Towns

Located on the border between Bohemia and Moravia, the town attracts visitors with the unique atmosphere of its historic heart that was completely restored in 1994. This is a place where nearly all architectural styles meet. Although the town gained an industrial character in the 19th century, the beauties of church and town architecture have remained intact. Today, Svitavy is a town of culture and sports, a modern and vibrant place for active leisure time and a starting point for special-interest and cultural tourism.

Practical tips:

Information center – Infocentrum

náměstí Míru 48, 568 02 Svitavy

+420  461 534 300, www.svitavy.cz/ic, info@svitavy.cz,

po-pá 8.00-17.00, so 9.00-12.00 hod.

Recommended:

The town sightseeing circuit

You can get to know the historic town using the town sightseeing circuit. It links more than 20 stops – churches, baroque statues, significant town-architecture buildings and museums. The circuit cuts across the square, through a cemetery in the town’s oldest section, past Ottendorfer’s House with its Esperanto museum and towards the municipal museum. Along the route is also one information centre with a café in Jan Palach Park and Oskar Schindler’s commemorative plaque.

Budig’s Villa – the museum

Today it houses a municipal museum and gallery with the following permanent exhibitions: The History of Laundry (the largest collection of washing equipment in the Czech Republic) and Searching for the Star of David – Oskar Schindler, Righteous Among the Nations (an exhibition on the Holocaust and the life of the native of Svitavy who became in a film by Steven Spielberg).

Ottendorfer’s House

The building that used to house the largest German public library in Moravia was built in 1892 by Oswald Ottendorfer, a local native, benefactor, an important citizen of New York. It is inspired by German architecture.

The St. Giles Church and the old cemetery

The oldest surviving building in Svitavy was founded by the Premonstratensians in the mid 12^th century. The church was built in the Romanesque style and was rebuilt into its present Baroque form in the 17^th century. The church is located in a cemetery that was first mentioned in 1575. The oldest gravestones also originate from that period.

The Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary and the view from the tower

The originally Romanesque church was founded as part of the town’s foundation in 1256. It was rebuilt into its current form after a great town fire in 1781. The organ is a masterpiece by Johann Staudinger and dates back to 1798.

Do not miss:

The Twelfth Night Procession (January) – the traditional legend and the journey of the Three Kings from the square to St. Joseph’s Church, with a live nativity scene and a charitable event.

Mardi Gras on the Square (February) – every year, this traditional Czech celebration – a parade of masks with music from Vortová near Hlinsko also visits the square in Svitavy. It includes a Mardi Gras fair with many different types of food and beverages.

Searching for the Star of David (April) – a series of lectures, films, theatrical performances, exhibitions and events on Jewish themes. Guided trips for the public to places associated with the Holocaust. The event builds on the town’s links with Svitavy native Oskar Schindler.

The National Exhibition and Competition of Amateur Photography (May) –this is a nationwide contest that culminates in a representative exhibition featuring photographs by dozens of contemporary Czech amateur artists.

The Festival of Amateur Choirs (May, every odd year) – an international festival of choirs.

Museum Night (June) – as part of a nationwide event, both the municipal museum and gallery and the museum of Esperanto are open to the public. Each year is a makeshift historic outdoor laundry e event.

The Svitavy Summer Festivities (July, August) – countless cultural events, concerts and theatrical performances are held at various locations throughout the summer.
The Alois Petrus Memorial (between August and September) – open air carving. Watched by numerous spectators, the carvers’ hands create pieces of art that remain in many places around town. There are also evening concerts, meetings and discussions between sculptors and carvers and the public.

The Pilgrimage to St. Giles (the first weekend in September) – the traditional event and the culmination of the TOP week marks the end of summer festivities. The square comes alive with a traditional Czech fair, carnival rides, theatrical performances, fencing duels and concerts by bands playing virtually all styles of music. On Saturday, the fair is preceded by a brass band festival in the square.

POSED – the autumn meeting of theatres (autumn) – this is a showcase for theatre groups from all over the country, regardless of genre and audience age. Each year, the event also attracts foreign theatres (Slovakia, France, Germany...)

Christmas in Svitavy (all Advent Sundays) – the event is intended not only for children, but also for adults. Openings of exhibitions with a Christmas theme, nativity scenes and also numerous accompanying events (carving and patchwork workshops, old-Czech Christmas cuisine...). The climax comes on the second Sunday of Advent with Christmas at the museum that includes an old Czech fair, craft stalls and a varied cultural program.

Svitavy – A Town in Motion

The newly built modern Svitavy Stadium offers many opportunities for sport and relaxation: an almost two-kilometer rollerblading corridor, petanque grounds, tennis courts, an outdoor fitness centre, children’s playgrounds etc.

The Cihelna leisure area

The area, which was built on the site of a former brick factory, offers facilities for modern sports. These include a skateboard track with obstacles and ramps, miniature golf and a circuit for car and aircraft modelers. In addition, there is a speedway stadium. The area is located on the marked route of a municipal cycling circuit.

Make sure to visit other historic towns :

Boskovice

The town lies 40 km north of Brno, in the beautiful environment of the southern portion of Malá Haná, at the foot of the Hornosvratecká and Drahanská vrchovina highlands. The earliest written record dates back to 1222. Boskovice and its associated municipalities have a population of 11,500. For centuries, Boskovice has been the cultural, social and economic centre of the Boskovicko region. The connection of the local monument zone and its beautiful surroundings makes Boskovice a centre for tourism, relaxation and recreation for all ages.

Information center – Infocentrum

The Boskovice Municipal Information Centre, the Boskovicko Information Centre

Masarykovo nám.1, 68001 Boskovice, +420 516 488 677

www.boskovice.cz, www.regionboskovicko.cz, informace@boskovice.cz,

The Jewish quarter and the Jewish cemetery
The enclosed Jewish town formed after 1727 and it included about 100 houses divided into 138 units. The dominant feature of this exceptional urban complex is the Maior Synagogue from 1639 and the Jewish cemetery.

The Western Town
This unique western town is set in an authentic Wild West environment.

Pardubice

When you say “Pardubice”, what most people think of is Pardubice-made gingerbread and the Velká Pardubická Steeplechase. Yet, this university town with a more than seven-hundred-year history of has a lot more to offer its visitors. It hides historical treasures and unique traditions that are definitely worth experiencing. In addition, Pardubice is a city of diverse views. The town is perceived differently by walkers, cyclists or rollerblading fans, while it leaves a strikingly different perception when observed from horseback or from a ship’s deck.

Information center – Infocentrum

IC - Pardubice Region Tourism

nám. Republiky 1, 530 02 Pardubice, +420 466 768 390, +420 775 068 390, www.ipardubice.cz, region@ipardubice.cz

The Pardubice Chateau

This unique structure is a remodeled water castle from the 15^th century. Today, it houses the Východočeské Museum and the Východočeská Gallery.

The Kunětická Hora Castle

Located 7 km away from Pardubice, the Kunětická Mountain and the castle of the same name dominate the Pardubice Region. The extensive castle complex dates from the 2^nd half of the 14^th century and is open to the public.

Žamberk

It is located in the foothills of the Orlické Mountains at an altitude of 465 m. The attractions include the Church of St Wenceslas, a large chateau park and the Jewish cemetery. Brewing tradition has survived in Žamberk. Local beer is currently called Žamberecký kanec and you can taste it at the local mini-brewery. Žamberk is a pleasant town that is perfectly suited for a quiet active holiday in beautiful natural surroundings that feature a sophisticated network of hiking and cycling trails.

Information center – Infocentrum

Kostelní ulice 446, 564 01 Žamberk, +420 465 612 946, +420 775 709 008

info@orlicko.cz, www.zamberk.cz

The Municipal Museum

The museum features a permanent exhibition on the history of the town, the development of folk crafts, mechanical nativity scenes, puppets and automatophones.

The timbered house of Prokop Diviš houses an exhibition dedicated to the inventor of the grounded lightning rod.

The Pod Černým Lesem sports and recreation area

The area offers visitors a water park, a car camping campground, tennis courts, bowling, miniature golf, a children’s playground, a restaurant, a beach volleyball court, streetball, squash, a gym, as well as a bike, mountain bike, road scooter and rollerblade rentals. Adjacent to the area is a cycling trail. Nearby is an observation tower nicknamed Rozálka that was built in 1932.

Wandering around the region

The town within the Bohemia-Moravia borderlands tourist destination – Polička, Litomyšl, Moravská Třebová and Vysoké Mýto are 20 km apart.

Polička

The birthplace of composer Bohuslav Martinů in the tower of St. Jacob’s Church ( National monument ), the newly-built modern Bohuslav Martinů Centre in Polička, the town walls. The 1220 m long Gothic fortification ring is one of the best-preserved in Central Europe. There is also a Baroque town hall, statues on fountains and a Marian column (22 m high) that is – according to expert opinion – unequalled in Bohemia. The romantic Svojanov castle is situated amidst beautiful nature and deep forests, about 20 km away from Polička.

Litomyšl

The town is dominated by a Renaissance chateau. The town is also important as the birthplace of composer Bedřich Smetana, whose name is commemorated every year in an opera festival. The 500-metre, arcade-lined square features a gothic town hall and a series of Renaissance and Baroque houses. Another attraction is the Josef Váchal museum – Portmoneum. However, Litomyšl is more than just history, there are many modern-architecture buildings.

Moravská Třebová

The Moravská Třebová chateau is one of the most significant Renaissance monuments in Central Europe. Its interior houses the following multimedia exhibitions: The Medieval Torture Chamber, The Alchemist’s Laboratory of Master Bonacino and The Treasures of Moravská Třebová. Hřebeč mining trails – this is a system of nature trails that also includes replicas of mines, gazebos, observation platforms and an observation tower on top of Strážný Hill. Museum collections of artifacts from North Africa, India, China, Japan and the Pacific feature the mummy of Egyptian princesses Hereret and original samurai swords.

Practical tips:

Information center Polička, Palackého náměstí 160, +420 461 723 800, www.cbmpolicka.cz, www.policka.org, info@ic.policka.org,

Information center Litomyšl - Smetanovo náměstí 72, +420 461 612 161, ic@litomysl.cz

The Chateau Information Office - Jiráskova 133, +420 461 611 051, www.litomysl.cz, info@esclitomysl.cz

Tourist information center Moravská Třebová, nám. T.G.Masaryka 33, Moravská Třebová, +420 461 313 502, +420 731 176 809, icentrum@mtrebo­va.cz, skype: tictrebova