Humpolec brings together a range of historical themes: the Dr. Aleš Hrdlička Museum focuses on the Horácko region, educational trails wind through historic parts of the town or explore nature, and the ruins of Orlík Castle are about two kilometres away. This offers a choice of ways to plan your visit, from a museum trip to an outdoor walk.
The museum and regional themes
The Dr. Aleš Hrdlička Museum was founded in 1895 to collect material and cultural artefacts from the Horácko region. The anthropological and ethnographic exhibitions each occupy their own floor. A modern ethnographic exhibition opened to the public in October 2025. Interactive features and a short animated film explore flax processing and clothmaking.
The puppet exhibition documents the origins and history of puppetry in Humpolec through texts and photographs. On display are four of the oldest puppets, dating from 1920 to 1930 and made by a local woodcarver. Ten fairy-tale scenes were created using 60 puppets loaned to the museum. Younger visitors can play with several animal hand puppets.
Another collection can be seen at the private Museum of Scales: scales of all kinds from almost all over the world. Visits are possible by prior telephone arrangement with the owner. The satirical HLINÍKárium Museum refers to the famous line “Hliník se odstěhoval do Humpolce!” from the Czech film “Marečku, podejte mi pero!”
Historical traces in the town
The “Po stopách historie” educational trail is an approximately 2.5-kilometre circular route through historic parts of Humpolec. Each information board stands close to a historic building and provides information in Czech and English about its history and significance. The route therefore focuses on the buildings and their past, with the boards presenting information along the way.
In the Zichpil district stands a Tolerance Church dating from 1785, exceptionally well preserved to this day and designated an immovable cultural monument. The Jewish cemetery was founded in 1719 and contains more than 760 gravestones, including valuable Baroque and Classicist stelae. For an unaccompanied visit, keys can be borrowed from the Dr. Aleš Hrdlička Museum or the tourist information centre. As the key arrangements may change, it is advisable to check before visiting.
The tower of St. Nicholas Church offers another historical highlight: the climb takes you up 115 steps to a height of around 30 metres. Exhibitions on the history of the town and church are part of the visit.
Two educational trails, two different themes
The Březina educational trail is an approximately seven-kilometre circular route with 16 information boards. Interactive boards introduce local flora and fauna through playful activities. The trail combines a longer walk with nature themes. The section between boards 5 and 8 is difficult to walk and partly poorly marked due to ongoing timber harvesting and the use of heavy forestry machinery. Check trail conditions before setting out.
By comparison, “Po stopách historie” focuses on historic buildings and is considerably shorter, at about 2.5 kilometres. The two routes therefore differ both in their stated length and in their theme: the shorter route centres on the town’s history, while the Březina educational trail focuses on flora and fauna.
Ruins of Orlík Castle
The ruins of Orlík Castle are about two kilometres from Humpolec and can be reached via a blue-marked hiking trail. The remains include a prism-shaped tower, a second castle gate, a bastion, sections of the fortifications and cellared palaces. The complex also includes a black castle kitchen with a working bread oven. From the ruins’ observation tower, views extend to Melechov, Lipnice Castle and Humpolec; to the east, the view reaches as far as Havlíčkův Brod.
Discover more destinations: Čížkov, Zmišovice, Vokov, Hribeci, Proseč U Humpolce, Zachotín, Utechovice, Žirovnice.
For the broader travel overview: Pelhřimov District.
