Litomyšl, Czechia (Czech Republic)
Litomyšl is more than 1000 years old very interesting town in Czech Republic, located in Pardubice Region. Its Renaissance castle is one of the twelve Czech places included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. Apart from the architectural monuments, the town is also famous as the birthplace of the composer Bedrich Smetana.
Parking in Litomyšl
It's worth driving to the Smetanovo náměstí market square (P; GPS: 49.872411, 16.310184), which is also a vast parking lot. So we did and thus we were close to the most interesting sights of the town.
Smetanovo náměstí
The Smetanovo náměstí market square is itself a beautiful tourist attraction. Long nearly 500 meters, it is divided into two parts: upper and lower. The combination of architectural styles - from the Renaissance to Classicism is very characteristic feature of the square. However, the arcades in tenements have even earlier, Gothic origins. Due to the length of the market, you can count more then 100 townhouses - the most beautiful of them is the famous Dum U Rytířů (House of the Knights) - the building with the number 110 (A; GPS: 49.870318, 16.311277). The house was probably completed in the Renaissance style by and for a stonemason named Blažek, and it was after the great fire that destroyed the entire town in the year 1540. However, other buildings are also certainly worth a look. In the center of the square you can find the Gothic Town Hall tower.
Towards the Renaissance castle
We leave the market square and head down the Jiráskova street in the direction of the Renaissance castle. On the way we pass the building of the regional museum (B; GPS: 49.872404, 16.311804) and Piarist monastery with the church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross (C; GPS: 49.872105, 16.312431).
The Litomyšl Castle
This beautiful construction (D; GPS: 49.873168, 16.312672) was established in the second half of the sixteenth century and is a rare example of arcade castle in the Italian style built outside Italy. In 1999, the castle has been included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. Despite the modifications in later centuries it keeps virtually intact the Renaissance style, including beautiful facades. The walls of the castle are decorated with sgraffito technique with scenes depicting life in the castle, and images of people and animals.
See also: