In Liteň, architectural history and literature meet. The castle is associated with the poet Svatopluk Čech; other protected buildings represent different periods. The cultural story therefore spans everything from the Renaissance and Baroque periods to literary memorials.
The extensive Liteň educational trail connects the town’s monuments and sights. It gives the various cultural themes a common thread, while the castle, crypt, cemetery and church each retain their own story.
Liteň Castle, Park and Collection
Liteň Castle is a protected cultural monument dating from the Renaissance, with Baroque alterations and a park. The estate is associated with Svatopluk Čech. Following successful revitalisation work carried out in 2012 and 2013, the park is once again open to the public. Access arrangements may vary during events or maintenance work, so check them before your visit.
The collection at Zámek Liteň is also a distinct part of the area’s cultural history: it comprises 57 registered visual culture objects from the legacies of Jarmila Novotná and the Daubek family. Both names also feature in the history of the castle grounds and the festival. The collection thus complements the architectural connections with a glimpse of these artistic legacies.
Architectural History Across Several Sites
The protected Daubek family crypt is a Neo-Renaissance building dating from 1888, designed by Antonín Wiehl. The Jewish cemetery was established in 1680; its features include Baroque tombstones and a Neo-Romanesque mortuary chapel. The Church of St Peter and St Paul was originally a Gothic church dating from the 13th century and was remodelled in the Baroque style in the 17th century.
These buildings represent different layers of Liteň’s history: the church’s story reaches back to the Middle Ages, while the cemetery, alterations and crypt reveal other periods. Visitors interested in architecture can therefore consider the sites in light of their different origins and styles, rather than viewing them as a single, uniform historical ensemble.
Svatopluk Čech: Childhood and Remembrance
A monument featuring an over-life-size statue in the town gardens commemorates Svatopluk Čech’s four-year stay there as a child and the setting of his poem “Ve stínu lípy” (“In the Shadow of the Linden Tree”). Another point of connection is the protected statue of the poet, created in the 1930s at the Hořice stone-carving school to a design by J. Mach.
The two memorial sites have different focuses: one links Čech’s childhood stay with a literary setting, while the other statue portrays the poet himself. Together, they make Liteň’s literary connection more concrete than a mere mention of a name and complement its architectural history with a biographical perspective.
Festival and Regional Context
The Jarmila Novotná Festival grew out of efforts to revive cultural and musical life on the grounds of Liteň Castle. The castle grounds are historically associated with the Daubek family and opera singer Jarmila Novotná. The festival programme regularly brings together music, education, film, theatre, visual arts and other creative disciplines. Alongside music, the programme also features educational and other artistic forms. If you are planning to attend the festival, check the dates for your travel period.
Liteň is located in the Český kras. This regional setting adds a geographical context to the town’s cultural history, while the castle, monuments and literary memorials remain its local focus.
Discover more destinations: Zdice, Nesvačily, Lochovice, Korno, Měňany, Svatý Jan Pod Skalou, Vysoký Újezd, Skřipel.
For the wider travel overview: Beroun District.
