Krásná Lípa

Krásná Lípa, a picturesque town located in Northern Bohemia, uniquely combines natural beauty, cultural heritage, and historic industrial architecture. It is located on the border of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park and serves not only as its unofficial center, but also the headquarters of the National Park Administration and the Bohemian Switzerland, public benefit company.

Krásná Lípa

Either way, it’s a good place from which thousands of visitors set off to discover the rock towns, deep forests, and fabulous views of this unique landscape.

Thanks to its location, Krásná Lípa is an ideal starting point for lovers of nature, hiking and cycling. The town is home to the House of Bohemian Switzerland, a modern visitor center that offers interactive exhibitions about the nature and history of the region, as well as up-to-date information about hiking trails and activities in the area.

The surrounding area is interwoven with a network of trails leading to the most famous and lesser-known attractions of the National Park – for example, to the Kyjov Valley.

Krásná Lípa does not only revolve around nature. In the past, the textile industry developed here, traces of which are still visible today. Important industrial monuments include, for example, the former spinning mill and weaving mill of the Dittrich company, which reminds us of the period when the town prospered thanks to the production of textiles exported to the whole of Europe.

The Dittrich Tomb is an important monument in the beautiful town. The town is trying to gradually reconstruct this Neo-Renaissance building, designed by the leading German architect Julius Carl Raschdorff.

The town has also preserved valuable architectural monuments, including the historic town hall, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, and many typical half-timbered houses, reflecting the rich tradition of folk architecture of North Bohemia. Villa Hielle (called “Zámeček”) and Palme’s Villa are architecturally unique buildings. Villa Hielle in today’s Pražská Street is surrounded by a park and was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. Palme’s villa is probably the largest functionalist villa in Bohemia. It is located high on a hill above Křinice (towards Krásný Buk) and today it houses a social welfare institute.

Don’t miss the well-kept town park, established as a private park surrounding the unique tomb of the family of industrialist Karel Dittrich. The park is crowned by a bronze statue of a lion tearing at a Prussian eagle, reminiscent of the bloody year of 1866 of the Austro-Prussian wars. An important part of the Kögler Nature Trail also runs through the park.

August Stradal and clavichord

One of the most important personalities associated with Krásná Lípa is August Stradal (1860-1930) – composer, pianist and teacher. He was born here and during his lifetime became a pupil of famous personalities such as Franz Liszt and Anton Bruckner.

Stradal was not only a talented performer, but he was especially famous for his piano arrangements of orchestral works. He devoted much of his life to popularising the work of Franz Liszt, whose work he considered the pinnacle of Romantic music. To this day, his transcriptions and arrangements are performed on concert stages around the world.

The memory of August Stradal is still alive and well in Krásná Lípa – for example, with a memorial plaque or musical events held in his honour.

Not far from Krásná Lípa, on Vlčí Hora under the hill of the same name with the legendary lookout tower, we find An Aromatherapy Center, which includes an herb garden and aromatherapy education facilities. It is part of the Nobilis Tilia company, where since 1994 they have been developing and producing natural aromatherapy cosmetics for every family member. They use raw materials from organic farming such as cold pressed plant-based oils and essential oils from around the world.

And a few more tips:

  • When it rains: take shelter from the rain in one of the three cafés or the Falkenštejn Brewery.
  • With children: yes, there are several playgrounds in the town, and if the weather is bad, take the children to the interactive exhibition in the House of Bohemian Switzerland
  • Dogs: yes, leashed around town, you can let them run around in the park.
  • How to get here: Krásná Lípa is easily accessible by a number of train and bus connections, all of which you can find clearly on the National Park Railway. There are several car parks in and around the center.