And now back to our regularly scheduled program: The czech town of the week is *drum roll, please* Mohelnice! This week I decided to pay a visit to a town that has a lot of history. Even its location is unique: Mohelnice lies in an imaginary triangle between three castles - Bouzov, Mírov and Úsov. Since its first official mention in 1131 it has been devastated by illness, conquered and occupied by others and destroyed by war and fire. Some of this history is still visible in the buildings of Mohelnice.
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
While taking a look at the website of the information center of Mohelnice I discovered something very unique that I absolutely wanted to try. They offer walking tours through the town. You get all the information on the website and off you go. However it sounds a bit easier than it actually is. Since there is no map or addresses some of the places are hard to find and I am actually quite sure that I missed one or two because of that. This is why I recommend you to make use of www.mapy.cz. (It's also available as a mobile app) This map is a lot more detailed than google maps and offers a lot more information - even for small towns. You are able to plan your trip by simply typing in the names of the monuments you want to visit and the application does the rest. The order of the places on the website also doesn't really make sense from time and will have you running back and forth unnecessarily. To make it a bit easier for you I created a map that you can use for reference:
1. MOROVÝ SLOUP
The column was put up in 1717 and stands in the center of the town. It reminds of the time of the plague, the people that were lost to the illness and the tragedy the city faced.. Like many plague columns it features the Virgin Mary with Jesus and other saints.
2. LITINOVÁ KAŠNA
The iron fountain is from the mid-19th century and is decorated with a statue of Hygieia who was the goddess of good health, cleanliness and hygiene in Greek mythology. She is pictured holding an Amphora on her right shoulder.
3. BUDOVA RADNICE
The building was originally build by one of Mohelnices most famous natives Antonín Brus in 1564. However, it is not in its original state anymore. The building you see today was reconstructed and designed in 1923 by Vilém Rus.
4. MĚŠŤANSKÝ DŮM
I personally wasn't sure which one of the houses it was but on Vrátní street there supposedly is a house that still has preserved city walls inside.
5. MARIÁNSKÝ SLOUP
This baroque column has adorned the city center since 1700.
6. KOSTEL SV. STANISLAVA
The Church of St. Stanislav is a Renaissance building from the 16th century. The church with valuable Renaissance tombstones and a cemetery gate was entered in the list of cultural monuments in 1958. Construction was commenced in 1577 by the Mohelnice native, Prague Archbishop Antonín Brus. The church was surrounded by a cemetery, bounded by enclosing walls. Of this, only the gate with a semicircular arch decorated with a Latin inscription has been preserved.
7. SEVERNÍ MĚSTSKÁ BRÁNA A PEKAŘSKÝ DŮM
Here you can find the only surviving late Gothic city gate in Mohelnice from the year 1540. You can also see the building of a bakery that was constructed in 1597.
8. KOSTEL SV. TOMÁŠE Z CANTERBURY
The church is hard to miss and you will be able to see its famous clock tower from almost everywhere in the city. It's the most important ecclesiastical monument in Mohelnice.
9. GRIMMŮV DŮM
In 1739 a huge fire engulfed the city and 90 houses, including the Church of Saint Stanislav were demolished. This house was preserved. Above the entrance you will find an inscription that says: "Act with us as you please, your Holy Wisdom. I am told that I was graciously spared when a destructive fire destroyed 90 houses of our city on March 9th"
10. SOCHA SV. JANA NEPOMUCKÉHO
This Baroque statue dates back to the 18th century. Jan Nepomuck or John of Nepomuk was the vicar general of the Prague Archbishop and is known as a martyr of the Catholic Church and one of the Czech patron saints.
11. BISKUPSKÝ HRÁDEK
What was once known as a castle is the Museum of Mohelnice today. It is one of the oldest buildings in the region and has been around since the 13th century.
12. DŮM S BAŠTOU
This house was an important part of the town fortifications and probably also the first school in North Moravia. It is also an important part of the witch trials in Northern Moravia. Dean Kryštof Alois Lautner of Šumperk was imprisoned and tortured in this house because people suspected that he was a witcher.
13. MĚSTSKÁ OPEVNĚNÍ
Mohelnice is one of the towns where you can still find original town fortifications. There is a path that leads along the wall that was once used to protect the town. You can find remnants of the fortification all over the town if you look for them.
14. MĚSTSKÝ DŮM
This house supposedly the birth house of Archbishop Antonín Brus. Remains of the city walls can still be found in the cellar of this house.
15. KOSTEL EVANGELICKÝ
This church was built in 1906. It stands at the corner of the current bus station and will probably be the first thing you see when you arrive in Mohelnice.
This beautiful city walk takes about 30 minutes and gives you the opportunity to discover some of the towns history while experiencing its unique charm. You can go at your own pace and adjust it to your needs.LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
If you are interested in culture and history Mohelnice has 2 options for you.
Museum of Mohelnice: As I mentioned before the house itself has a lot of history. You can visit two permanent exhibitions. The first one is called "Prehistoric Mohelnice". The exposition was created from an extremely rich and unique collection of archaeological collections of the Regional Museum in Šumperk and was as completed with an interactive prehistoric playroom. Both young and old visitors can not only try prehistoric grain crushing techniques or stone drilling, but they also have the opportunity to slip in the roll of an archaeologist. The second exhibition focuses on the history of Mohelnice. They describe it as "A journey that with the help of historical objects, concise texts and imaginative artistic representations introduces into the events that our ancestors experienced". Considering all of this it is surprising that the entrance fee is only 50 crowns - what a deal! Also don't forget to check what kind of temporary exhibition they have at the moment.
Galerie Lautner Mohelnice: The Gallery regularly changes their exhibitions and organises various events so be sure to check out their website beforehand. They are currently staging a photography exhibition by Olga Havlová. You can also find a "Minimuzeum" that revolves around crafts there.
THE HIDDEN GEM
While I was walking through Mohelnice I noticed two very interesting things.
For one thing I really love some of the architecture here! There are a lot of very cute and colourful houses that I just couldn't keep my eyes off. If I am being honest when I was looking at them it didn't remind me of a typical czech town at all! I don't know if it has something to do with the history of the town or if people here just like the same architectural style but I personally loved those houses.
The other thing I noticed that made me smile was the trashcans on the main square. Ok, I know, that sounds incredibly weird but hear me out! They look like random letters but they actually spell out Mohelnice once you arrange them correctly. I thought this was such an interesting and cool idea on how to make trashcans look a lot nicer. I also really don't want to know what people thought I was doing when they saw me enthusiastically taking pictures of a bin.
THOUGHTS
I really enjoyed my trip to Mohelnice. I thought it was a very special idea of the information center to create a list of those walking tours. I think it's very useful and definitely helped me to discover the town. However, they could be improved a bit as I mentioned before which I tried to do for all of you in this post. I also noticed that Mohelnice has a lot of cool restaurants and cafes and I really regretted eating a big breakfast and not being hungry when I was there. There is so much to do and see in Mohelnice so don't hesitate and come here!
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