Telč
about town
Telč is a Renaissance gem among Czech cities. It is situated on the southwest tip of Moravia, halfway between Prague and Vienna.
According the legend, the establishment of the city is connected to the victory of Moravian Prince Otto II over Czech Prince Bretislav in 1099. It was the winner who pursued building a chapel, later on a church and the settlements, today’s Staré Město. The city experienced its greatest boom during the reign of Zachariáš of Hradec in the second half of the 16th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, Telč already played a significant role in the southwest region of Moravia, which continued to expand with the arrival of the railway in 1898. The local cultural and economic life received a new load of energy, the city came to life, continued to grow and gained in significance.
The picturesque historical centre with its square and chateau was entered into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992. The square created from single-storey houses with beautifully ornate frontispieces belongs among European rarities. Telč Chateau belongs among the gems of Moravian Renaissance architecture. Thanks to the conservative approach of the owners, the original interiors have been preserved in very good condition. Several of them are representative examples of the transitions in Italian art in domestic environments.
Present day Telč not only offers historical monuments but music festivals of various genres as well, plus exhibitions, sports events, hot-air ballooning, boat rides or horse-drawn carriage rides. During historical festivities you will meet Zachariáš of Hradec and his wife on the square or by the fountain. You will have the opportunity to see the crafts of people, who still keep the tradition of old handicrafts, on open-door days or at handicraft markets.
Overview of annual significant cultural events:
- February - Masopust (Mardi Gras) – traditional folk festivity on the square
- April – Welcoming spring
- May - Veteran revue
- May – Folklore in May – a meeting of folklore groups not only from Vysočina and a handicrafts market
- June – international film and art festival Arts&film
- July – French-Czech Academy – master courses of classical music for music school students from all of Europe
- July – traditional highland jarmark
- July - Balóny nad Telčí (Balloons Above Telč) – hot-air ballooning
- July - August – multi-genre festival Prázdniny v Telči (Summer Holidays in Telč)
- August – Historical festivities of Zachariáš of Hradec and Kateřina of Waldstein
- September – Svatováclavské časy (Saint Wenceslas Times) – the arrival of St. Wenceslas and company, handicrafts market
- November - December - Advent concerts
www.telc.eu
Sources: http://www.unesco-czech.cz; http://www.telc.eu
