Municipality: Štramberk
The Moravian Bethlehem as Štramberk has been dubbed lies in the center of the Štramberk highlands along the slopes of Zámecký kopec (Castle Hill), Kotouč, Bílá hora (White Mountain) and the Libotín Ridge in the Beskydy range. The town and its wide surroundings are dominated by the Štramberk Trúba (Tube), the ruins of the 13th century Gothic castle of Strallenberg, of which the remains consist entirely of the tube-shaped tower with ramparts.
But Štramberk will also enchant you with its winding, narrow streets lined with scores of burgher houses, usually made out of wood or mostly wood and built along tight medieval lots. The minute you reach Štramberk Square, you feel as if you are in another world. The entire square is dominated by 22 houses in the baroque, burgher and pensione style. The beauty of the city is topped off by several statues, authentic wells with windlasses, side houses with access balconies and treasured gabled roofs.
Visitors to the city should not forget to hike up to the lookout point on nearby White Mountain, nor forgo a look at the famous Šipka Cave above Štramberk National Park, where a hearth and part of the jawbone of a Neanderthal child, the so-called Neanderthal jawbone, were found in 1880. Last but not least, you simply cannot skip a visit to the new arboreta and botanical gardens at the foot of White Mountain.
Štramberk is also famous for a sweet-smelling, funnel-shaped gingerbread cookie called the Štramberk Ear, which has been baked here for many centuries following the legendary victory of the Štramberk Christian forces over the Mongol host on 8 May 1241. Inside the coffee shop known as Perníkovka (Gingerbread Place) you can browse through an exposition on the secrets of making gingerbread, the Štramberk Ear and other sweet products. Both young and old alike will be dazzled by the collection of antique wooden and copper gingerbread forms, the tongs used to handle the wafers, and other niceties that go into making gingerbread delights.
After your excursion to this picturesque little town you can avail yourself to the local brewery to try a light, unfiltered lager prepared in the double-mash style, and dark, unfiltered lager called Trubač.
And if you prefer to try beer in another way, visit the Lachian Beer Baths at house no. 7 on Štramberk Square. Here you can enjoy the refreshing harmony of all the cleansing procedures made available to you in comfortable surroundings.
