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The Czech lands have a rich and eventful history. People who came here from all corners of
the world to cultivate our country did not only order castles to be built and decorated, churches
erected and monasteries founded, but they also influenced the overall architectural design of our
cities. No fewer than eleven of these sites have already been entered in the UNESCO list of
world cultural heritage, while yet others have submitted their candidacy.
The Villa Tugendhat in Brno – Černá Pole is the very first monument of modern architecture in the Czech Republic and only the fourth worldwide which has received the prestigious UNESCO designation. The building is named after Fritz Tugendhat,
owner of a Brno textile factory, who had this jewel of interwar functionalist architecture built for his family. The glass-fronted villa set on a...
This picturesque town lies in a deep, meandering valley of the Vltava river in the very South of Bohemia. Its golden age came about during the rule of the Lords of Rožmberk (Rosenberg), in 1302-1602, who made their residence there. At that time, Krumlov was a point of contact between the Czech interior, the Austrian/German Danube region, and Northern Italy. The Italian Renaissance...
This South-Bohemian village from the 13th century is considered a true pearl of the rustic Baroque style. Its 22 farmhouses with painted Baroque gables in the front and gardens in the rear are situated around a central pond. The pond was used for breeding freshwater fish; the entire area is still known for its fish industry. The village is a living monument to the rustic traditions, such...
In 1777, this town, located in Central Moravia at the foot of the Chřiby hills, became the seat of the bishops of Olomouc. The splendid Kroměříž chateau and its beautiful gardens are considered an especially attractive and well-preserved example of Baroque palatial and garden design. They played an important role in the development of Central European Baroque architecture of gardens and...
During the Middle Ages, profits from the Kutná Hora silver mines brought fame to the lands of the Czech Crown, and Kutná Hora became the richest and most powerful town in the Czech lands. At the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, Kutná Hora became the seat of King Václav IV.
The Gothic St. James’ Church (1330) and the St. Barbara’s Cathedral (1388), devoted to the patroness of miners, are...
An extensive Baroque complex built for the Liechtenstein family by renowned architects like C.Tencalla, D.Martinelli, J.B.Fischer von Erlach, and J.Ospel. The area is spread between the little towns of Lednice and Valtice southeast of Brno, and covers 250 square kilometers.
The complex consists of various chateau buildings, garden structures...
In the small town of Litomyšl, the aristocratic family of Pernštejn had a mediaeval castle remodeled into a Renaissance chateau the second half of the 16th century. The chateau is an exceptional example of an original Italian arcaded structure which was adapted for the Czech environment. It is a fine illustration of an aristocratic residence built during mediaeval Renaissance, with later...
The Baroque column came into existence between 1716 and 1754 and is a testament to the onetime religious fervor of this bishopric town. The column unites the motif of ecclesiastic triumphalism and faith with its architectural and artistic expression. Thanks to the entry of this Baroque column on the prestigious UNESCO list, the historic Moravian town of Olomouc has also received wide...
The capital’s historical center, more than ten centuries old, enchants its residents and visitors alike through its unique symbiosis of many architectural styles – from Romanesque rotundas, Gothic towers, and Renaissance burghers’ houses and palaces to the Jewish synagogues, Baroque churches, convents and monasteries. The city is full of crooked lanes, gold-tipped towers and church...
Originally a royal water keep founded in the 13th century on the crossroads of several busy trade routes. It obtained its current appearance in thr 16trh century, when the chateau as well as the town center were rebuilt. This development was in part the work of the Jesuit order, which then had a significant presence in the town. Beside the chateau and its park, among the most important...
Třebíč is the town of uncommon religious sights, the most famous of which is the Romanesque-Gothic Basilica of St. Procope. The abbot cathedral was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, but after being damaged during the wars, it had been used for secular purposes for more than two centuries. After its renovation the Church has been using it again. Among the most precious parts of the basilica...
The abbot of the Žďár monastery had this pilgrimage church built to celebrate the memory of the Czech martyr and saint, John of Nepomuk. It is a unique testament to the genius of the Prague architect Giovanni Blasius Santini, who decided to use the five-pointed star as the principal symbol in his remarkable structure.
According to legend, a crown with five stars appeared above the body...
Literature lovers know Lipnice nad Sázavou as the place where author J. Hašek lived the last years of his life and where he wrote his most famous works, The Fateful Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk. Its house with exhibits is located directly beneath a rocky ridge, on which one of the largest Czech castles was constructed at the beginning of the 14th century.
The main attraction of Kroměříž, the town nicknamed the Athens of Hanacko, is its archiepiscopal chateau, which along with the chateau gardens and flower gardens are on the UNESCO list of worldwide cultural and natural heritage sites. For hundreds of zears, the chateau served as a residence for the bishops of Olomouc, and a series of important events occurred within its walls. There are also many other sites worth seeing in Kroměříž, such as the pontifical mint, featuring a collection of church issued coins and medals, the Baroque Church of St. John the Baptist with its interior in Rococo style and the house with a Renaissance entrance section on Velké náměstí square, which houses exhibits of the Kroměříž Museum and a monument to Max Švabinský.
Rock, pop, jazz, metal, hip hop... Audiences at summer open-air festivals will enjoy these and other genres. The schedule of events taking place under the open sky this year is once again truly great, and music fans thus can look forward to an eventful summer. 