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. His 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.
Visitors have the opportunity to tour the Lipnice castle and walk through the monumental medieval architecture, view archaeological exhibits, the armoury an the chapel with an enormous cellar and deep well. Another important part of the tour includes unique views into the surrounding areas. Exploring the castle architecture is an unforgettable experience for young and old visitors alike. In the summer, the atmosphere is livened up with performances by drama groups, fencers and musicians. The castle also includes a permanent archaeological exhibit and a gallery of modern creative art.
In the small town of Lipnice nad Sázavou, you can visit a monument to Jaroslava Hašek at the guesthouse U české koruny, where he lived and wrote his works. Jaroslav Hašek is buried in the old cemetery in Lipnice. The surrounding woods contain immersed quarries with large cliff artwork by sculptor R. Dvořáka – Bretschneider's ear, Mouth of Truth and Golden Eyes.
What you need to see…
Telč – The Telč chateau is one of the most well preserved examples of Renaissance architecture in the Czech Republic and contains valuable interior furnishings and a beautiful garden. One of its wings contains exhibits from the Vysočina Museum with a moving nativity scene. Besides the chateau, the complex of UNESCO heritage sites also includes a square with several civic houses with Renaissance coats of arms and arcade archways, fountains, Baroque statues and other attractions.
Třebíč – This town's UNESCO heritage sites include its unique preserved Jewish quarter with two synagogues and a Jewish cemetery. The interior sections of the rear synagogue include exhibits mapping the history of the Jewish ghetto, and the most interesting exhibit is a model of the Jewish town. The Jewish cemetery is located nearby and contains more than 3,000 graves as well as a wedding hall.
Pilgrimage Church of St. Jan of Nepomuk on the Green Mountain near Žďár nad Sázavou – This marvellous example of Baroque Gothic architecture was build based on a design by architect J. B. Santini. According to a legent, five stars appears above the body of St. Jan after he drowned, and therefore the structure has the shape of a five-pointed star, five exits, five stars on the main altar and five angels. The church in the middle of the cemetery flanked by archways is recorded in the UNESCO list of world cultural and natural heritage sites.
Western town of Šiklův mlýn – This is an original entertainment location in the style of the wild west with saloons, sweet shops, casinos, hotels and restaurants, where you can get to know the lives of Indians, cowboys and gold miners. Besides its large western show featuring examples of cowboy art and horse wranglers, you can also visit the rodeo arena, the mini zoo and the Indian village.
Draxmoor haunted chateau in Dolní Rožínka – This three-foot old granary contains more than twenty sound emitting and animated models of witches, hags, dragons and other scary figures, and there is also a children's playground and gift shops selling scary items and refreshments.
Do you know that...
The mysterious illuminated tunnel below Jihlava hides a special secret
Beneath the historic centre of the city of Jihlava there are about three floors of old halls forming a perfect labyrinth. The total area of the labyrinth is 50,000 square metres, it is 25 km long and is the second most extensive labyrinth of underground pathways in the Czech Republic. Jihlava's underground labyrinth, which in some places is only 80 cm wide, was created by joining medieval cellars together. They lead from the cellars of all of the houses vertically under the square and streets and branch out into a complex system of tunnels, from which it used to be possible to get from one part of the town to another without being seen. Eleven metres below the ground, there is a worldwide unique attraction, a phosphorescent tunnel. No one has yet been able to explain the source of this mysterious light. Could it be caused by phosphorus released from the bones of monks buried above the pathways? Is it an unknown organic substance? Or is it caused by an artificially produced luminescent substance used as paint on the walls mixed with mortar?