Day 3: From Vízmburk to the Stars in Úpice and Craftsmanship in Radeč

Vízmburk Castle is sometimes called the Pompeii of the Krkonoše Mountains. The ruins have an incredible story. According to Dalimil’s Chronicle, Vízmburk stood here already around 1279; however, it was abandoned after the Hussite wars. At that time raids by marauding knights were rampant, and they seized the castle and ravaged the surrounding villages. Since the middle of the 16th century, Vízmburk was deserted and if it had not been for one major archaeological discovery, we might have only known it from local legends. Now you can stop and see it thanks to the local Association for Vízmburk, which takes care of the castle and organises various events here.

TIP: Do you want to know more about Vízmburk? Then you must go to Úpice. The castle museum is located in the old town hall. 

On the outskirts of the picturesque town of Úpice there is an observatory with an extremely interesting programme. Observing not only the night sky but also the day sky, renting astronomical telescopes for trips to the countryside, lectures and screenings, special programmes and aids for observing the sky from a wheelchair, as well as tactile models and books in Braille for visitors with visual impairments, animation programmes for children – all of this can be found in this undiscovered corner of the Podkrkonoší region. 
The oldest building monument in Úpice is a timbered house from the middle of the 16th century. After a major reconstruction, it houses the J. W. Mezerová Municipal Museum and Gallery. Its staff will be happy to guide you through an exhibition dedicated to the life of the townspeople at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, show you how they used to brew and certainly show off the local rarity – the relics of the beer pipeline.

TIP: The Municipal Museum has an exhibition dedicated to the family of Karel, Josef and Helena Čapek. Just a short walk away you can see the villa they lived in. Today it is the headquarters of the municipal police.

Treasures found in attics, cellars, barns and workshops can be found under the roof of the Radeč Museum. Agricultural machinery and tools, household equipment and tools from home workshops form a permanent exhibition that is on display throughout the year. The museum also organises other thematic exhibitions, craft fairs, craft demonstrations and Advent gatherings. In the summer you can regularly watch sculptors with chainsaws, children enjoy various creative workshops, and at Christmas you can come here for the regular nativity scenes exhibition. 

A hiking trip from the bus stop in Havlovice, at the municipal office, to the Radeč Museum is just under 12 kilometers.