Half-timbered houses

Get to know the unique folk architecture of Bohemian Switzerland

Along with the rocks, half-timbered houses are among the most characteristic features of the landscape of Bohemian Switzerland and the Šluknov Hook. It is not only nature that has created this spectacle; people have also played a significant role in shaping its beauty—picturesque houses and cottages standing along the roads, at the edge of the forest, in villages, and in the centers of larger towns. You’ll encounter them on your hikes, bike rides, and even during a simple drive between destinations. They are, quite simply, a natural part of the region.

What is a half-timbered house, and what makes it unique?

The half-timbered house is a traditional type of folk architecture typical of the border region where the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland meet. In the Upper Lusatia region, half-timbered houses have been built since the 13th century. The houses that have survived to this day mostly date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Their main feature is a wooden supporting structure—a half-timbered frame—that encircles the ground floor of the house and supports the weight of the upper floor or the roof.

A typical building combines:

a brick or stone ground floor,
a log or half-timbered floor,
wooden columns and beams, often hand-carved.

This style of construction originated as a practical solution—it allowed people to live and work in the same building and was well-suited to the local climate.

Living architecture, not an open-air museum

Many half-timbered houses today serve a variety of purposes, most commonly as residences, or you’ll find lodging or cozy restaurants with a unique atmosphere inside them. What they all have in common is that they are a living part of the region. You can experience their uniqueness at the Half-Timbered Houses Open House, which is scheduled for the last weekend in May. On Saturday, May 30, you’ll be able to take a peek inside homes and businesses on the Czech side of Bohemian Switzerland and the Lusatian Mountains, and on Sunday, May 31, half-timbered houses on the Saxon side will open their doors. For more information, follow our social media channels.

The perfect setting for hiking and biking trips

The landscape dotted with half-timbered houses is perfect for slow travel. It naturally invites you to slow down—to hop off your bike, take off your backpack, look around, and take in the details. The pillars and balconies, the hand-carved windows and doors, the porches with benches, and the small herb gardens by the houses.

On both hiking and cycling trips, half-timbered houses often appear unobtrusively, serving as a backdrop to the villages you pass through or as landmarks along the way. In the northern part of the region, for example, you’ll find them along the routes connecting the Šluknov Hook with the German side of the border. Several Czech-German loops run through this area, alternating between open countryside, forested sections, and villages with well-preserved folk architecture. You can find an overview of the routes here, for example.

Half-timbered houses in Bohemian Switzerland remind that the landscape is not only for admiration, but also for life. Whether you meet them on your way to the lookout point, on your way back from the woods, or during a coffee break, they’re part of what makes exploring this area so authentic. All you have to do is go out and look around.