We begin our tour at the lookout balcony on the city tower (1), which is the dominant feature of the city and is thirtyfive metres tall. From here we have an excellent view of the historic city centre. From the tower we walk down Hasskova Street (2) to Karlovo náměstí (4), on the corner of which our attention will be drawn to the sgraffito on the so-called Malovaný dům (painted house) (3), in which we can find a gallery. At the centre of the square we walk past the statue of Sts. Cyril and Methodius (5) and we walk down the passageway to the pedestrian boardwalk (6) across the river to the Jewish quarter (7). As well as the tortuous little streets and passageways we shall visit the Zadní synagogue (8) where, as well as an exhibition on Jewish culture in the region, there is an exact model of the Jewish quarter as it appeared in 1850. Afterwards we enter the Hrádek wooded park (9), where there is a beautiful view of the historic city from the Jan Žižka mound (10). From here it is only a stone’s throw to the Jewish cemetery (11). After another half a kilometre we will reach another of our stopping-points on our journey, the former Benedictine monastery (12) dating from 1101. Within the grounds, later rebuilt as a chateau, is the basilica of St. Prokop. We can extend our tour of the basilica to include a visit to the nearly Muzeum Vysočiny (Highland Museum) (12) with its exhibition of cribs, historic pipes and regional history.
