 1579, it was rebuilt into a Renaissance chateau by Jan Sr. of Zierotin. The last owners, the Haugwitz family, owned the chateau until 1945 when it was confiscated and adapted to serve as the summer residence of the President of the Republic.
The Baroque statue-lined bridge
The Baroque bridge across the Oslava River was commissioned by the owner of the Náměšť manor, Count Wenzel Adrian Enckevoirt in 1737 on the site of the original bridge that had been destroyed by a flood in 1706. Its construction was completed by the subsequent owners of the manor, the Kufstein family, who had a collection of 20 Baroque statues placed along the bridge. Josef Winterhalder Sr. made the designs and arguably also the models for these statues. He may also have sculpted 4 angels and an additional four statues of saints from sandstone. The remaining statues were made by Alexander Jelínek.
Nové Město na Moravě
With its population of ten thousand, this is the administrative centre of the Vysočina area. It has a rich cultural and sporting tradition and offers a wide range of services. Also, this is the birthplace of prominent sculptors Jan Štursa and Vincent Makovský in addition to other painters and artists.
The city features numerous historical sites and major tourist attractions such as the Horácká Gallery and the Horácké Museum. It is located near ski slopes and tens of kilometers of well-maintained ski tracks. International cross-country skiing and biathlon competitions are regularly held at the ski resort. In 2013, the Biathlon World Championships will be held there.
The Municipal Information Centre in Nové Město Nové Moravě
Vratislavovo náměstí 97, 592 31 Nové Město na Moravě
+420 566 650 254, www.nmnm.cz, ic@nmnm.cz
The old town hall – the former Renaissance town hall from the mid-16th century currently houses the Horácké Museum and features a unique attraction in the atrium – a set of moving folk figures that are driven by the “Vírský mlejnek” water wheel.
The chateau – dating back to the 16th century, the facility – consisting of a series of several buildings with two enclosed courtyards – were rebuilt after a town fire in the 1st half of the 18th century. Thanks to its location in the historical central square, the chateau is the town’s dominant feature. Today, it houses an exhibition of the Horácká Gallery.
Pacov
The town of Pacov, the birthplace of prominent Czech poet Antonín Sova, is located on the border of the Vysočina and the South Bohemian Regions, between the cities of Pelhřimov and Tábor. The town’s origins can be traced back to the 13th century, as evidenced by the earliest surviving written records and tangible sources. The urban monument zone includes the historic heart of Pacov and some adjacent streets. The town boasts numerous restored and well-maintained monuments and buildings in the square and the newly renovated chateau to name but a few. The town’s surroundings offer ideal conditions for active leisure time – marked walking and cycling trails.
The Tourist Information Centre of the Strážiště Micro-region
Hronova 1078, 395 01 Pacov
+420 608 302 065,+420 565 443 307, www.infocentrum.straziste.cz
The Antonín Sova Municipal Museum in Pacov
The museum that bears the name of the prominent Czech poet Antonín Sova was founded in 1908 by historian Prof. Ferdinand Pakosta. The institution collects unique materials on international motorcycle races that were held at the Pacov circuit from 1905-1906 and later.
The urban monument zone
The urban monument zone in Pacov was declared in 1990, reflecting the town’s historical medieval origins and its numerous architectural and cultural monuments. Along with some other structures, it forms an urban complex.
Počátky
Počátky lies within the cadastral area of the former Pelhřimov district, among wooded hills, with an abundance of ponds and springs of brooks that are the beginnings of great rivers. This is where the town originally derives its name from. The Počátecko area was settled in the 13th century. The oldest known owner was Vítek of Švábenice, and it was subsequently owned by the Lords of Hardegg, the Lords of Hradec, the Slavata and the Sternberg families. In the late 17th century, the Žirovnice manor and Počátky came under the rule of the Sternberg family as part of a dowry. The town’s coat of arms still includes the coats of arms and the initials of both spouses, namely Anna Lucia Slavatovna and Adolf Wratislav.
Tourist information center
Palackého náměstí 7, 394 64 Počátky
+420 561 034 920-1, www.pocatkly.cz, infocentrum@pocatky.cz
The town hall
The Municipal Authority is located at no l. The early Baroque town hall, which was remodeled after a fire in 1821, features a statue of St John Nepomucenus from 1717 that was created by František Baugut.
The urban monument zone
Počátky has been an urban monument zone since 1989. The zone itself consists of the triangular Palackého square that is dominated by the Church of St. John the Baptist and a statue of St John Nepomucenus. The square is enclosed by a fortification wall that originally used to have two gateways.
You can learn about the town’s history at the municipal museum, which is the oldest in the Pelhřimov district.
Přibyslav
It is located on the upper course of the Sázava River. The earliest written record dates back to 1257 in connection with silver mining. We are reminded of the town’s medieval origins by its U-shaped square and its system of underground tunnels. The oldest surviving building is the Gothic town tower that is located in close proximity of a Baroque church, a rectory and a manor hospital. On 11 October 1424, Jan Žižka of Trocnov died near Přibyslav, close to today’s village of Žižkovo Pole. There is located the Žižka mound. The town is the birthplace of well-known publisher Jan Otto, architect and builder Ing. Stanislav Bechyně, a member of the Academy of Sciences, and sculptor Roman Podrázský, whose work adorns the entire town.
Information center – Infocentrum
Kulturní zařízení města Přibyslav, Informační centrum a městské muzeum
Bechyňovo náměstí 45, 582 22 Přibyslav
+420 569 484 257, +420 569 484 361, wwwkzmpri
The Přibyslav chateau
The chateau was commissioned by Zachariáš of Hradec as his hunting mansion in 1560. Today, it houses the Centre of the Firefighting Movement of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, and the largest firefighters’ museum that charts the activities of firefighting forces not only in the Czech Republic, but practically all over the world.
Kurfürst’s House
This old townhouse is currently the seat of both the municipal museum and the Cultural Facilities of the Town of Přibyslav.
Telč (UNESCO)
Telč, one of the Czech Republic’s oldest towns, is a highly popular and much admired place. The townhouses in the historical square feature gables that are decorated with graffiti and frescoes and cannot conceal their Italian inspiration and, even today, they still look the same as they did at the time of their greatest glory, under the reign of the Lords of Hradec. In recognition of its architectural uniqueness, the town has been entered in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.
Information center – Infocentrum
nám. Zachariáše z Hradce 10, 588 56 Telč
+420 567 112 407 – 8, www.telc-etc.eu, info@telc-etc.cz
The Tower of St. Spirit
The Fire House Municipal Gallery
On the site of today’s gallery used to be a Gothic-vaulted gate with a Renaissance gable from the 17th century that led to a meat market.
Fotogalerie
