Hlinsko v Čechách: Hotels and Accommodation

Folk Architecture and Urban History

Betlém Hlinsko is a preserved quarter with folk architecture in the centre of Hlinsko on the right bank of the Chrudimka. The heritage conservation reserve comprises 24 buildings, 16 of which are cultural monuments. In several buildings, visitors can enter with a guided tour and view exhibitions about the lives of small craftsmen. The craft workshops include a weaving workshop where the production of textile products, especially the famous Hlinecké žinylky, is preserved.

The Městské muzeum is housed in a former Jewish synagogue and was founded in 1874 as the fourth rural museum. The permanent exhibition covers the history of Hlinsko, the school system, associations, clothing, textiles and traditional crafts. The exhibition also includes a fully functional orchestrion.

The Ježdíkův dům, also known as Dům u tvrze, was built in the Neo-Gothic style; its façade frescoes depict local pottery and weaving as crafts typical of Hlinsko. The Tvrz is considered the oldest building in Hlinsko and stands next to the Ježdíkův dům in the lower-left part of Poděbradovo náměstí. The Baroque Church of the Narození Panny Marie was built between 1730 and 1745; its bell dates from 1520 and its baptismal font from 1628.

The Židovský hřbitov was founded in 1904, covers only 380 m² and is among the smallest Jewish cemeteries in the Czech Republic by area. Visitors can borrow the cemetery key from the Turistické informační centrum Hlinsko.

Traditions and Regional Architecture

The rural Masopust processions and masks in the Hlinecko region were added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. During the Hlinecko Masopust processions, four dancers known as turci perform a ceremonial dance in front of every house. One of the locations of these processions is Blatno, a district of Hlinsko.

In the vicinity of Hlinsko, Veselý Kopec features an ensemble of relocated folk buildings from Hlinecko, Poličsko, Litomyšlsko and parts of Chrudimsko, set within the settlement’s original landscape. The Kavánova stezka has six information boards with pictures by Kaván; each one stands at a location offering a good view of the landscape depicted in the respective picture.

Landscape and Trails

Hlinsko and its region lie at the transition between the two landscape protection areas of Žďárské vrchy and Železné hory. The Pohádková stezka leads to the Ratajské rybníky, which have been protected as a natural monument since 1990 and consist of three ponds with wetlands and marsh meadows.

The Lázeňská stezka leads from the centre of Hlinsko towards Studnice and back via Svatojánské Lázně. Beside the road from Hlinsko to Svatojánské Lázně, a small-leaved lime tree stands along the Lázeňská stezka; it is protected as a memorial tree.

Leisure and Activities

The Pohádková stezka is 2 km long in total and takes 45 minutes on foot. It begins at the cross-country skiing area in Rataje and is also suitable for children, families with pushchairs, people with disabilities and seniors. The Skiareál Hlinsko has three pistes: a 250 m-long blue piste, a 450 m-long red piste with a road overpass, and a 250 m-long black piste.

The Vzdělávací centrum Planeta Hlinsko offers visitors an entertaining insight into processes and phenomena that take place on Earth. The Koupací biotop in Hlinsko was created by converting an old swimming pool and comprises a bathing area and a treatment area, beaches and a large lawn.

Transport and Other Local Pages

The Pardubice–Havlíčkův Brod railway line, which has been in operation since 1871, runs through Hlinsko. Hlinsko lies on State Road 1/34, which connects Polička and Havlíčkův Brod and links to the D1 motorway.

Other local pages: Hrochův Týnec, Krouna, Předhradí, Skuteč-Borek, Dědová, Žlebské Chvalovice, Stary Dvur, Hojesin.

To the higher-level travel overview: Okres Chrudim.