Smetana's Litomyšl
historical centre
In summer, each archway in Litomyšl’s arcade blooms with geraniums. They swing at the feet of historic houses that recount tales of Mrs. Rettigová’s cakes, of the brewmaster Smetana’s beer, of the artist Váchal’s fantastical paintings, and even of Havel helping a Spanish king suddenly find himself over a cup of coffee (grounds included!) at the pub U Černého orla. Not only geraniums but the entire town just blooms with culture and community life.
BLANKA Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat…
TIP: Use the tourist facilities – there’s a locker for luggage under the Town Hall’s tower – and more!
the main square
/ a commercial center for centuries
A lively housewife can traverse the main square while keeping her feet dry, due to it being encircled by an arcade. Today, Litomyšl’s residents have been putting it to good use for several centuries. The half-kilometer commercial center built in the style of Baroque Classicism offers up to a hundred stores, whose shop windows are bursting at the seams with assorted goods ranging from ham legs and pralines to even bathing suits. Business stops only during late afternoon, when the aroma of dinner drifts by at the foot of the castle and pints of beer clink. Litomyšl‘s arcade is dry only where rain is concerned – you’ll find a cafe, bar, or restaurant at each step.
notable houses
/ where Jirásek, Rettigová, and Němcová lived
If you truly, carefully examine the house facades, you will notice that a number of these bear memorial plaques. In this way, attention is drawn to the windows from which the Smetanas dined, B. Němcová wrote The Grandmother, and Rettigová hosted cafe society, as well as the one in which the Zoubeks still water an enormous geranium. Many of these houses are even described in Jirásek‘s Philosophers’ Story – the Renaissance Knight’s House (currently the Town Gallery) or the tower of the Old Town Hall with its astronomical clock, for example.
Smetana’s monument
/ let’s meet at Smetana
The hundredth anniversary of Smetana’s birth was a great opportunity for holding a celebration. The climax included the opening of Smetana’s birthplace and the unveiling of a monument of the master.
According to research by Litomyšl students, the stern expression of Štursa’s Smetana invites people to keep to the speed limit on the adjacent roadways. On other hand, many publications have written about his dreamy gaze towards the castle.
Váchal’s street
/ the street of his Bloody Novel
“Who alcohol into himself does drain, burns off the ganglia in his brain,” announces the street’s sgraffito, which bring to mind another great Litomyšlan – Josef Váchal. Here on the walls, quotations from Bloody Novel are brought to life so you can see every possible type of murder juxtaposed with bohemian wisdom. The home that Váchal painted (the Portmoneum) is located here.
PS: Concerning another warning, “Even women cannot hurt you – as much as pilsners do,” they do have a nice little pilsner, as sharp as horseradish, on tap at the local pub.
