Litomysl
If you are driving in the east of the country like you are going from Prague to Krakow or you are visiting the Czech city of Olomouc then Litomyšl (sounds like lito-mishl) is a nice break. It’s approximately 2 hours drive from the centre of Prague or allow 3 hours in peak driving times. It’s an historic place being first mentioned in the year 981 and becoming a town in 1259. The Castle area was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.
Why Visit Litomyšl?
I’ll be honest and say that for tourists it’s largely going to be a look at the Litomyšl Castle, the associated monastery and gardens, a walk through the pleasant long town square and possibly the riverside. For Czechs they come here to see the birthplace of composer Bedrich Smetana (he was born in the Castle brewery) plus the associated Smetana International Opera Festival (June). Or they’ll learn about the famous writer Alois Jirasek who lived here for 14 years (nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature). There’s an annual festival of music and film plus there’s Olbram Zoubek.
Olbram Zoubek and Litomyšl
I have previously written about a sculptor called Olbram Zoubek and described some of his work visible in Prague but by far the bulk of his collection is at the Litomyšl Castle. He was born in Prague in 1926 but in the 1970s Communist “Normalisation” period he was effectively banished from the city and spent the next 17 years on and off in Litomyšl. As well as making many of the sculptures, much of this time was spent renovating the Castle and it’s sgraffito facade. He made several sculptures which were exhibited around the country and made their way back to Litomyšl.
TIP: You’ll need to explore the cellars to see the Olbram Zoubek works. Make sure you take a blanket with you (free when you buy the ticket) because these are the old beer cellars so it’s less than 10 degrees down there.
Something Related or a Few Minutes Away
Art and Culture – Olbram Zoubek
Trips from Prague – Cesky Krumlov