Liteň – Castle, Culture and Music in the Český kras

Liteň is located in the Český kras and brings together Renaissance and Baroque history, literature, music and an extensive educational trail route within a compact area. Liteň Castle, the Daubek family crypt, the Jewish cemetery and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul provide the town with several historical points of interest. They are complemented by the publicly accessible castle park, a collection of visual culture and the Jarmila Novotná Festival. Liteň can therefore be explored particularly through its cultural themes and the connections between its sights.

Liteň Castle, Park and Collection

Liteň Castle is a protected cultural monument from the Renaissance period, with Baroque alterations and a park. It is associated with the poet Svatopluk Čech. Following successful revitalization carried out in 2012 and 2013, the park of Liteň Castle is once again open to the public. It is therefore one of the town’s independent features that deserves attention alongside the architectural history of the castle.

The Zámek Liteň collection comprises 57 registered objects of visual culture from the estates of Jarmila Novotná and the Daubek family. The Jarmila Novotná Festival is also connected with the history of the estate: it emerged as part of efforts to revive the cultural and musical life of the castle grounds, which 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.

Historical Traces in Liteň

Several buildings and monuments make the town’s history visible across different periods. The protected Daubek family crypt is a Neo-Renaissance building dating from 1888, designed by Antonín Wiehl. The Jewish cemetery was established in 1680 and contains Baroque gravestones and a Neo-Romanesque mortuary chapel. The Church of Saints Peter and Paul was originally a Gothic church from the 13th century and was rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 17th century.

The memory of Svatopluk Čech is also present in the town. The protected statue of the poet was created in the 1930s at the stonecutting school in Hořice, based on a design by J. Mach. A monument with an over-life-size statue in Liteň’s municipal grounds commemorates Svatopluk Čech’s four-year stay there during his childhood and the setting of his poem “Ve stínu lípy”.

Educational Trail and Orientation in the Area

Liteň’s monuments and sights are connected by the extensive Liteň educational trail route. It provides a continuous way to navigate between the historical stops and makes it easier to view the castle, religious buildings, cemetery, monuments and other sights as parts of a shared local history. Liteň in the Český kras therefore appeals to travellers who want to combine cultural discoveries with a connection to the landscape.

Compare Other Destinations

For comparing other destinations, the town pages for Hýskov, Loděnice, Nenačovice, Lochovice, Jivina, Malá Víska, Beroun and Podkozí are also available.

For the higher-level travel overview: Beroun District.