Litomyšl Castle is the most important landmark in the small town of the same name in the Pardubice Region, in eastern Bohemia. It is one of twelve (as of 2017) UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Czechia. It was inscribed in 1999, as the 9th Czech site on the World Heritage List.
It resembles rather a chateau than a castle. Also, the Czech name is zámek Litomyšl and the word zámek is usually translated into English as "chateau". However, in the official presentation in English, it is referred to as a "castle", and as such it was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Therefore, the same word is used in this article.
Getting There
Getting to Litomyšl Castle is easy. The town of Litomyšl is quite small, and as you can see on the map above, it's only a very short walk from the train station to the castle. The station in Litomyšl has several connections per day from Choceň and Vysoké Mýto.
If you would like to go there from Prague, the train journey with stops takes about 2 hours 20 minutes one way, when using the fastest connections. If you change to a bus line in Česká Třebová or Pardubice, you will have additional options. Therefore, Litomyšl is quite a good place for a day trip from the Czech capital, especially if you're into visiting World Heritage Sites. This website offers a convenient way to check the timetables (there is an English language version, too).
About
Thanks to historical documents, it is known that there had been a medieval castle on the site of Litomyšl Castle. In the 16th century, Vratislav of Pernštejn acquired the castle and decided to rebuild it in the Renaissance style. The architects were Giovanni Battista Aostalli und Ulrico Aostalli. The castle was completed in 1581, after 13 years of construction work.
The aristocratic family of Trauttmansdorffs (Trauttmansdorffové) acquired the castle in 1649. They redesigned some of the castle's interiors in the Baroque style and the work was conducted by Franz Maximilian Kaňka.
In 1758, the Waldsteins (Valdštejnové) became the new owners and their contribution was the castle family theatre. The famous Czech composer Bedřich Smetana was born in the castle's brewery in 1824. His father served as a brewer at the court of the Waldsteins.
Nowadays, Litomyšl Castle is owned by the Czech state. It is a fine example of a Renaissance arcade castle and one the greatest tourist attractions in the Pardubice Region.
