Municipality: Nový Jičín
Picturesque Nový Jičín, situated in the southern edge of the Moravian Gate in the Podbeskydská pahorkatina Hills, was founded at the crossroad of trade routes approximately in the 1280s. The oldest written mention of the town however dates back to 1313.
Nový Jičín can boast of an unusually high number of historical sights which form the Town Heritage Reservation which was declared in 1967. A regular rectangular square is worth seeing as one of cultural monuments which is unparalleled in the Czech Republic. We can find there valuable burger houses rounded by arcades at all the four sides. A remarkable Renaissance house with double storey recessed balconies known as “Old Post Office” stand out among many buildings. The centre of the square is decorated with a plaque pillar from the beginning of the 18th century and a stone fountain with the sculptural group of dancing farmers. At the central area of the square there is also a statue and a fountain of St. Nicolas and there is a sign of the road which used to pass the square diagonally in the past. The monumental appearance of the square is supplemented by a New Baroque helmet above a Renaissance ambulatory of the church tower of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
One of the other symbols of the town is a Renaissance Žerotínský Chateau, the present seat of the Nový Jičín Museum. An original exposition dealing with the technological process of hat production can be seen in the Nový Jičín – the Town of Hats Visitor Centre. Thanks to interactive elements of this exposition you can experience an active tour during which you can reveal the secrets of hat origination from the initially obtained raw material to the final decorated product.
The town is an ideal starting point for trips to the near as well as distant vicinity. The whole area is interwoven with labelled tourist routes, cycling and nature trails. There is a forest park called Skalky for countryside enthusiasts at the edge of the town. The Čerťák water dam serves for recreational purposes where sport fishing is also possible besides swimming. Three kilometres from the centre there is a Svinec ski centre.
