Telc Town Guide

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The town Telc is situated in south-west Moravia about 30 km away from exit 133 on Prague - Brno highway. It has a population of approximately 6 000 inhabitants. However, it is visited by more than 200 000 tourists every year. In 1992 the historical part of Telc entered the list of world culture heritage - UNESCO.

INTRODUCTION TO TELC

It is situated in the middle of an ancient provincial route leading from Vienna to Prague. The picturesque town of Telč is a true real pearl of the Vysočina region. Numerous placid ponds cover its surface.

Besides the ancient royal water fort founded in the 13th century, there is the monumental Renaissance chateau with an English park. The town square is the most significant sight and is created by the historical houses in the Renaissance and Baroque styles. Arcade-fronted townhouses encircle this colourful square.

All of them have similar size and proportion, but each building has a fascinating surface decorations that make it unique. The historical center has been added on the prestigious UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. Telč has a rich cultural life and several annual music events and festivals take place here.

HOW TO GET THERE

There is a good bus connection from Prague, direct bus takes 2h 30min. Some connections are with a change in Jihlava.

WHERE TO STAY

WHAT TO SEE

The Telč chateau

The Telč chateau is a renaissance complex from the 17th century. It was built mainly according to a B.Maggi of Arogne project. The chateau surrounds a garden and a park and visitors can admire luxurious historical interiors with unique decoration, valuable collections and period furnishings. Inside of the chateau with equipments have been preserved in very good condition. Many of them represent the influence of Italian art by the environment north of the Alps into the czech territory. The garden gallery of the chateau exhibits the work of painter Jan Zrzavý. The Museum includes exposition about the history of the town and ethnographic collections. The town of Telč, together with the chateau, is inscribed in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites.

Phone:
+420 567 243 943
http://www.zamek-telc.cz
e-mail: zamek-telc@iol.cz

Opening hours:
April and October: 9.00 – 12.00, 13.00 – 16.00
May - September: 9.00 – 12.00, 13.00 – 17.00
Opening hours daily except Mondays.
The last tour begins one hour before closing time.

Entrance:

Tour A 60 minutes - Renaissance tour

Adult 90 Kč / person
Children, students 45 Kč / person
Penzioners 70 Kč / person
Foreing comment + 90 Kč / person
Invalids 20 Kč / person
Tour except opening hours 180 Kč / person

Tour B 45 minutes – habitable rooms of the last owner

Adults 80 Kč / person
Children, students 40 Kč / person
Pensioners 60 Kč / person
Foreing comment + 90 Kč / person
Invalids 20 Kč / person
Tour except opening hours 160 Kč / person

Entrance to the town

Access to the town was formerly possible only through two gates. Lesser Gate called the Košer, was reconstructed in 1579 and keeps its appearance up to presence. Its foreground had a drawbridge and a defense bastion, which is remembered by the name of the street, and which also appeared in the name of the mill that used to be there. The Upper, also called Greater Gate, was formed by two towers passable from both the Aires of the ditch. The external one has been preserved up to today and its reconstructed design is from 1629, while the inner one was pulled down in 1883. The bridge connecting the two towers across the ditch situated below them had originally been constructed as a wooden bridge or even a drawbridge, and it was replaced with the stone bridge at the end d the 17th century.

The oldest architectural monument in the town is 158 feet tall Whit Tower built in the late Romanesque style in the 13th century. The Tower had been burnt out several times, neverthelss its stone construction persisted, only its helmet roof used to change. As late as after the fire in 1836 the general conditions of the buildings were damaged, which led to some emergency modifications.

You may start your tour of the town with the ascent of the Whit Tower. From its doubled windows, open to the four points of the compass, you will have a beautiful view of Telc and its immediate surroundings lying open below.

Houses in the square

The square, lined by picturesque facades and arcades, corresponds approximately to the conditions of the time when the town was founded. Originally the houses were built in the Gothic style with characteristic dimensions and with characteristic arrangement of both the ground and first floors: the people passed from the square through a large gate with a stone jamb into the vaulted entrance hall – “mazhouse”. From this space that originally served for goods manufacture, shop or sale of beer, the people passed upstairs to the first floor and downstairs to the cellars, and through a passage into the yard.

In the second half of the 15th century the arcades and entire fronts with gables were constructed before most of the houses according to unified plans. Arcades, fronts and gables were built individually but only a part of them have kept their Renaissance style. Most fronts and gables bear the Baroque features, in some of them it is possible to also register the signs of later styles.

Public fountains and Marian column

The square area is characterised by two public fountains and by the Marian column which are situated in its eastern part. The Marian column was built in 1716 – 1720. The pedestal of the column holds the saints. On the top of the greyish column stands the Virgin Mary on the globe.

The Museum

Phone:
+420 567 243 918

Opening hours:
April and October: 9.00 – 16.00
May - September: 9.00 – 17.00
Opening hours daily except Mondays.

Entrance:
Adults 20 Kč / person
Children, adults 10 Kč / person
Family 80 Kč (2 adults + 2 – 3 children)

WHAT TO DO

Bowling

Bowling at the Šiškův mlýn Hotel
3 km from Telč in Vanov 21
588 56 Telč
Tel.: +420 731 102 431
Email: recepce@siskuvmlyn.cz

Bowling at the U Hraběnky Hotel
Slavatovská street, Telč
Tel.: +420 567 578 554

Opening hours:
Mo - Fri 14.00 - 22.00
Sat, Sun 11.00 - 22.00

Golf

Šiškuv mlýn - Golf Club Telč
Vanov 21 - the area of Šiškův mlýn (3 km from Telč)
Phone: +420 603 873 308, +420 724 347 472
e-mail: club@golf-telc.cz

Sports fishing

Rybářství Telč, a.s
the lake Plodový near the village of Řásná (7 km away from Telč)
Tel.: +420 567213111, +420 567 213 021
e-mail: info@rybarstvi-telc.cz