Guide

to the Czech
Century
New Edition 2018
Includes Maps
Guide to the
Czech Century

Welcome to the Czech Republic............................................................. 2

Birth of a Proud State............................................................................... 4
Stories of Architecture and Design .................................................... 10
Prague “Plečnik’s Gifts to Prague”............................................................. 12
Hradec Králové “Salon of the Republic or the Transformation of One City”. 16
Brno “Functionalist Metropolis”................................................................ 20
Pilsen “Space According to Adolf Loos”..................................................... 24
Stories of Lifestyle ................................................................................. 28
Rožnov pod Radhoštěm “A Living Museum of Life in Wallachia”.........30
Luhačovice “A Spa with Unique Architecture”..........................................34
Žatec “The World Capital of Hops”............................................................. 38
Prague “Cafés as Cultural Centres”.............................................................42
Pardubice “A City with a Pure Sporting Spirit”..........................................46
Zbiroh “The Birth of Mucha’s Slav Epic”................................................... 48
Hukvaldy “A Village Full of Janáček’s Music” .......................................... 50
Jánské Lázně “A Spa in the Arms of the Mountains”................................52
Orlík, Hluboká nad Vltavou “On Aristocracy, which Never Ceased to Exist”.54
Český Krumlov “The Delusive Charm of Glass Plates”.............................56
Stories of Czech Industrial Brands .................................................... 58
Zlín “Into the City of the King of Shoemakers”.......................................... 60
Mladá Boleslav “Story of the Birth of a Global Brand”............................ 63
Fragile Beauty Born of Fire and Sand (Bohemia Crystal)............ 66
Kopřivnice “The Brilliant Ledwinka’s Tatra” ........................................... 68
Stories of the Establishment of the Republic ................................. 70
In the Footsteps of President Liberator ........................................... 72
Seven Days of Czechoslovak Courage and Determination .......... 74

#visitczechrepublic

1
Romanesque rotunda of Saint George, Říp Hill, Czech National Mountain
The Czech Republic is a landlocked
country in Central Europe. It is
a member of the European Union.
Since Jan. 1, 1993 it has been an
independent state, previously
it was part of Czechoslovakia.
The territory of the Czech Republic
consists of three historical lands –
Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia.
Area: 78,864 km2
Capital City: Prague
Administrative Structure: 14 regions
System of Government:
Parliamentary Republic
Population: 10.4 million
Religion: roughly two-thirds of
the population are non-believers,
Catholicism is the most widely followed
religion
Official Language: Czech
History
Welcome
The beginnings of the independent
Czech state date back to the second
half of the 9th century. Between the
to the Czech
9th and 13th century it was ruled by
the Kings of the Přemyslid Dynasty.
In the early 13th century the Duchy of
Republic
Bohemia was elevated to a Kingdom.
During the reign of Charles IV,
King of Bohemia and Holy Roman
Emperor, the country developed
rapidly with Prague becoming the
leading European metropolis.
From 1526 to 1918 the Czech
lands were part of the Austrian
Monarchy with the Habsburgs on
the Bohemian throne. Holy Roman
Emperor Rudolf II is considered
2  Guide to the Czech Century
the most important monarch of this
House. At the end of World War One,
the Lands of the Bohemian Crown
joined together with the territory
of today's Slovakia making up the
Czechoslovak Republic. In 1948
the Czechoslovak coup d'état opened
the door to a communist regime. The
Velvet Revolution of 1989 saw an
end to totalitarian rule. In January
1993, the country split into two
separate sovereign states – the Czech
Republic and the Slovak Republic.
Culture
For centuries, Czech culture
has been an integral part of
European culture. Urban and rural
architecture, enhanced by works of
art, has not escaped the attention
of UNESCO – allowing the Czech
Republic to boast twelve listed
World Heritage Sites, as well
as five traditions of a folklore and
hunting nature inscribed on the
Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Important Personalities
Charles IV, John of Nepomuk, Jan
Hus, John Amos Comenius, Albrecht
von Wallenstein, Antonín Dvořák,
Bedřich Smetana, Leoš Janáček,
Emmy Destinn, Tomas Garrigue
Masaryk, Alfons Mucha, František
Kupka, Tomáš Baťa, Sigmund Freud,
Karel Čapek, Jaroslav Seifert, Jiří
Trnka,Václav Havel, Karel Gott, Miloš
Forman, Jiří Menzel, Emil Zatopek,
Ivan Lendl, Jaromir Jagr, Jan Železný,
Pavel Nedved, Tomas Rosicky,
Petr Čech, Martina Sáblíková, …
3
National Memorial on the Vítkov Hill

Birth of
a Proud State

4  Guide to the Czech Century 5


The memorial was built in honour of the Czechoslovak legionaries
Gaining independence and
sovereignty is a fundamental
milestone in the history of
every nation.
The Czech nation achieved that at
the end of October 1918. Actually,
the Czechoslovak nation, as it was
believed and loudly proclaimed then.
A new sovereign state appeared on
the map of the world. And, like any
newbie, it had to show the world who
it was and prove its viability. This was
happening at a difficult time, just after
the end of World War I, in a Europe
torn apart by crisis and scarcity. The
young republic, led by a charismatic
and popular President, emerged
from the general mess fairly quickly,
and started to earn international
respect. The enthusiasm of the
time was reflected in the creation of
values that still take our breath away.
Czechoslovak architecture was
6  Guide to the Czech Century
among the most daring and creative.
Some cities went through a complete
transformation, with Hradec Králové,
Brno, and Zlín changing in the spirit
of modernism. Amazing architects,
such as Adolf Loos, Mies van der
Rohe, Jan Kotěra, Josef Gočár,
and Dušan Jurkovič, created
here. The seat of Czech kings, Prague
Castle, was also transformed by the
touch of the distinctive architect Jože
Plečnik. Construction occurred
everywhere, meaningful and in the
spirit of the times. Grand buildings
of banks, luxurious villas, apartment
buildings, schools, sports facilities,
but also rural houses and barns were
being constructed in the name of
the new republic. Design from the
heart of Europe was well-known
and sought after. Fine art had its
emissary both in Paris and in the
Unites States – at the time, Alfons
Mucha was one of the most famous
artists in the world. Czechoslovak
music resonated through concert
halls and opera houses across Europe;
Leoš Janáček was one of the most
distinctive composers of the time.
The world reinvented Czechoslovak
spas, domestic athletes as well
as sports companies started to
assert themselves among the global
competition, the heritage of the
nation, hitherto under a spell, started
to come to light and contribute
to the pride of the people.
Czechoslovak trade and industry was
gaining an important position – in
the second half of the 1920s, the value
of domestic industrial shares rose by
up to 70 %. Strong Czech brands were
the flagship of this success. Škoda,
Tatra, Baťa, Jawa, and Pilsner
Urquell were a guarantee of quality
and innovation. Groundbreaking
innovations and clever technical
solutions were spreading throughout
the world from Czechoslovakia. Czech
glass (Bohemia Crystal) and
fashion jewellery were unique and
widely imitated, hops from the Žatec
district had become the brewers’
holy grail, and beer spreading across
the globe from a small republic in
the middle of Europe had become
the measure of quality. To this day,
we are filled with pride by how
quickly such a small country had
managed to become an important
part of the European market.
And then, thick black clouds began
to accumulate in the West. On one
side, this united Czechoslovakia;
on the other, it divided the country.
In a neighbouring country, a lunatic
rumbled his visions of global
rule, and reached out a greedy
hand towards Czech borderlands.
Czechoslovaks started building an
impenetrable fortification line
around the border, and they did it
with enthusiasm, passion, and faith
in the fact that they would defend the
as yet young republic with weapons
in their hands. But this was not to
be. The First Republic ended, and
peace on Earth ended alongside it.
Today, when we look back upon the
first twenty years of our statehood, we
can, and we should, be proud. Pride
is born out of knowledge. So let us
search for traces of history and
learn about them. There are many
across the whole country, you just
have to look. They are in magnificent
and remarkable houses, in distinctive
Prague cafés, in châteaux, in open-
air living history museums of folk
culture, on spa colonnades, in
wondrous functionalist interiors of
houses and villas, on the Pardubice
Racecourse, in the Český Krumlov
Photographic Studio, in glass works,
museums, expositions, and tourist
nature trails, in thousands of concrete
bunkers hidden in the woods until
today; they are reflected in Czech
glass as well as on the surface of the
Baťa Canal; they accompany us on
journeys by train or by cable car...
www.czechtourism.com
7
 Plečnik’s Gifts Salon of the Republic or the A Village Full A Spa in the Arms
12–15 to Prague Transformation of One City 16–19 of Janáček’s Music 50–51 52–53 of the Mountains

Space According
24–27 to Adolf Loos

Functionalist On Aristocracy, The Delusive Charm

20–23 Metropolis which Never Ceased to Exist 54–55 56–57 of Glass Plates

A Living Museum A Spa with Unique Into the City of the King Story of the Birth
of Life in Wallachia 30–33 Architecture 34–37 of Shoemakers 60–62 63–65 of a Global Brand

The World Capital

of Hops
38–41 66–67 Fragile Beauty Born
of Fire and Sand

Cafés as The Brilliant

42–45 Cultural Centres Ledwinka’s Tatra 68–69

In the Footsteps Seven Days of Czechoslovak

A City with a Pure
46–47 The Birth
48–49 of President Liberator
72–73 74–75 Courage and Determination
Sporting Spirit of Mucha’s Slav Epic
Villa Müller, Prague

No other art could have else in the world. It is remarkable

symbolised the new era and
new order as markedly and as
visibly as architecture.
The young republic was one huge
transformation in progress, and the
that new architectural styles
had left an impact on all types
of buildings – from luxurious
villas, through schools, offices,
power stations, to social housing
or crematoria. In the 1920s and

Stories of
extraordinary construction boom 1930s, Czech architecture
only documented its desire to go its gradually worked its way up to high
own, completely new way. Entirely international prestige, and, in the
in the spirit of period trends, area of functionalism in particular,
architects were providing a wide it was among Europe’s best.
Architecture range of styles – from the ornate
Art Nouveau, which was coming
and Design to its end, through the fanatically
purposeful functionalism as
well as all the pure and merging
types of modernism, to the Czech
rarity of cubism, which does not
appear in architecture anywhere

10  Guide to the Czech Century 11

Monolith in the Third Castle Courtyard
Probably every Czech

Prague
connects Prague Castle with
ancient history, Charles IV, Petr
Parléř, the Gothic period, but
also with the present – it is,
after all, the seat of the head

Plečnik’s Gifts
of state. However, few ask the
question of what story might
have taken place here towards
to Prague the end of 1918, when the
historically first Czechoslovak
President, Tomáš Garrigue
Masaryk, took office within the
castle walls.
Suddenly, entirely new questions
emerged, and one of them was how
to preserve monuments and
symbols of Czech history, while
endowing the castle with the spirit Castle garden Rajská
of democracy and republic. At the
recommendation of the Association
of Fine Artists, President Masaryk
invited the Slovenian architect Jože
Plečnik to collaborate on this effort; Czech statehood for fourteen full
the architect proved his ability to years. Where can you see the results
such extent that he was appointed of his work? In many places at the
the chief architect of Prague Castle Castle. For example, he reconstructed
in 1920. How come a Slovenian, the First Castle Courtyard, and
of all people, was selected? It was installed distinctive flagpoles in front
simple – a colleague and friend of the of the Matthias Gate; he modified
Czech architect Jan Kotěra (they had and completed the castle gardens
studied together in Vienna), he came of Rajská, Na Valech, and Na Baště,
to Prague at his invitation, and later where he added gazebos, lookouts,
replaced him as a professor at the and a winter garden; he also worked
Academy of Arts, Architecture and on modifying the castle interiors
Design. Working for the President and palace façades (for example
was such an honour for him that he that of the Spanish Hall, as it can be
refused to be compensated for it. seen today from the Matthias Gate –
Through his original and inimitable both the façade and the entrance
style of “modern classicism”, column hall were designed by him);
Plečnik had been perfectly and he created the Bellevue pillar hall
harmoniously introducing new under the Institute of Noblewomen; in
elements into the sanctuary of the the New Royal Palace, he completed
Historic Center of Prague
12  Guide to the Czech Century 13

Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord
the President’s Residence. In
the Third Courtyard, he had the
famous 18-metre high monolith
of Mrákotín granite installed, he
modified the paving, and, above
all, he created the so-called Bull
Staircase, adorned by beautiful
sculptures of bulls by the sculptor
Damjan Pešan under the late Gothic
statue of St. George (he is also the
author of the Eagle Fountain in the
same courtyard). Jože Plečnik also
designed the Masaryk Lookout
above the Deer Moat, which the
first Czechoslovak President took
a liking to, and from where he
liked to observe Prague Castle.
However, Plečnik is also the author
of designs for another building in
Prague – one of the most notable
modern churches in the Czech
Republic, the Church of the Most
Sacred Heart of Our Lord
14  Guide to the Czech Century
built in 1932 in Prague’s district of
Vinohrady. In this case, the architect
did not ask for compensation either.
Plečnik was a deeply religious man,
and he understood the church
project to be a gift. The building is
stunning. The combination of stucco,
glazed bricks, and light blocks
made of faux granite creates the
impression of an ermine cloak, the
king’s cloak, which is complemented
by the royal orb and the cross at the
top of the tower, and together they
thus represent the rank insignia
of Christ the King. Moreover, the
angels above the western gable
of the church, the tabernacle,
and a number of other parts of
the interior, were implemented
on the basis of Plečnik’s designs,
while the statues inside the church
were again created by Damjan
Pešan, and the stained glass
windows by Karel Svolinský.
Experiences
Prague Castle offers its visitors
a variety of permanent exhibitions.
The basic Story of Prague Castle
exhibition represents a millennium
of history within the place where the
history of Czech statehood has been
formed. Other permanent exhibitions
invite visitors to tour the Treasury of
St. Vitus Cathedral, the Prague Castle
Picture Gallery, the legendary Golden
Lane, Rožmberk Palace, Mihulka
Powder Tower... Most of the castle
gardens, offering a unique view across
all of Prague, are also accessible.
A visit to St. Vitus Cathedral is
unforgettable. The atmosphere of
Prague Castle is complemented
by exhibitions, lectures, concerts,
and theatre performances.
Prague
www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle-for-
visitors
www.katedralasvatehovita.cz
A Tip for a Trip
The whole of Prague, with its amazing
monuments commemorating the First
Republic, is on offer. For example, this
includes villas – the functionalist Villa Malostranská
Müller, the cubist Villa Kovařovic, and Prague Castle Church
M
even the pre-war Art Nouveau Villa of the Most
Bílek, the National Technical Museum, Sacred Heart
of Our Lord
the breathtaking building of the Fair
Me
Trade Palace, which houses modern tro
A
art collections of the National Gallery,
and the functionalist memorial on the Charles Bridge
Vítkov Hill.
Petřín
Lookout National Theatre
www.prague.eu Tower
en.muzeumprahy.cz
www.ngprague.cz/en/
Metro B
Vltava
500 m
Congregation of the Priest Ambrož
Grammar School (1925-1927, J. Gočár)
When the demolition of the
walls of Hradec Králové began
at the end of the 19th century,
the city was about to undergo
a major modernisation. This
was a unique chance to create
something unprecedented,
Hradec Králové
both in the country and in
Europe. It needed just one
little thing – enlightened
Councillors.
Hradec Králové was extremely lucky,
Salon of the Republic because at only thirty-six years of age
František Ulrich became its mayor
or the Transformation and was able to grab the chance. If
only the mayors of today had enough
of One City time for a life’s work – František
Ulrich had thirty-four full years! He
aimed high, and he wasn’t afraid
to invite top Czech architects.
16  Guide to the Czech Century
Most of all, Jan Kotěra, the leading
personality of Czech architecture
at that time, a genius of European
importance. Kotěra set out to
work and the first building was
completed as early as 1904, the
first embodiment of the new urban
vision. Original and newly conceived
buildings started growing like weeds
after rain – in truth, many of them
were closely associated with water
and the Elbe River. Before the start
of World War I, Kotěra had managed
to create a clear foundation, which
was primarily built on by his
favourite student and soon-to-be
colleague, Josef Gočár. The
unusual options also attracted other
leading architects including Oldřich
Liska, František Sander,
17

Masaryk Square
and Bohumil Sláma, among others.
And so, after the establishment of
the Republic, Kotěra's wonderful
new and modern buildings of the
District House, Municipal Museum,
Grandhotel Urban Palm Garden,
and Labský (today's Pražský)
Bridge were soon joined by more
buildings and architectural elements,
and Hradec Králové literally
started changing before the
eyes. A complete transformation
had been achieved in a mere thirty
years. And take note – these were
not random modernist experiments,
but a sophisticated urban plan,
so sophisticated that, in terms of
capacity, it still accommodates
the ever-increasing car traffic and
maintains a functional and peaceful
city centre! Even today, one is amazed
by Gočár’s stunning staircase at the
Church of the Assumption of the
Virgin Mary, which, while modern,
18  Guide to the Czech Century
perfectly complemented the early
Baroque work of Carl Lurag. In
the mid-1920s, Gočár added the
building of a grammar school, and
also a stunning complex of church
buildings of the Hussite Church,
a diocese, a rectory, a triangle-layout
columbarium, several buildings
on Ulrich Square, as well as the
constructivist building of the District
Office, which to this day houses
the town hall. In total, he is the
author of twelve exceptional
buildings. As you wander through
the Salon of the Republic you will
take in the breathtaking Evangelical
Church, the Town Spa (at the time
the most modern in the republic, it
even boasted artificial waves from
the Kolben and Daněk company),
the studio of Oldřich Liska, as will the
truly beautiful Elbe Power Plant and
Elbe Bridge at Plácky by František
Sander, and you will be amazed
by the interior of the functionalist A Tip for a Trip
Church of the Divine Heart of Jesus The work of Josef Gočár is truly worth
by Bohumil Sláma. The building the journey to reach it. In Pardubice,
styles changed with the growth you can admire the monumental
of the new Hradec Králové – the Winternitz Mills on the banks of the
architectural modernism moved from Chrudimka River, and the buildings of
the decorative style of Art Nouveau Anglobanka (now the Komerční banka)
to severe and utterly decoration- and the District House (now the Grand
free shapes, to monumentality, Shopping Centre) on the square. Lázně
to purposefulness, it brushed Bohdaneč boasts Gočár's cubist spa
past cubism, and finally reached building, and Jaroměř a department
functionalism. The Salon of the store by Wenke.
Republic is thus a living exhibition
of the history of architectural www.hkregion.cz
modernism of the first three www.east-bohemia.info
decades of the twentieth century,
rarely seen elsewhere in the world.
Experiences
In Hradec Králové, you will not be
left to your own devices. There is no
need to roam at random and search 118 km Hradec 1:44 h
for individual buildings, because Prague
Králové
1:16 h
a meaningfully marked walking route 144 km 2:14 h
entitled “The Salon of the Republic” Brno 1:39 h
has been prepared for you. It is
3.5 km long, and can be comfortably
completed in two hours on foot. It
contains eleven stops. You will see
a museum, churches, a winter garden, 1,4 km Pilnáčkova
a staircase, a grammar school, a spa, a
21 min s l ov
a power plant, a courthouse, and Res
Labe
a railway station, and you will come 1,5 km walking route
23 min Salon of the
to understand the timeless intention
Republic
of the genius architects and urban 3,5 km
planners. You can walk on foot or Gočárov
a třída
cycle. It is best to drop in to one of the
three Tourist Information Centres in
Hradec Králové for advice.
www.ic-hk.cz
Střel
www.hradeckralove.eu/tourists/ii- Orlice
eck á
walking-route-salon-of-the-republic
200 m
Sokolsk
á
 Very few European cities boast
as many amazing functionalist
buildings as Brno. How was it
that the architectural boom
of a strictly pragmatic style of
architecture took off here of all
places?
It started at a time when
functionalism was only being born,
when the American architect Louis
Sullivan famously said: “Form
follows function.” It was the last
decade of the 19th century. At the
time, the old textile-industrial city
of Brno, nicknamed the “Austrian
Manchester”, embarked on its
transformation and reconstruction.
The transformation was slow but,
after the end of World War II, it The interior of the villa
took off with unexpected intensity.
A new urban development
plan was formed and a young man,
who started surrounding himself
with peers, took the position by Leoš Janáček, standing at the
of the main city architect. The large glass windows with a glass of
city's representatives were eager to wine and a music paper notepad.

Brno
lose the “second largest city in the
republic” tag – and to resolutely
step out of the shadow of Prague.
And so the building began – and
Brno at once became the most
Functionalist progressive city in Europe
in terms of architecture. The
Metropolis atmosphere of the young republic
was further commented by the
enthusiasm of artists; construction
was booming; cafés, which were
showcases of style, and where
cultural life took place, manifestos
were created, arguments were led,
and where furious debates about
art took place, were springing
Tugendhat Villa up; and all of this was observed
Functionalism even took hold
of the largest Brno building of the
time – the Exhibition Centre.
The massive fervour also affected
the wealthier residents – and
contracts for architecturally-
modern villas started streaming in.
Mrs Greta Tugendhat, the wife of
the co-owner of a wool plant, who
was familiar with the current trends
from Germany, invited the architect
Miese van der Rohe, a rising
star to Brno to build the Villa
Tugendhat, one of the greatest
architectural gems of the 1930s
and a UNESCO-World Heritage
site since 2001, on a captivating

20  Guide to the Czech Century 21


Zeman café (today Pavillon café)
terrace. The house is a work
of art – it is a touch of genius,
a triumph of purposefulness
and ingenuity, at times agonisingly
hostile and at others a passionately
and emotionally friendly abode
with a view, which looks, and
is meant to look, as a painting.
“Less is more” and “God is
in the detail”, those are the
famous mottoes of the architect
Miese van der Rohe. Travertine,
onyx, and palisander linings are
complemented by precise details,
which only then give a meaning
and function to the whole. The
opinion that this is the most
beautiful villa in the world
really does not seem exaggerated
here. Nowadays, curious visitors
from around the world flock to the
villa, and a tour has to be booked
well in advance. But what about
the other buildings – are they
22  Guide to the Czech Century
Experiences
The unique architectural gems of Brno
are linked by fourteen learning paths
where you can admire an incredible
383 structures by 98 architects, all
found within the BAM Programme –
Brno Architecture Manual. On the
Internet, you can find interactive
maps, audio recordings, and texts
introducing the stories of buildings
and people, as well as accompanying
texts, GPS coordinates, detailed
instructions on how to travel to the
sites by public transport, as well as
photographic documentation... White Brno Exhibition Centre
symbols on pavements in front of the
buildings, containing the code of the
buildings and a link to the relevant
website, provide for even better 3:37 h
alive? They are. Holy masses take orientation. In this way, you can listen
Prague 206 km
place in functionalist churches, to the story of the building right on the 2:00 h
exhibition activities bustle through spot using your mobile phone.
Brno 2:35 h
trade fair pavilions, families live
in villas and tenement houses, www.gotobrno.cz/en
administration and business take www.tugendhat.eu
place in offices and learning in www.bam.brno.cz
KRÁLOVO 42
schools – and what about cafés? POLE PONAVA
Those are as full of life as they used A Tip for a Trip
42
to be in the 1920s. The topics under If you have children, take a trip to the
E461
discussion are different now, but Brno surroundings, for example, to
the genius loci has not left them. Oslavany, where the whole family can Café Era
For example, in the quiet part of enjoy the Permonium Park, featuring ŽABOVŘESKY
the city in the Era café, which is the largest above-ground maze in the Tugendhat villa
dominated by a graceful staircase; Czech Republic, a volcano as part of
at the Savoy, in the busiest part a rope park, and a forest... In Vyškov, VEVEŘÍ
STRÁNICE
of the centre; or in the Zeman you will find entertainment in the BRNO - STŘED ZÁBRDOVICE
café (today Pavillon café), in the expansive DinoPark. If you would
Pavillon
middle of the city park, in a perfect rather indulge in some peace and Savoy
replica of the original building. quiet, take a scenic boat ride on the Špilberk
STARÉ
Brno Reservoir. BRNO 0,5 km
10 min
www.south-moravia.info Exhibition TRNITÁ
Centre 1,4 km
42 24 min
41
a
400 m Svratk
23
ŠTÝŘICE
One of Loos’ Pilsen interiors
“Ornament is a crime”
preached the Brno-born
architect Adolf Loos, one of
Pilsen
the most persuasive fighters
for simplicity and functionality
in architecture.
He never completed his architecture
studies; he spent three years in
Space According America, where he earned his living
as a brick-layer, a dishwasher,
to Adolf Loos but also as a draughtsman for
construction companies, floorboard
layer, lumberer, and paperboy. At
the world expo in Chicago, he finally
came to understand that architecture
would always be his destiny, despite
his failed studies. He started his work
in Vienna, where he was friends with
Kokoschka, Mahler, Schönberg, and
Wittgenstein. He founded his own
studio here, and in 1899 he made
his first implementation a reality,
the Vienna Café Museum,
which earned the nickname Café
Nihilism. His pre-war peak was
the Viennese department store
Goldman & Salatsch, known as the
House without Eyebrows. In addition
to Vienna, he also built in Paris, Brno,
and Prague. A truly unique phase
of his life was his work in Pilsen.
He lived here between 1907 and 1910,
and then again between 1927 and
1932. In addition to finding his third
wife here, he also created a number of
very remarkable interior projects,
the main intention of which was the
continuity and interconnectedness
of the individual parts of a human
dwelling. At the time of Loos’ arrival,
Pilsen was an important industrial
centre of the Austro-Hungarian
Monarchy. Škoda’s companies
24  Guide to the Czech Century
were some of the most important
industrial sites in Europe. Of course,
this meant a huge construction boom,
which was further strengthened after
the establishment of the Republic.
Schools, industrial and administrative
palaces, tenement houses, and
luxurious villas were built.
The first to ask Adolf Loos for an
interior design in the spirit of his
“raumplan” philosophy, a perfectly
efficient use of space, was the Hirsch
family. Loos met the married couple,
surveyed their flat on Plachý
Street, and sketched his vision in
fast pencil strokes on an envelope.
The flat in Plachý Street became
a revelation of a kind. “There must
be an element of surprise. If I enter
a fully lit and equipped room,
I have to say: Oh!” as Loos used
to say, and his interiors have been
fulfilling these words to this day.
He later built on his work created
during his first stay at the turn of the
1920s and 1930s. One of his most
beautiful interiors was also created
at this time. He designed it for the
chemical expert Vilém Kraus and
his wife Gertrude. The interior has
been preserved and can be viewed
at 10 Bendova Street. The most
valuable part of the house is the
living hall connected with the dining
room. The amazing effect of the
so-called never-ending enfilade is
created by mirror walls positioned
against each other – the reflection
is endlessly multiplied, and the
apartment is thus significantly
optically enlarged. In short, Loos
was able to give the apartment space,
25
 Loos’ Pilsen interior (Bendova Street no. 10)
light, and, above all, sense. The Experiences
feeling is similar in all of the other Loos’ Pilsen interiors are gradually
preserved interiors. Unfortunately, being bought, restored, and made
the owners of the beautiful accessible to the public. Today,
apartments mostly met unhappy three sightseeing tours are already
fates. This is because the investors in existence, which lead those
of Loos’ designs were predominantly interested into four apartments.
members of the Pilsen Jewish Each of them is different, all are
community, and most of them died captivating. Residential halls linked
some ten years later in concentration with dining rooms, mirrored walls,
camps. Time passed, the tenants of wood panelling, fireplaces, luxury
the apartments changed, and so did bathrooms, studies, representational
the social system... Not everything halls, vistas, bathrooms, servants’
that Adolf Loos created in Pilsen quarters and, last but not least, details
has been preserved. But what you and trivialities. The first of the four
can see today is a real gem. routes will also take you to the above-
mentioned apartment at number 10
Bendova Street, where you will be
able to see the wonderful room with
a veneer made of Swiss marble and
a ceiling of mahogany boards for
yourself.
1:35 h
94 km Prague
1:05 h www.pilsen.eu/en/tourist/
Pilsen 294 km 2:47 h
www.adolfloosplzen.cz/en
Brno 1:00 h
A Tip for a Trip
There are many attractive places
in Pilsen – the local zoo, DinoPark,
Techmania interactive science park
0,2 km Square
1 min
with a 3D planetarium, a tour of the
Republiky
Husova Pilsner Urquell Brewery, as well as the
Brewery Museum are all wonderful.
walking route However, if you want to continue
Adolf Loos Americká exploring inter-war architecture, you
1,9 km 2,1 km
34 min will certainly be particularly captivated
Bendova by the buildings of Hanuš Zápal –
U Trati whether Masaryk’s or Beneš’ school,
or a set of three tenement houses
called the Skyscraper.
Klatovská třída

Štefánikovo
Square
a
uz
db
Ra

200 m
27
Interior of a café in the center of Prague by architect Eva Jiřičná

Stories
of Lifestyle

The young republic was social background met here.

born at a time which was Here, one could meet composers,
certainly far from easy. But the writers, actors, painters, and could
enthusiasm stemming from converse with them in Czech.
the fact that after many years Spas experienced an entirely new
of dependence and subjection era. Sport also acquired a new
we were suddenly our own role – suddenly, it became one
masters, filled people with of the most powerful elements
pride, enthusiasm, and hope. of national pride. National pride
Life, of course, was not as idyllic as was also reflected in the interest
we may imagine it today, but it was, in Czech history, including folk
above all else, different, new. Café traditions and customs.
life enjoyed immense popularity.
Cafés, particularly those in Prague,
were places where nobility, opinion
exchanges, as well as cultural and
political fermentation intertwined.
It was as if cafés symbolised a new
quality of the state – people of
a variety of opinions and diverse

28  Guide to the Czech Century 29

 The young republic did not only
consist of cities progressive
in architecture and business.
In villages, people lived in
accordance with ancient
traditions, in houses built in the
spirit of ancestral wisdom.
Rožnov
In 1895, when Bohumír Jaroněk
visited the Czech-Slavic Ethnographic
Exhibition in Prague, the most
interesting and memorable part of
pod Radhoštěm
which turned out to be the Wallachian
village exhibition, as designed by
architect Dušan Jurkovič, he could
not have foreseen that fourteen years
later he and his brother Alois would
A Living Museum of Life settle in the heart of Wallachia, in
Rožnov pod Radhoštěm. The brothers
in Wallachia Jaroněk wanted to save several
Rožnov homes. In addition, during
his trip through Scandinavia, Alois
got to visit the world’s oldest open-air
museum, which was built in the town
of Skansen. And so it was decided.
The idea matured for some time, but
the first season of the Wallachian
folklore festival in 1925 was
already held at a brand new site of
an open-air museum. And thus, two
large houses from the town square,
a town hall, a town house from the
mid-18th century, as well as several
small buildings were already standing
at the meadow of the spa park at the
time of celebrations. Today, this part
of the museum is called the Wooden
Townlet. More buildings grew, and
the development of the open-air
museum did not stop even after World
War II. In the 1960s, the Wallachian
Village, a true reconstruction of
a model Wallachian village with four
dozen structures and everything
30  Guide to the Czech Century
that belongs to a Wallachian village,
was added. In 1982 a third part of
the site, the Water Mill Valley,
was opened. The foundation has
always been the technology used
in the work of millers, sawyers,
fulling millers, and blacksmiths.
It is significant that all technical
structures merge harmoniously with
the built-up area of the village, and
the impression of a real village is thus
perfect. In the open-air museum in
Rožnov, equal attention is devoted
to agriculture, shepherding, fruit
growing, common farming, but also
to the general life of villagers, folk
customs, folklore, folk craft and art.
Throughout the year, a number of
unique events take place here –
Old Time Fair, Baker’s Saturday,
St. Ann’s Wake, Days of Crafts and
Meeting of Smiths... However,
the most important event is the
traditional two-day folklore festival
Rožnovské slavnosti (Rožnov
Festival), which takes place every
two years. Here, you not only get
to see song and dance companies,
but examples of traditional verbal
customs and crafts have recently
also been growing in number.
You can learn about Shrovetide,
Easter, and Christmas customs,
see demonstrations of traditional
clothes laundering, and the craft
of potters, woodcarvers, and other
skilful craftsmen. The open-air
museum, incidentally the largest
in Central Europe, is simply
full of life. Thus, the vision of
the founders of the museum, the
brothers Jaroněk, is being fulfilled.
31
Lookout tower named after architect Dušan Jurkovič
As early as 1932, Bohumír wrote:
“We do not want to build a lifeless
store of buildings and objects, we
want to build a living museum with
the help of practical ethnology where
the traditions, which have been
inherited in Wallachia, the typical
breeds and dwellings of the people are
kept alive by means of work, customs,
dances, songs, and ceremonies.”
An idea so modern truly deserved
and still deserves to be fostered.
Whether you arrive at the time
of one of the festivities or on
a completely normal day, your walk
through the life of our ancestors
will be varied and authentic.
A Tip for a Trip
A somewhat more distant part of
the Rožnov open-air museum is also
a complex of wooden buildings
at Pustevny. The unique tourist dens
were designed in the spirit of folk
Art Nouveu by the famous Dušan
Jurkovič, among others. Pustevenka,
Maměnka, and Zvonice are joined by
the magnificent Libušín, one of the
most valuable and also most beautiful
of Jurkovič’s buildings, which was
damaged by a fire in 2014. Currently,
it is being reconstructed.

Experiences
You can tour the Wooden Townlet and
the Wallachian Village on your own or
with a guide; in the first case, reserve
approximately one our for the tour, in
the second reserve two hours – there 354 km Rožnov
Prague pod Radadhoštěm
truly is a lot to see. The Mill Valley is
151 km 3:34 h
only accessible with a guide, and it 1:47 h
Brno
also takes about an hour. And what
can you expect? To name just a few,
there are churches, a town house,
a timbered tavern, a skittle alley, the
Vogt's house, a distillery, a granary, 480
58
barns, hives, bridges, belfries, crosses,
Velký Javorník FRENŠTÁT 483
shepherds’ huts, cottages and farms, POD RADHOŠTĚM
Huštýn 918
a school, a windmill, a smithy, a fruit 747
drying kiln, an oil mill, a fulling mill, Kněhyně
Radhošť
a mill, a sawmill, a hammer mill... 1129 1257
And that is not all. For example, do you 58
Pustevny
know what “pajta” was, and what it
was used for? In the Wallachian Open- ROŽNOV
Air Museum, you will certainly find out. POD RADHOŠTĚM Wallachian
Open-Air Museum
www.vmp.cz/en/ E442
35
3 km Tanečnice 481
32  Guide to the Czech Century 912
 Luhačovice is a spa town
with a somewhat fairytale
atmosphere. This is
emphasised both by the
surrounding countryside
and the unique architecture.
The story of the fame of
Luhačovice spa is proof that
good deeds beget more good
deeds, and that examples can
become a challenge to be
followed.
The local spa has been in operation
since the late-18th century. Some
one hundred years later it was near The center of Luhačovice spa
bankruptcy, and so it was decided
to carry out a comprehensive
modernisation and reconstruction. As
early as the first year of the twentieth
century, the spa management Villa Jestřábí, the magnificent Music
commissioned the excellent architect Pavilion, the idyllic baths Sluneční
Dušan Jurkovič. He was absolutely lázně (Sun Spa), and the Villas
thrilled by the idea of building the spa Valaška and Vlastimila, which were
buildings in the spirit of Folk Art the most popular recreational spot of
Nouveau, a style in which he later the composer Leoš Janáček, a great
became the most famous European lover of Luhačovice. He spent twenty-
representative. He embarked on three full spa seasons here, collecting
very intensive work, and in a mere inspiration, composing (he completed
three years he had completed twelve the Glagolitic Mass and began writing
buildings, which once and for all the opera Fate here), featuring his
lent Luhačovice their character and, compositions... Unfortunately, the
importantly, their uniqueness. Slovácká Búda wine bar, Mlékárna,

Luhačovice
Eight buildings have been preserved
until today, and spa visitors from
around the world travel to admire
them. These are Jurkovič House
A Spa with Unique (originally John’s House), which was
nicknamed the “Colourful Fairytale”
Architecture at the time of its completion, the
residential building Chaloupka,
the Hydrotherapy Institute, which
was reconstructed from a mill,
and the Inhalation Pavilion
have not been preserved. The
establishment of Czechoslovakia
launched an enthusiastic new stage
of development in Luhačovice.
Jurkovič’s work was a huge challenge,
because the issue was not to remodel
the city into another image, but
to continue in the character of
Jurkovič’s institutes, pavilions, and
villas. The challenge was embraced

34  Guide to the Czech Century 35


Jurkovič´s architecture
by several leading architects –
Bohuslav Fuchs, who significantly
contributed to the building of the
Bílá District, J. L. Holzl, on the other
hand, designed the Arco Hotel (today
it is used as the Morava Spa House),
the brothers Kuba designed
the Luhačovice Sokol gymnasium,
and František Roith was behind
the establishment of the Social
House, which not only completed the
appearance of the spa area, but also
became the centrepiece of cultural life
of the increasingly popular spa town.
However, the most monumental
structure was built some three
kilometres above the village (although
it might seem strange, Luhačovice
was only elevated to the status of
a town in 1936) on the Šťávnice River,
and this was critical to the popularity
of the spa. The year was 1930, and the
entire population of Luhačovice was
36  Guide to the Czech Century
present at the ceremonial filling of the
new dam, one of the first projects of
its kind in Czechoslovakia. “Today,
the lake formed by the Valley Dam
offers the possibility of participating
in all water sports, thus greatly
expanding the range of gifts that
the spa can offer to its visitors,” the
Luhačovice spa newsletter informed
its readers at the time. As a result,
Luhačovice kept growing larger
and stronger, until its development
was interrupted by World War II.
When we look at the town today,
all the architectural feats of the
1920s and 1930s are clearly visible
– and yet it was ensured that they
did not cover up Jurkovič’s houses,
the loveliest and most valuable of
Luhačovice gems, which still confer
character to the Luhačovice spa.
Experiences
The Luhačovice Valley still heals its
visitors. It is interwoven by sixteen
healing springs, led by the renowned
Vincentka, all of which are considered
to be among the most effective in
Europe. However, the spa and wellness
procedures are not only meant for the
unwell – they can also be fully enjoyed
by a healthy person slightly worn out
by life. Of course, you can also view
Jurkovič’s fully functional houses. In
addition to the spa town, which is, in
itself, quite an experience, there is also
the Jurkovič Alley with lounge chairs, Colonnade
sports facilities, and a sightseeing train.
Through the alley you can get all the
way to the Luhačovice Dam, where you
can enjoy water sports as well as in-line
skating, cycling, and hiking.
www.luhacovice.cz/en/ 4:25 h
318 km
Prague 3:13 h
A Tip for a Trip Luhačovice 1:26 h
Luhačovice is situated at the edge Brno
115 km 2:07 h
of the Bílé Karpaty landscape
protected area. The closest popular
trip destinations are the royal town
of Uherský Brod, the châteaux Nový
Světlov, Slavičín, and Vizovice (where
you will surely also be interested in the
typical Vizovice pastries and famed PRAŽSKÁ
ČTVRŤ
brandies), and the typical village
Park Lázeňský
representative of the Slovácko region, Luhačovice
Vlčnov. It also isn’t far to Lešná Zoo, to
Lázeňské
Velehrad or, to stay on topic, the Baťa Square
Canal.
www.vychodni-morava.cz
va
1,3 km yko
sar
20 min Ma
1,2 km
18 min LUHAČOVICE
400 m
496
Hop and Beer Temple
Hop fields
Žatec The historical royal town
of Žatec is essentially
synonymous with hops in
The World Capital the Czech Republic. It is in
the vicinity of Žatec that the
of Hops
highest quality hops in the
world are grown.
Even before World War I, hop
growing in the Czech Republic
reached such a level that the Czech
lands had become the world’s largest
producer of this crop. The position
of Žatec on the global market was
further strengthened during the First
Republic. This was primarily due
to a significant success dating back
to 1927, when a new hop variety,
“žatecký poloraný červeňák”,
was cultivated and became the most
popular and valuable variety in the
38  Guide to the Czech Century
world to date, and also the first hop
in the European Union to obtain the
Protected Designation of Origin
and Protected Geographical
Indication. For the majority-
German Žatec, the period of the
First Republic was also significant
due to the fact that strong Czech and
Jewish minorities prospered here,
which was also related to the fact that
President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
was named an honorary citizen of the
town in 1935. At the time, the town
registered more then one hundred
and sixty hop companies and fifty-
three hop-packing companies.
In short, hops determined the
development of the town, even
architecturally. The beautiful and
preserved historic core extends into
39

Brewery U Orloje
wondrous neighbourhoods that
look deserted. However, the façades
of burgher houses are deliberately
deceptive. This is because wise town
planners decided that the myriad of
hop warehouses must not have a terse
effect, and must perfectly fit with
the overall character of the town.
In Žatec, the hop plant is still
considered to be a gem worth its
weight in gold, it is highly valued, and
visitors of the town are provided with
a variety of experiences connected
to it. For example, you can tour the
Hops Museum, a wonderful and
magnanimous interactive exposition
of the Temple of Hops and Beer
with a magical 3D lift, a maze, a beer
astronomical clock, as well as
a pub with its own microbrewery.
After all, as far as the eye can see,
Žatec is surrounded by bristly hop
fields where the most sought after
40  Guide to the Czech Century
hops on the planet grow. Hops and
beer are simply omnipresent here.
Even the museum of films shot in
Žatec (and these were countless) is
located in the historic Malt House.
The local zone of technical
hop industry monuments at
Pražské předměstí is even in the
running to be included on the
UNESCO World Heritage list.
Let us now have a closer look at
the individual hop expositions in
some detail. Let’s start with the
Hops Museum, hidden behind an
interesting modernist façade. There
are six hops museums in the world,
but the one in Žatec is by far the
largest, spreading over several floors
with the total area of four thousand
square metres. The Temple of Hops
and Beer is situated a mere few
dozen metres further. It can easily be
found by following a hop lighthouse,
a 42-metre high tower, which is lit A Tip for a Trip
at night and emits light towards the For those interested in First Republic
sky. When shown to the lift in the architecture, the town of Louny is
bowels of the lighthouse, you may be not far from Žatec. Here, you can
surprised by parts of the floor made walk through the unique Kotěra
of glass, but you will about then be Colony, a notable residential complex,
given 3D glasses and, at the sound of a garden town designed by Jan Kotěra,
a suggestive sound accompaniment, but also the Spořitelna (Savings Bank)
which is enhanced by a slight building designed by the architect
trembling of the lift, you will find František Libra containing sculptures
yourself flying in a balloon over Žatec by Otakar Švec – the statue of
or in a rocket through outer space. President Masaryk was also made by
It is the only 3D projection lift in him – and the very first Czech stone
the world. The adrenaline lift ride puppet theatre from 1920.
is followed by a narrow footbridge,
which leads to an intricate hops www.branadocech.cz/en/
maze... And that is not the half of it.
Experiences
In addition to the above-mentioned 82 km 1:18 h
amusements, the Temple of Hops Žatec Prague 3:00 h
and Beer also offers a treasure hunt, 293 km
1:20 h
an alchemical workshop, a kingdom Brno
of crooked mirrors, virtual wading
through beer, crawling through
a chimney in a special harness,
a children’s garden, a play area and 1,5 km
a café, rides on mini-tractors through 29 min
the alleys of a model of the town of Ohře
Žatec, and the only hops astronomical
clock in the world... You can have sk á
eň
a good meal and taste one of the three Plz
local beers in an adjacent restaurant
with a craft brewery. Not far from here,
in the monastery garden, you can visit
a mini-zoo, a fountain of the Order of SQUARE
the Knights of Hops, a herb garden, SVOBODY
and a historic hop field. On top of
all this you can visit the Museum of 0,2 km
Homolupulus, the mythical hop and 4 min
beer nation.
Hop and Hops Pražská
www.chchp.cz Beer Temple Astronomical
cs.zatec-thum.eu/en/ Clook
200 m
Café Slavia
Cafés used to have the same
meaning for Prague as they
did for Paris. Here, too, history
changed, cultural life took
place, artistic manifestos
were created, and the Prague
Bohemian movement, as well
as the inter-war artistic avant-
garde, met.
Cafés were a de facto office for artists
and some politicians, where they
received guests and led discussions.
Just as passionately, other Prague
locals came here to read the
newspaper, discuss the situation

Prague
in the country, and respectably
impart their opinion over a cup of
coffee. Cafés were simply the social
networks of their time. It was even
in Prague cafés that the Communist
Cafés as Cultural system began to collapse. From the
1960s, Czech dissent led by the later
Centres President Václav Havel met here. In
the end, it was just below the windows
of the most famous of Prague’s cafés
that the student march of November
1989 passed, being brutally stopped by
an emergency response team between
the Louvre and Slavia cafés. At that
time, Prague cafés became the natural
centre of the Velvet Revolution.
And which of the cafés that are still
in operation are a credit to their First
Republic tradition and are worth
visiting? Café Louvre. Even the
name of the café on Národní třída
clearly refers to its Paris model. The
aroma of coffee was first smelled here
as early as 1902. A philosophical circle,
whose members included the students
of law Max Brod and Franz Kafka,
used to meet here. Albert Einstein
Cubist interior of Grand Café Orient
used to be a regular guest on Tuesday
evenings, and Franz Werfel used to
have a table here. In the period after
the establishment of the republic,
Café Louvre became an iconic meeting
place for artists, intellectuals, and
politicians, and the avant-garde of
all kinds ran rampant here. In 1925,
the Czechoslovak PEN Club,
chaired by the author Karel Čapek,
was established right here. One of the
guests of the first Penclub dinner in
Café Louvre was also the President
of the Republic, T. G. Masaryk.
Café Slavia. Ever since the late-
19th century, it has been located on
the bank of the Vltava River, opposite
the National Theatre on the ground
floor of Lažanský Palace. Decade
after decade, Bedřich Smetana,

42  Guide to the Czech Century 43


Antonín Dvořák, Karel Čapek, Václav
Špála, Jan Zrzavý, Jaroslav Seifert,
and others used to meet under the
image of all Slavs – Slavia (today,
it is in the collections of the City
Gallery). During the period of the First
Republic, the interior was transformed
in the spirit of Art Deco, and the café
became the local stronghold of the
inter-war artistic avant-garde. Viktor
Oliva, a Czech painter, whose famous
painting entitled Absinthe Drinker
replaced the historic Slavia and
became a symbol of the café, also used
to come here. Café Imperial with
and listed neo-Renaissance ceiling.
The First Republic traditions are still
consistently followed here both in
terms of the menu and the service.
Municipal House Café, on the
ground floor of a building that is
an Art Nouveau gem of Prague,
sets the mood of the First Republic
through the original interior,
including the reverentially restored
chandeliers by František Křižík.
An absolute rarity is the Grand
Café Orient, a café in the cubist
House of the Black Madonna by
Experiences
The atmosphere of the above-
mentioned cafés is an experience in
itself. In Café Louvre, probably the
most frequent and most popular place
for work meetings of Prague residents,
you might want to try a classical
Sacher or Schwarzwald with your
coffee. In Slavia, sit by the windows,
from which you can see Prague Castle,
and taste the local crépes, truffles,
or éclairs. In Café Imperial, do not
forget to taste the créme brullée.
In Café Savoy, it would be a mistake
not to order the namesake of café,
the Savoy cake. In the Municipal
House, you must try the nut cake,
and in Grand Orient Café the cubist
profiteroles or the marzipan-covered Café Slavia
fondant. And forget your mobile
phone. In a café, one should discuss
culture and politics.
2:30 hod.
www.prague.eu
Prague
www.praguecitytourism.cz/cs/media/ 2:00 hod.
mapy/prazske-kavarny-13373 207 km
Brno
2:40 hod.
A Tip for a Trip
Take a trip to the outskirts of Prague,
into a suburb call Baba, located above
the Vltava River Valley. Here, you will Malostranská
find an important set of functionalist M
villas unique in Europe. They were Me Café Imperial
designed by leading architects tro
A
including, for example, Josef Gočár, Café
Grand Orient
Evžen Linhart, Ladislav Žák, Pavel Municipal
Můstek House
Janák, and the famous Dutch urban Charles
Bridge M
planner Mart Stam. And if you don’t

C
ro
Vltava
its stunning Art Deco interior, which the architect Josef Gočár. Cubism want to walk by yourself, order

et
Café

M
was famous during the First Republic in architecture and applied art a guided tour. Louvre Muzeum
for its billiards, also functioned as is a purely Czech phenomenon; Café Café
M
the centre of a literary club. Café no similar interiors are to be seen Savoy Slavia

Metro B
Savoy with its uncommon interior anywhere else in the world.
500 m
44  Guide to the Czech Century

Pardubice
A City with a Pure
Sporting Spirit
Taxis Ditch
Pardubice started becoming
the city of sport some time
around the mid-19th century.
In October of 1842, the first horse
race took place here, and fourteen
years later, the city already had its
own race course. Modelled on the
English horse racing holidays, the
first Velká Pardubická, a cross-
country steeplechase, crowned ever
since the first year with the famous
Taxis Ditch, was ridden in 1874.
At the time, football and tennis were
already played in Pardubice, and
cycling, hiking, athletics, fencing, and
ice-skating were also popular. Most
of all, the story of the increasingly
famous race continued. After the
establishment of the republic,
Velká Pardubická was taken over
by the Czechoslovak Jockey Club,
and the prestige of the event was
on the rise. In 1929, motorcycles
46  Guide to the Czech Century
made their debut at the race course.
Three motoring enthusiasts organised
a motorcycle speedway race here, and
a gold-plated helmet was presented
to the winner. The helmet has also
provided the name of the race – the
Golden Helmet of the Czechoslovak
Republic. The surface was grassy, the
contestants were categorised by the
capacity of their machines. From then
on, horses and motorcycles shared the
race course (the Golden Helmet only
moved to the Speedway Stadium
in 1964). Both races were sought after
by athletes from throughout Europe.
Pardubice further intensified its
sporting nature in other sectors, so
no one was surprised when the city
organised a large exhibition of physical
education and sport in 1931. Wooden
and reed functionalist pavilions
on stilts were built on meadows,
and a new stadium was opened.
The centrepiece of the exhibition,
as well as its main pavilion, was the
building of the Industrial Museum.
The exhibition was personally opened
by the President of the Republic, who
also lent his name to the Masaryk
Athletic Games, in which the true
European athletic elite participated.
Were people interested? Enormously.
More than 1.25 million of visitors
arrived. As part of the exhibition, two
Pardubice gems were also organised –
both the Velká Pardubická and Golden
Helmed. While it is said that the heart
of Pardubice is made of gingerbread, The Golden Helmet race
its spirit is made of sports.
Experiences
Although the famous races only take
place once a year, both in October,
118 km Pardubice 1:44 h
during the season horse races can
Prague 1:16 h
be seen at the Pardubice Racecourse 144 km 2:14 h
every weekend, and the Speedway
Brno 1:39 h
Stadium also hosts races all the time.
In the remaining time you have, do not
miss out on a tour of the city. This is
because Pardubice is a bit of a hidden
treasure of inter-war architecture. 36
Gočár’s Anglobank (todays Komerční 3,8 km
be
banka), Grand Hotel (today a shopping La 62 min
centre), the mills on the banks of the
Chrudimka River, Machoň’s building of
the Mail and Telegraph Directorate-
General, the beautiful Passage 3,9 km
department store, and the completely 63 min
unique Rondocubist crematorium SVÍTKOV Teplého
designed by the architect Pavel Janák – á
the very first crematorium in the Czech Pr ažsk
lands, built in 1923. Horse Racetrack
Pradubice
37
www.pardubice.eu/en/tourists/
www.east-bohemia.info
www.zlataprilba.cz INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
PARDUBICE
400 m

Zbiroh
The Birth of Mucha’s  years. On 1 September 1928,
Slav Epic
Czech lands have never had
a more world-famous painter
than Alfons Mucha was in his
time.
In Paris, he was praised to the
skies, and when he set out to
the US to earn money from the
activities he had planned, the
entire New World fell at his feet.
The most famous decorative
artist of the world – that is how
he was presented. Many people
from high society, particularly
women, passed through his
studio – everyone wanted to have
a portrait done by Mucha.
One of the women he painted was
Josephine Crane Bradley, the wife
of millionaire Charles Richard
48  Guide to the Czech Century
Crane (incidentally, Mucha later
used her portrait as a model for
the character of Slavia for the first
Czechoslovak hundred-crown
note). Mucha was recommended
to Crane by none other than
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, whom
the entrepreneur invited to
lecture in Chicago. At the same
time, he told him about Slavic
myths, not knowing that he would
thus initiate the collaboration of
a painter and a patron. In fact,
Mucha had been entertaining the
idea of creating a cycle of large
canvases with the theme of
history and legends of the
Slavic nations for years. But he
had never had sufficient funds.
These were, however, provided
by Crane, and upon his return was created, Mucha’s Sokol Curtain,
to the Czech lands, Mucha could but also a number of photographs
thus search for a place where the of Alfons Mucha and his family, as
giant paintings could be created. well as photographs of his models,
that is the people of Zbiroh whom
He found it by chance. When he Mucha had invited into his studio,
went to visit his friend in Zbiroh, dressed in costumes (or, on the
he was thrilled by the local château, contrary, stripped naked – thereby
and particularly by its large hall unintentionally becoming the pioneer
with a glass roof. He rented an of Czech female nude in art), and
apartment here, and in 1910 he set you will also examine exhibits related
out to work in his new studio. The to the presence of Alfons Mucha in
Slav Epic, as he called the cycle, the Order of Freemasons. The first
was created here over eighteen aristocratic castle in Bohemia also
Mucha and Crane donated it to
offers other experiences, including,
for example, the deepest château
the city of Prague. Interestingly,
Mucha was one of the few who
well in Europe, and the oldest
watchtower in the Czech Republic.
also used photography for his
work – he photographed his www.zbiroh.com/en/
models prior to painting them.
Among them, there were many
residents of Zbiroh, particularly 0:47 h
63 km Prague 2:35 h
members of Sokol, for whom he 268 km
Zbiroh
later created a beautiful curtain,
which can be seen to this day at the Brno
Zbiroh Château, out of gratitude.
Mucha was heavily involved in
the establishment of the republic,
Bezruč
42
and he remained active beyond
it. He created the first set of
o va
Czechoslovak banknotes,
designed police uniforms, 0,7 km
Château 23 min
as well as the appearance
Zbiroh
of government documents.
Experiences
Zbiroh Château is full of keepsakes
of Alfons Mucha’s nearly twenty-year
va
residence and work. You will discover Mucho
va
dko
the famous hall, known today as
Slá
Mucha Hall, in which the Slav Epic
100 m a
Tyršov
 are always only in one place. “The
internal environment at the time of
childhood has possibly the strongest
impact on the artist’s work. That is
also the cause of the distinctiveness
of such work. It gives birth to the
other “Janáček” places in Hukvaldy
– his bench, his favourite spot in
the castle, the memorial plaque,
the Cunning Little Vixen memorial;
there is even Janáček’s favourite
restaurant, where you can sit in his

Hukvaldy
safety of the idea, that moment in
which it seems that the stars are
falling from the sky,” Janáček wrote
about the Hukvaldy phenomenon.
He called his new dwelling the
former seat, and you will even receive
an issued certificate to prove it.
severnimorava.travel/en/homepage
www.ic-hukvaldy.eu

A Village Full “yeoman’s farm”; he was very

proud of it, and gradually had it
www.hukvaldy.eu

of Janáček’s Music improved. This is where the most

Dvořák, Martinů, Janáček, three
of the most globally renowned
giants of Czech music. Among
them, Leoš Janáček is the most
distinctive, the most original.
Throughout the history of
music, no one has resembled
him. Where had this maverick of
a talent come from?
Well, from the Lachia region, from
the village of Hukvaldy, which
nestles under the massive ruin
of the eponymous castle. Here,
for the rest of his life. But Lachia,
a region to which he devoted his
splendid Lach Dances, called to
him. He liked returning here, and
the older he was, the more often
he did so. Eventually, he bought
a house in Hukvaldy, and later
also a piece of a field and forest
on a steep slope of Babí Hůra.
The year was 1921, and the
composer, thrilled by the
establishment of the republic,
beautiful Cunning Little Vixen
opera was born, where he invited
his late love Kamila, and where
death, which caught up with him
in August 1928 in Ostrava, first
caught sight of him. Five years Prague
later, his widow, Zdeňka Janáčková, Hukvaldy
made the composer's native house 362 km
3:31 h
accessible to the public. In 1962, it 158 km 1:44 h
Brno
became the Leoš Janáček Memorial.
Experiences
A perceptive person will consider
the nature embracing the village of
Hukvaldy an immense experience Leoš Janáček
in itself. The traces of Leoš Janáček Memorial
are literally ubiquitous. Of course, 1,8 km
one must begin at the Memorial,

On
29 min

dře
“in the room, one window of which determined to create and thus that is, in the house that he owned

jnic
looks out on the church, and the celebrate the new status quo of at a late age. You will be welcomed Château
Hukvaldy

other on the brewery”, Leo Eugen
Janáček was born on 3 July 1854
into a teaching and musical family,
as the ninth of fourteen children.
This is where he spent eleven years
of wonderful childhood, which,
once and for all, determined the
direction of his life. After that, he
left for Brno, where he remained
50  Guide to the Czech Century
the Bohemians, Moravians, and
Slovaks, enthused: “I come with
the young spirit of our country,
a young music, I am not one for
looking back, but rather for looking
forward.” Janáček came to the
realisation that people are like
trees – their branches may reach
as far as they want, but their roots
e
by a unique atmosphere, as the
equipment of the house is, to the
greatest possible extent, the same
as it was during Janáček’s life – the
salon, the kitchen, the bedroom,
as well as the study all give the 486
impression that the composer has
just left for a moment and will be Castle ruins
Hukvaldy
back. However, there are many Cunning Little Vixen
sculpture
100 m

Jánské Lázně
A Spa in the Arms
of the Mountains
The highest Czech mountains,
the Krkonoše Mountains, hide
a single spa resort in their
embrace – Janské Lázně.
To this day, aprrox. 30 healing
springs erupt here, but two of
them hold the most importance –
Jan's Spring, and Black Spring.
They provide beneficial water
for hydrotherapy and swimming
pools throughout the town. People
discovered the benefits of the local
springs as early as sometime in the
fourteenth century, but the time
of their boom did not arrive until
the second half of the 19th century.
At the time, the large Terra spa
house was built here, giving off
an incredibly fragile impression
for its size. At the beginning of the
twentieth century, the stunning Art
Nouveau colonnade was completed.
However, a real boom of the spa and
52  Guide to the Czech Century
a sharp increase in popularity was
brought on by the establishment of
the republic. The resort was taken
over by a joint-stock company,
which started expanding the spa.
Without a doubt, the most valuable
building from that time is Janský
dvůr (John’s Court). In 1927, it
was rebuilt from the former Pruský
dvůr (Prussian Court). The major
reconstruction was first brought to life
on paper, in the studio of the architect
Arthur Payr. The combination of
modernism and Art Deco, crowned
two years later by a remarkable
tower, had become a new symbol of
the burgeoning spa. The growth of
the spa was well-founded. Already
in the early 1920s, it turned out
during analyses that the local water
had almost the same parameters
as the American Warm Springs
spa, where polio treatment had
successfully been initiated. In 1935,
the American method was adopted for
good, and Janské Lázně immediately
became one of the most effective
facilities in the world to treat polio.
The inter-war period also meant the
rapid development of sport. In 1925,
the first World Ski Championships
took place here, and only three years
later, the oldest cable car in the
country to the top of Černá Hora,
the dominant feature of the town,
was put into operation here. This,
at the time, unique structure was
constructed on the basis of a design of Krkonoše Mountains
Ing. František Wiesner. The original
lower station was part of the town
centre, and thus the cable car became
a very popular part of the spa.
Experiences 147 km
Jánské
Janské Lázně is a charming town Lázně 2:07 h
Prague 203 km 3:11 h
with magnificent surroundings,
so experiences are guaranteed, 2:22 h
Brno
regardless of the season of your
visit. The spa itself offers effective
help for muscular, nervous,
orthopaedic, but also metabolic and
respiratory diseases. Patients with HORNÍ
back pain, nerve inflammation, after Černá hora MARŠOV
encephalitis and meningitis, palsy, 1299
296
joint replacement, spinal surgery, and
Jánské
others, will experience excellent care. 297 Lázně
However, a completely healthy person SVOBODA 300
can also enjoy abundant relaxation NAD ÚPOU
here – the local Wellness Centre offers
a wide range of massages. Add to this
MALÉ BUKY 14
walks through the surrounding forests,
fabulous skiing at the Černá Hora - Pec
14
Ski Resort in winter, and you will have
more than enough to do.
www.krkonose.eu/en TRUTNOV
www.janske-lazne.cz/en/for-visitors/ 16
1 km
Orlík Castle
In reality, the story of the
Czech aristocracy of the First
Republic only lasted 44 days.
As early as 10 December 1918, a law
abolished titles of nobility, and aris-
tocracy thus legally ceased to exist.
However, ancient families, which
had continued passing down tradition,
lifestyle, and moral principles for cen-
turies, managed to survive this effort
to do away with the “treacherous Bílá
Hora aristocracy”. True, aristocracy did
not have it easy in the 1920s. This is
because land reform particularly tar-
geted aristocracy. The reform included
about one third of all agricultural land
in the new republic, of which nearly
Orlík,
54% was occupied by aristocracy. It is
clear that the individual families went
on the defensive and awaited the next
steps that the republic was going to take
Hluboká
against them. However, despite this
stifling climate, some nobles not only
loudly claimed their Czech identity,
but also clearly declared their loyalty
nad Vltavou
to the new state structure. Neverthe-
less, the life of the aristocracy had
not changed much – that would be
contrary to its essence. Aristocracy,
that is its healthy branches, does not
On Aristocracy, which consider itself to be the owner, but
rather the manager of wealth, values,
Never Ceased to Exist and manners. The task of a noble is
to preserve, improve, and hand
over. And so, family celebrations still
continued to be held at châteaux, hunts
were organised, tennis was played,
horse-riding was cultivated, balls were
held, aristocratic clubs met, and char-
ity events took place. The principles of
family maintenance also remained the
same – aristocracy continued marrying
54  Guide to the Czech Century
almost exclusively among themselves.
However, over time the attitude of
people, state authorities, and specific
representatives of the republic towards
aristocracy began to change. The initial
literal hatred of the 1930s had turned
into a newly-gained esteem, even
regard. The aristocracy particularly
started being used in diplomacy. The
very popular Bedřich Schwarzen-
berg, who was referred to as a gentle-
man and a national noble defending
the Czechoslovak statehood, deserves
much credit in this respect. Towards
the end of the First Republic, a segment
of aristocracy made a public declara-
tion in favour of national unification
against the danger of Nazism.
Experiences
Many Czech châteaux bear traces of the
everyday as well as ceremonial life of
the inter-war aristocracy. For example,
you can take a trip to see two of the
Schwarzenberg gems. The older branch
of the family had lived at the Hluboká
nad Vltavou Château up until 1939. The
Baroque château got its neo-Gothic
look in a reconstruction in the second
half of the 19th century. The younger
Schwarzenberg family branch lived
at the Orlík Château during the entire
First Republic period. Here, too, a neo-
Gothic reconstruction took place, and
the château, originally located on a high
rock above the river, became a lake
château after the filling of the Orlík dam.
Both châteaux offer very interesting tour
routes and beautiful parks that enable
you to learn about the lifestyle of the
aristocracy in the 1920s and 1930s.
www.zamek-hluboka.eu
www.zamekorlik.cz
www.jiznicechy.cz/en/
55
 After the establishment of the
republic, he continued in his
wonderful and creative artistic trade
with his son, who, though originally
wanting to become a teacher,
and just wait until you walk inside.
The original equipment, including the
darkroom, stands, backdrops, tools,
and particularly 140,000 glass plate
negatives and photo albums have

Český
realised after graduation that his
father needed a successor, and thus
fell for the charm of photography
heart and soul. In 1935, when
been preserved. Entering the place is
like entering another time. After all,
you do not need to limit yourself to
the mere viewing of the exposition

Krumlov
Josef Seidel passed away, his son
František took over the studio
and continued in the successful
business. Both Seidels created an
absolutely unprecedented legacy –
– you can have your portrait taken
here, in the spirit of the First Republic,
in Art Nouveau period costumes, with
an original backdrop – exactly the way
you would have been photographed

The Delusive Charm a photo-documentary picture

of countryside and life in the period
by Josef Seidel himself in the 1920s.

of Glass Plates from the beginning of the century

The story of the most famous
photographer of the old
Šumava began in 1859, on
the exact opposite side of the
Sudetenland, in the village
of Hasel (today’s Líska) near
Česká Kamenice, on the border
of Bohemian Switzerland and
the Lusatian Mountains.
At the time, Josef Seidel was born
into the family of a glass cutter.
He trained as a photographer,
packed his camera, and started
wandering around Bohemia,
Hungary, Transylvania, and Austria.
In 1886, he eventually arrived
in Šumava. He settled in Český
Krumlov, bought a studio, and he
entered the new century already
a very skilful entrepreneur – he was
not content with the mere creation
of portraits, which were the bread
and butter of most photographers
of the time, but he started travelling
around Šumava and Novohradské
Mountains and taking pictures of
landscapes, houses, and the daily
life of the highlanders. However,
it was not just a hobby and an
obsession – he also established
a small publishing house, and
embarked on the production and
sales of postcards. Photography
also brought him to sports – he
went photographing on skis, on
a bicycle, a moped, and later even
on a motorcycle. In 1905, he rebuilt
his Český Krumlov studio into the
until the beginning of World War II.
www.ckrumlov.info
www.seidel.cz/cz/museum_
Were it not for their photos, we fotoatelier_seidel_cesky_krumlov
would only know a fraction of
what we now know about the old
Šumava. The studio later suffered
a sad fate – first, it was persecuted
by the Nazis, and later by the 2 hod.
communists. In 1949, the studio Prague 2:55 hod.
was officially closed, some of the 173 km
245 km 3 hod.
Brno
negatives were confiscated, taken 4:45 hod.
to Prague, and later lost. František Český
Krumlov
Seidel continued with photography
as a communal employee. He took
photographs until the end of his life.
He lived until nearly ninety years
of age, and he saw the restitution 1,5 km
of the studio. He died in 1997. 20 min
Experiences
When the city of Český Krumlov
acquired the Seidel studio in 2005,
C hva 1 km, 10 min
it initiated a commendable project, lšins
which resulted in the establishment ká O bj
ížď k
of the Museum Fotoatelier Seidel o vá
(Seidel Studio Museum). Even the

ava
with his own business. He was form in which it can be seen today. building itself is an architectural gem,

Vlt
200 m
56  Guide to the Czech Century
Ostrava, Dolní Vítkovice

Of course, the highest priority particularly good at. The main

was given to the ability of reason for this was that they were
the new state to compete on led by strong personalities –

Stories
the world markets, to be an it could be said about some of
integral part of Europe in the them that their actions were
best position possible as fast almost genius. This was true
as possible. And what else whether it was in regard to
should the efforts to succeed Baťa’s flexibility, strong vision,
rely on than on strong brands?
of Czech And thus, brands which had
and social dimension of business,
the creativity and innovation
Industrial Brands a significant history and new
brands stood side by side.
of Czechoslovak engineers
and technicians, or the perfect
However, their success was decided utilisation of the craft traditions
by the same thing – the ability to of the nation, as achieved by Czech
adapt to the difficult conditions glass-makers, for example.
of crisis and the post-war
market torn apart by shortages,
to come up with something
new, progressive. And this is
exactly what Czech brands were

58  Guide to the Czech Century 59

Zlín
Into the City of
the King
of Shoemakers
There are not many stories in
the Czech Republic as powerful
as that of the unstoppable rise
of Tomáš Baťa.
At eighteen, a boy from
a shoemaker’s family (the first of
the Baťas made shoes as early as in
the 17th century) and his brother and
sister established a shoemaking
workshop in Zlín. It was the young
Tomáš who was the soul of the
company. He set out to America
to gain experience, and upon his
return he immediately introduced
automated production. When his
brother Antonín died of tuberculosis,
he became the sole owner. He soon
had fifty employees, and before World
War I several thousand – this was
60  Guide to the Czech Century
because the company had won a huge
contract for military boots, and
at the end of the war, it produced
10,000 pairs a day. But the war
ended, the republic was established,
the local market had shrunk, and
the warehouses of the Baťa company
were full of unsellable goods. And this
is where the genius of Tomáš Baťa
began to manifest itself fully. First,
he immediately switched to normal
shoes, he began to focus on the world
markets, and in terms of the local one,
he decreased the price of shoes by half
(as he did the wages of employees).
And the miracle happened – within
a few months, people had bought
up all the stock. The wages of
Baťa's employees rose quickly, until
they reached nearly triple the wages
at other companies. Baťa used
a similar pricing policy elsewhere
in the world, and literally crushed
the competition with a metal shoe.
He built factories both at home and
throughout the world, reshaping
Zlín to become the base for his
factories. But how? In 1923, he
became the mayor (and he remained
in the position until his death).
The idea of a settlement made up
of comfortable homes for his
workers occurred to him a long
time before, but now he could finally
make it a reality. The idea was clear
– a garden city built in a uniform,
functionalist style, a perfect synthesis
of work and private life. Comfortable
and bright family houses (gradually,
one and a half thousand of them
were built), a cinema (the largest
in Central Europe), playgrounds,
shops, schools and school districts,
boarding schools, hotels, a social
institute, a hospital... Here, no one
worried about their job, the social
programme was ultra-modern,
the working week only had five days,
educational courses were available
to all – people loved their Baťa.
And he did not stay in one place for
a minute. He advocated for generous
transport projects, expanded his
sphere of activities, but, above all,
he constantly modernised both
production and sales. He opened the
Baťa department store, one of the
pearls of functionalist architecture,
on Wenceslas Square in Prague.
61
Zlín was growing before one’s eyes
– the factory itself was spread over
thirty different buildings! Film
studios were even established
outside of the city for the purposes of
advertisement production. However,
no tree grows all the way to heaven.
In 1932, while he was on a business
trip, Tomáš Baťa was killed in
a plane crash. The Empire was
taken over by his step-brother Jan
Antonín Baťa, and he was a good
successor. The Baťa phenomenon
continued its growth, and the
development of Zlín did not stop
either. New apartment buildings
were built, and in the second half
of the 1930s, Zlín was even adorned
by the highest building in Europe
– the famous Building No. 21,
Baťa’s Skyscraper. New factories
were opened in the Netherlands,
England, France, Canada, and
India. The cities surrounding them
were designed to resemble Zlín,
even in terms of urban division.
The Baťa Canal also grew –
the realisation of an old family
dream, to regulate a part of the
Morava River and to build a canal
to transport coal. Simply said,
the Baťa phenomenon was the
show-piece of the republic.
Prague
300 km 2:50 h
Zlín 1:04 h
97 km 4:35 h
Brno 1:55 h
62  Guide to the Czech Century
Experiences
Baťa’s Utopia was built by Kotěra,
Karfík, Gahura, Lorenc, and even
Le Corbusier marvelled over it. See
the Baťa Skyscraper, the Large
Cinema, the Department Store,
the Market, the House of Art, and
the villa quarter of Letná... Several
mobile phone apps, which will take
you through the city, are available,
or you can book a guided tour. The
rare technical landmark of the Baťa
Canal was put into service again in
the 1990s, this time only for tourism
purposes. It measures 53 km in
length (from Otrokovice to Skalice).
It can be traversed either by boat
or on a bike, as an arterial bicycle
path 80 km in length runs along the
canal. The methods of travel can be
combined – a part on a bike, a part
on a boat.
vww.ic-zlin.cz
www.batacanal.cz
A Tip for a Trip
In close proximity to Zlín, and in close
Mladá
proximity to the historicist Lešná
Château, you have the opportunity
to explore one of the popular tourist
place in the whole of Moravia. The
Boleslav
local zoo is originally divided by
individual continents, so that it is only
a few steps from Africa to Australia,
or to South America or Asia.
www.vychodni-morava.cz
Story of the Birth
of a Global Brand

Three men were present at the
birth of the car manufacturer
Škoda, the most famous Czech
industrial brand of today, in the
second half of the 19th century.
Two of them were partners, not
having known or ever met the
third one. The two men were
Václav Laurin and Václav
Klement, and the third, whose
name the cars still proudly bear,
was Emil Škoda. The story is
almost a fairytale. Mechanic Laurin
and bookseller Klement were
passionate cyclists, and thus they
started their business in this field
in Mladá Boleslav in 1895. Four
years later, bicycles were joined by
motorcycles – and their company
became the first motorcycle
factory in the territory of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire and
Germany. Furthermore, their
Slavia motorcycle was the very
first functional means of transport
in Europe having an engine in
a frame, a rear wheel drive, and
controls on the handlebars. They
started selling it in Germany, and
it was particularly successful in
England. In 1905, they re-focused
on automobiles, and soon they
had customers all around the
world. Their main advantage
was quality – only the best
was good enough. However,
with the establishment of the
republic, in the difficult post-war
years, the automotive industry
languished, sales were more or
less non-existent, and, on top
64  Guide to the Czech Century
of that, the factory burned down
in 1924. Others would have
resigned, but not the gentlemen
L&K. They made the most difficult
(and most correct) decision of
their lives, and sold their business
to the Pilsen-based Škoda.
And here we are at the second
branch of the family. Emil
Škoda built his factory in the
1870s as machine-works and
steelworks, and was soon
responsible for the global fame
of the brand. He, too, bet on
quality, and his products were
unparalleled in the industry, with
the Krupp plants possibly being
the only company to be able to
compete with him in this respect.
In addition, in 1890 he began
manufacturing arms, and soon
achieved global success in this
area as well. Although Emil Škoda
died in the last year of the century,
the arms factory carrying his
name was on a steep rise to fame.
However, World War I marked
a downturn, and the first years
of the independent republic saw
a near demise for the company.
But the Škoda business did not
mope, and started manufacturing
locomotives – and it soon soared
again. As of 1923, its products
boasted a new symbol – the famous
winged arrow in a circle.
Pilsen even started to entertain
the thought of automobiles, and
therefore bought the Spanish-
French licence for the Hispano-
Suiza vehicles. To give you an idea,
that was the Rolls-Royce of the era.
Each vehicle was an original, they
were produced on personal order,
literally to requirements. And this
was the very moment when the offer
from Mladá Boleslav came. It was
1925, and Škoda began producing
cars. In Pilsen, but particularly in
Mladá Boleslav, where the whole
production was soon moved. In
addition to the Škoda Hispano-
Suiza vehicles (the very first one
that was produced was bought
by the Presidential Office, and
President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
rode in it), the automotive range
was formed by vehicles that had,
up until that time, borne the mark
of Laurin & Klement. In 1928,
belt assembly began, but Škoda
was still lagging behind the Tatra
and Praga brands. The year 1933,
when the manufacturing belt in
Mladá Boleslav yielded a Škoda
Popular car, proved to be a turning
point. The name of the car must
have been created by a visionary,
as the popularity of the vehicle
grew exponentially, and Škoda
became number one in the republic
and never left this position again;
on the contrary, it is currently one
of the most visible and best-selling
brands on the global market.
Experiences
In Mladá Boleslav you will be
entertained by the magnanimous
and interactive Škoda Museum.
The exposition is a modern
concept covering 1,800 m2 of
exhibition grounds, equipped with
a multifunctional hall and the excellent
restaurant Václav (thus named in
memory of both of the founders of
the car manufacture). The exposition
is divided into three parts – Tradition,
Evolution, and Precision – and you
can tour it with a guide, or you can
elect to participate in a children’s tour
with a guide-mascot. Children will
additionally feel like they are in heaven
here – there is an interactive Škoda Lab
table, functional models, a reading
room, and screenings of the film Krtek
a autíčko (The Mole and the Car). And if
your descendants are 10 years and
over, they can join you on an excursion
to explore the manufacturing
operations of the company; however,
advance booking is a must.
museum.skoda-auto.com
middleczech.kr-stredocesky.cz/en
A Tip for a Trip
Mladá Boleslav also has its
architectural treasures created during
the First Republic. Most of them
were created by a single person –
the architect Jiří Kroha. Nowhere else
in the Czech Republic will you find so
many projects from a single architect.
And these are buildings that take your
breath away – the massive, almost
incredibly structured industrial school
complex, the former Institute for
Mother and Child, the medical school,
and the former health centre...
Mladá
64 km Boleslav
0:47 h
Prague 263 km 2:32 h
0:50 h
Brno
65

Fragile Beauty
Born of Fire and Sand
The Czech glass industry is
one of the biggest gems of the
phenomenon called “Czech
golden hands”.
The story of Czech glass-makers
begins some time in the 13th century,
particularly in North Bohemia, in
the borderlands. There was plenty
of wood, people learned to handle
glass sand quickly, and fragile beauty
was born in their hands. At first,
window and table glass was
made, with hollow glass being
added later. In the 16th century,
Bohemian crystal, renowned to
this day, was born, and glass-makers
gradually learned to engrave and
grind it. At the turn of the 19th and
20th centuries, Art Nouveau brought
world fame to Czech glass – no one
could understand how such perfect
decorations, ornaments, petals,
or flowers could be made from
66  Guide to the Czech Century
glass. Professional glass-making
schools began to emerge, the first
in Kamenický Šenov, followed only
a little later by another in Nový Bor.
After the establishment of the
republic, an additional school in
Železný Brod was opened, and it
immediately took over the leading
role in the development of the
Czech glass-making industry.
The Art Deco style still enjoyed
immense popularity, and
Czech glass-making schools,
in collaboration with local
manufacturers, brought it to
perfection. In the 1920s and 1930s,
it was considered good practice of
opera houses and luxurious hotels
to light their representational
spaces with beautiful chandeliers
from Kamenický Šenov – they
shone in Milan, Brussels, Rome,
the United States... Another huge
success were glass blocks, which
to a large extent co-created a new
building style – functionalism. The
final confirmation of the position of
the Czech glass -making industry
occurred in 1925 at the International
Exhibition of Decorative Arts in
Paris, and later in the 1930s at
the international expositions in
Brussels and in Paris. One of the
most enchanting forms of the work
of Czech glass-makers were the
blown Christmas ornaments,
which spread to the entire world
in the 1930s. Furthermore, glass
jewellery, produced mainly in
Jablonec nad Nisou, also enjoyed
ever increasing popularity – in the
late 1930s, more than one hundred
Jablonec
types were produced here. 108 km nad Nisou 1:11 h
2:56 h
Prague 307 km
Experiences
There are countless opportunities Brno 1:09 h
in North Bohemia to experience the
history and present of the Czech glass-
making industry first-hand. This is
true whether you explore expositions
mapping the development of the
fragile beauty, for example, in the Glass RUMBURK
FRÝDLANT
Museum in Kamenický Šenov and VARNSDORF
Nový Bor, or in the Museum of Glass
Kamenický Jablonec
and Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou Šenov
Lindava nad Nisou
or, if you prefer a thrilling experience, Nový Bor LIBEREC
in the hellish heat of glass-making
workshops. In this case, head to the ČESKÁ LÍPA
Ajeto in Lindava near Nový Bor. You
will see glass-makers in action, you TURNOV
can try glass blowing yourself, you can
become a bead-maker for a while.
MLADÁ JIČÍN
BOLESLAV
www.liberecky-kraj.cz/en MĚLNÍK
www.glassmuseum.eu
www.msb-jablonec.cz/en D10
D8
NYMBURK
PRAGUE PARDUBICE
D11
Tatra Rally Dakar
Kopřivnice
The Brilliant
Ledwinka’s Tatra
The story of designer Hans
Ledwinka is actually the story
of Tatra.
When the young graduate of Vienna
Tech arrived in the North Moravian
Kopřivnice it was still called
Nesseldorf, and the local factory
was producing railway carriages and
eyeing something entirely novel –
an automobile. The year was 1897.
And the very first project that Hans
took part in as an Assistant Designer
was that of the first automobile in
the Austro-Hungarian Empire  –
the Präsident. Time passed, and
Hans Ledwinka gradually became
the Technical Director, and then
the Director of the whole factory.
68  Guide to the Czech Century
The empire collapsed, the factory
changed its name to Kopřivnická
vozovka, and its vehicle bore the
Tatra brand for the first time in
1919. Everybody knew by then that
Ledwinka always came up with
cutting-edge solutions – for example,
he was the first to design brakes on
all vehicles for mass production. But
then came 1923, and the Kopřivnice
designer bowled the whole world
over. He came up with a completely
new, so-called backbone, chassis.
To this day, it is nicknamed the “Tatra
chassis”, and the company still uses it
in the manufacture of heavy trucks. At
the time, the famous Tatra 11 entered
the market. Another breakthrough
in 1934 was the first car with an
aerodynamic design of the body –
the legendary Tatra 77. However,
Ledwinka did not give up on railway
either – a revolutionary type of
train with a hybrid engine, called
Slovenská strela, that reached
speeds of up to 148 kilometres
per hour, introduced in the same
year, was also aerodynamic.
Ledwinka’s design studio supplied the
factory with one aerodynamic car after
another – for example, the Tatra 87,
in which Hanzelka and Zikmund
conquered the world. Hans Ledwinka
had a close relationship with
a native of Vratislavice nad Nisou,
the three- year older Ferdinand
Porsche. They had been following
each other’s work and inspiring Tatra 87
each other for so long that Porsche
got a little over-excited and came
up with a novelty – the VW Type
1, known as the Beetle, which was
the spitting image of the prototype era of Ledwinka and from the time
of the Tatra V570. Tatra took the of his successors. You can also view
whole thing to court, which only undercarriages, engines, models,
awarded it rich compensation in design proposals, trophies from sports
1961. The long-time director of the tournaments, period photographs,
second oldest car manufacturer and all manner of rarities. Video-boxes
in the world died in 1967. and electronic tour guides are also
available. Of course, you can also
Experiences expect Slovenská strela. In addition,
You can experience the entire children can explore the exposition
fascinating history of the car with a workbook entitled “Dráček
manufacture yourself in the Technical Tatrováček”.
Museum Tatra in Kopřivnice. The
exposition entitled From Präsident www.tatramuseum.cz
to the 21st Century is the most severnimorava.travel/en/homepage
comprehensive collection devoted
to Kopřivnická vozovka, later made
famous as the TATRA automobile Prague
3:26 h
factory. You will see six dozen vehicles 354 km Kopřivnice 1:42 h
– cars and trucks, both from the entire
156 km
Brno
69
Lesser Town, Prague
If strong personalities
were behind the young
Czechoslovak industry, they
were also behind the republic
as a whole.
The authority and popularity of
Stories
President Liberator Tomáš
Garrigue Masaryk was huge
and en mass. It was only due to his
ability to maintain common sense
in all circumstances and to follow
of the Establishment clearly given moral principles
that his popularity did not grow
of the Republic into something unnatural. On
the contrary, the President was
the measure of all things; he
was the driving force, and this
calmed people. Of course, Masaryk
was not alone, but his halo shone
70  Guide to the Czech Century
so brightly that it would have
been difficult for anyone else
to assert themselves with similar
intensity. For the nation, he was
the embodiment of the rectification
of the Bílá Hora injustice, he was
the symbol of the disintegration
of the monarchy, synonymous
with the republic. His ideas have
survived him. When the war
loomed, his sentence “Borders
are not negotiated, they are
fought for” filled Czechoslovaks
with the hope that they can
defend against the brown rush
themselves. The fact that they
were not offered the opportunity
to do so was all the more painful.
71
In the Footsteps
of President Liberator
Lány Château
It is typical that, while a single
person cannot move the wheel
of history, historic turning
points are often attributed to
individuals.
However, in the case of Tomáš
Garrigue Masaryk, this is
justified. He contributed to the
establishment of the Czechoslovak
Republic with a hearty serving of
energy, invention, diplomacy, and
truly active service. On top of this,
he was a great President, even so
good that the sentence “TGM is
credited with the state” has
become a law. For the nation, the
Czechoslovak nation, in which he
had had faith up until his death,
he was simply “daddy”. His story
is almost a fairytale – a poor son
of a coachman for the aristocracy
and a cook, who was to become
a blacksmith, graduated from
72  Guide to the Czech Century
studies in philosophy in Vienna due
to his own diligence and intelligence
and, with the contribution of
people who recognised his talent,
gradually began to publish
remarkable thoughts, even later
becoming a member of the Imperial
Council. From rock bottom to the
heights of society – who would
not be impressed by that?
It was Masaryk who was the first
to declare the request for an
independent state of Czechs and
Slovaks as early as 1915. Towards
the end of the war, he set out to
Russia, and started to assemble the
Czechoslovak legions, which would
give added weight to the desire for
an independent state. He was the
co-author of the Washington
Declaration, which impressed
US President Wilson so much that
the independence of Czechoslovakia
became one of the fundamental
conditions of peace in Europe. When
he returned to Prague in December
1918, it was already as the President
of a sovereign state. He refused
the imperial carriage, and he drove
through Prague in a vehicle of the
Czech Laurin & Klement brand.
His solid faith in democracy
and truth, his ability not to become
alienated from the people and to
use clear and direct language, even
at the highest political post, but
most of all his unchanging moral
credit, have become the image of an
ideal politician, for whom we have
been yearning in vain until today.
He was nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize seventeen times.
He was awarded the title
of President Liberator. The
First Republic survived him by
a mere year. One September day,
one million people met at his
funeral. But his ideas are still
alive today, and to wander in the
footsteps of his life is still uplifting.
Experiences
The pilgrimage to places associated
with the life of TGM can start in
his home town of Hodonín. In the
Masaryk Museum, you will find
a permanent exhibition on the life
of the first President, and you will
follow his life literally step by step,
for example, through a film that
cannot be viewed anywhere else.
At the time of his tenure as President
and later until his death, TGM lived
at the Lány Château. The summer
residence of Czech Presidents is
not accessible to the public, but
the extensive château park and the
beautiful Palm Glasshouse from 1879,
as well as the nature trail that connects
the château with the village of Lány,
offer a great experience. In Lány, you
can visit the very interesting Museum
of T. G. Masaryk. And finally, Prague
Castle as well as its gardens are also
full of traces of TGM.
www.muzeumtgm.cz/en
www.masaryk.info/english
www.hrad.cz/cs/prazsky-hrad-
pro-navstevniky/ostatni/zamek-
lany-10271
1:06 h
44 km
Lány
Prague 0:36 h
0:49 h
Brno 72 km 0:49 h
Hodonín 1:30 h
73
Hanička fortress
Seven Days
of Czechoslovak Courage
and Determination
This story is special. Although
many years have passed, it still
evokes feelings of anxiety.
It all started on 23 September
1938, an hour and a half before
midnight. Mobilisation. Finally!
“Borders are not negotiated,
they are fought for”, as the late
President Masaryk said, and now
there was a chance to defend
the country against evil with
a weapon in hand. Within a few
hours, fortresses and pillboxes
along the entire border were full
of men determined to die for their
country. The sturdy horseshoe of
fortifications started to spring up
three years prior. It consisted of
260 fortresses and forts, and
10,000 lightly fortified bunkers.
74  Guide to the Czech Century
The resistance held out for 7 days.
And then, the news of the Munich
Agreement arrived. The men
returned home disheartened.
Betrayed, humiliated. Hitler’s path
into the country was free. This year,
it has been eighty years since. Over
the years, parts of the fortifications
have disappeared, but most are still
a proud memento of the moment
when we were not allowed to
defend the borders of our country.
It is important not to forget.
Many of the fortresses and
bunkers have now turned into
modest monuments of human
determination. It is as if East
Bohemia had a cord of reinforced
concrete beads around its neck.
Descend into the fortress with
the delicate name of Hanička,
walk through the corridors of the
Dobrošov artillery fort, explore
the nature trails of the Králíky
area with the largest concentration
of fortifications, have a look at
Bouda or Hůrka – all of these
are remarkable experiences, which
all of us need now and then lest we
forget. After all, it is enough to roam
randomly through the beautiful
Orlické Mountains or through the
surroundings of Králíky – even
in the most beautiful of natural
landscapes, you will always come
across grass- and moss-covered
concrete monuments, which
are not marked, but which are
eloquently silent on betrayal
and disappointment. These days,
associations of people who look
after this part of our history are
being founded in many places.
The number of various nature
trails, open-air expositions, and
days on which you can view even
the smallest of these “řopíks”
is on the rise. And wise the
nation that does not forget.
Experiences
There are a myriad of options and
experiences. For example, after
viewing the exposition in the Hanička
fortress, you can go deep under
ground, where you can explore one and
a half kilometres of corridors, original
shafts, and halls. In the Dobrošov
military fortress, you can see infantry
and artillery log cabins, a munitions
warehouse, barracks, and an infirmary.
In the artillery forts of Bouda and
Hůrka, drainage tunnels, mine cells,
filter rooms, but also a weapons
and munitions exposition await you.
In Milostovice near Opava, you can
see the Monument of the Army of the
Czech Republic and the Czechoslovak
Fortification. A unique experience
is provided on a trip by an off-road
vehicle around the fortresses of the
Krušné Mountains and their foothills,
featuring knowledgeable commentary
on the course of the mobilisation and
the subsequent events.
www.hanicka.cz
www.pevnostdobrosov.cz
www.boudamuseum.com
www.vychodni-cechy.info/vojenske-
pamatky
75
 @czechrepublic
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Hora Ostrava
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Kopřivnice Hukvaldy
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nad Vltavou Rožnov
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Jihlava

Kroměříž
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Guide Telč
Luhačovice
to the Czech Century Hluboká
Published by CzechTourism, nad Vltavou
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Slovakia
Český Lednicko-valtický
Text: Rostislav Křivánek; Krumlov areál
Translation: Skřivánek
Cover photo: Adobe; ČTK; Libor Sváček;
Jiří jiroušek; Pavel Radosta; Štěpán Vrzala; Austria
Jiří Strašek; Marek Musil; Ladislav Renner; Pavel Vopálka;
Milan Jaroš; Tereza Hofmanová; Archiv CzechTourism;
UPVISION; Nationa Technical Museum
Production: Vydavatelství MCU, www.mcumedia.cz
Year: 2017, 1st edition
www.czechtourism.com The previous issue of the
Not for sale. Guide came 1st place in 2017
ISBN: 978-80-7513-163-8 Turist Propag competition.
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The data given cannot be guaranteed in spite of meticulous research.
The official tourist presentation of the Czech Republic.
100 Years of the
Czech Republic Story
Discover places that have become
a part of modern history.

Let us take you to the times of the unprecedented

boom of Czech cultural and public life. To the
times of grace and elegance, bold architecture,
distinctive design and visionary brands.
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