Litomyšl Castle, Czech Republic

Litomyšl Castle, Czech Republic. Photo: Přemysl Otakar/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The main external feature of the monumental Renaissance castle dating from the years 1568–1581 is the sgraffito decoration: what look from a distance like bricks are in fact designs made from etching away plaster to reveal the undercoat. Each design is different and the centres contain many different images, from leaves to people.

Sgraffito decoration. Photo: Herbert Frank/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

A highlight of the interior is the preserved baroque theatrette, which is one of only five left in the world.

Litomyšl chateau - baroque theater. Photo: Pudelek/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The castle was the birth place of composer Bedřich Smetana, and the rooms in which he spent the first years of his life are open to the public.

On the elongated square, which is one of the largest in the Czech Republic, stands a town hall of Gothic origin and a series of Renaissance and baroque houses, many with arcades and vaulted groundfloor rooms. One of the most important of these is the House At the Knights (U Rytířů) with its remarkable façade.

House At the Knights - façade. Photo: Herbert Frank/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

The exquisite interiors of the castle, especially the baroque castle theatre, the amphitheatre in the castle park and Smetana House, all offer varied programmes of concerts and theatrical performances. (Wikivoyage, Wikipedia)

Litomyšl Castle - interior. Photo: Herbert Frank/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Þingvellir National Park, Iceland

Þingvellir National Park is a national park in South Iceland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Vallø Castle, Denmark

Vallø Castle is a manor house located 7 km south of Køge, in Stevns Municipality, on the island of Zealand in Denmark. It now serves as a residence for Vallø stift, a home for unmarried, widowed and divorced women of noble descent.

Banff National Park, Canada

Banff National Park is in the Alberta Rockies region of Alberta, Canada. Together with six other national parks it makes up the UNESCO World Heritage site "Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks".

St. Peter and Paul Cathedral Naumburg, Germany

Naumburg Cathedral is the former cathedral of the Bishopric of Naumburg-Zeitz. The church building, most of which dates back to the 13th century, is a renowned landmark of the German late Romanesque and has been recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.

Mount Wuyi, China

Mount Wuyi is a very popular scenic area in Nanping prefecture, Fujian Province, China.

Town Hall and Belfry of Roeselare, Belgium

The belfry is, together with 55 others in Belgium and northern France listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.