Litomyšl is located in East Bohemia within traveling distance of Prague, Brno, and Ostrava. It’s accessible by all means of transportation, and it’s up to you which one you use.
How to get to us
by bus
Litomyšl is a stop on many long-distance routes crisscrossing the country, so it’s relatively convenient to use bus services.
The bus station is 1 km from the castle grounds, but right next to the castle, there is a bus stop called U ZAMKU, which is a used by buses from Česká Třebová and local buses in the Litomyšl public transportation systems (bus timetable).
by train and free shuttle service
Very often summertime means road repairs, detours, and the resulting traffic. A trip by train can be faster and more comfortable than by car. What’s more, cheaper!
Even though it’s possible to get to Litomyšl directly by train, the city’s station only serves as an end station for a regional route from Choceň, which takes 45 minutes to cover 24 km. Moreover, even though Choceň is on a main route, not all “fast trains” (rychlík) stop here. Therefore, we recommend that your end station be Česká Třebová, which is an important railway hub and is only 13 km from Litomyšl.
There tends to be a bus connection to Litomyšl from here; if the connection doesn’t work for you, it’s possible to use a taxi or book free transportation with the festival organizers in vehicles from our sponsor, Škoda.
by train and free shuttle service
Very often summertime means road repairs, detours, and the resulting traffic. A trip by train can be faster and more comfortable than by car.
Even though it’s possible to get to Litomyšl directly by train, the city’s station only serves as an end station for a regional route from Choceň, which takes 45 minutes to cover 24 km. Moreover, even though Choceň is on a main route, not all “fast trains” (rychlík) stop here. Therefore, we recommend that your end station be Česká Třebová, which is an important railway hub and is only 13 km from Litomyšl.
There tends to be a bus connection to Litomyšl from here; if the connection doesn’t work for you, it’s possible to use a taxi or book free transportation with the festival organizers in vehicles from our sponsor, Škoda.
by car
Naturally, the most common way to travel is by car; unfortunately, however, there are still no highways leading to Litomyšl, but it is really getting much closer now. Highway D11 will get you from Prague to Vysoké Mýto, only 20 kilometres form Litomyšl. There are Class 1 roads with heavy traffic from Brno and Mohelnice, making it very difficult to estimate trip time, so be sure you add a large time margin before the start of your festival performance.
on foot
The streets in Litomyšl are equipped with an information system that will lead you reliably to the performance venues. Most of these occur inside the castle grounds, where the advisory center is also located. The Piarist Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross (Baroque, two towers), is directly next to the castle, and the Monastery/Festival Gardens are between this and the capitular Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross (Gothic, one tower). You can get to Smetana House by starting at the statue of Bedřich Smetana on the main square and going across the river to the left. In 2023, chances are you are searching for the Festival Hall. Signs name it as Winter Stadium and it is located as a part of local sports complex, right next to the Summer Stadium and Swimming Pools.
by taxi
Litomyšl is a small city, and it’s possible to walk everywhere on foot. However, walking in high heels on historical cobblestone is impractical, so a taxi could come in handy.
Parking
parking in Litomyšl
Even though Litomyšl tends to be filled with cars during the day, parking spots tend to be empty during evening hours, when most of the “big” performances take place. And there’s no fee at this time! It’s most advantageous to park on Smetanovo Náměstí Square; from here, the distance to all venues is 100 m or less.
special festival parking
In addition to regular parking places, there is a free parking lot on the streets of Zámecká and Jiráskova, which has limited public traffic and exists for the duration of performances inside the castle grounds. Here, priority is given to parking spaces reserved for VIP card holders. Right next to the castle, there is a parking area set aside for people in wheelchairs.
Suitable parking spaces for the Festival Hall will be added in May, one month before the festival starts.
Traffic Restrictions in Litomyšl
In order to create quiet zones, the streets directly next to the castle are closed to traffic during festival performances. Always ninety minutes before the start of a performance in the castle courtyard, the street of Zámecká is closed, starting at its intersection with the street of Lidická. Jiráskova Ulice Street is also closed between Smetanovo Náměstí Square and Ulice M. Kuděje Street. The closed streets are converted into parking for festival guests, and traffic resumes an hour after the performance has ended. Bus lines are allowed through as well as emergency vehicles; entry is not limited for residents. The detour route runs along the streets of Lidická and P. Bezruče.
We’re happy to answer all of your questions. Please ask Jana:
Jana Bisová
secretary
+420 461 612 575
recepce@smetanovalitomysl.cz
