Journeys to the realm of dwarves and giants – Discover magic that will amaze you!

Miniatures of medieval castles in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem

In recent years, a new museum exhibition called Bystřický Park of Miniatures has been under construction in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem. Here you can visit replicas of the Svratka Valley, which contain approximately twenty miniatures of castles, monasteries and various historical sites on a scale of 1:50. These miniatures do not depict the current state of the monuments, but represent their heyday in the 14th and 15th centuries. In addition to Čepička Castle near Tišnov, you can admire the Porta Coeli monastery, Skály Castle, Zubštejn Castle, Pernštejn Castle, Dalečín Castle, Aueršperk Castle, Pyšolec Castle, and more. etc. The model of Pernštejn is approximately seven metres long. These miniatures were made by model maker Zdeněk Brachtl from concrete, iron and stone and then painted with facade paints.

Cat Castle near Slatiňany

In the south-west of the castle forest park is a popular place for children – Kočičí hrádek (Cat Castle). This castle model was built at the end of the 19th century by Princess Vilemína Auerspergová in the forest behind Slatiňany Park. To this day, the castle continues to inspire enthusiasm, especially among children, just as it once did among the young descendants of the Auersperg family. You can reach the castle by following the marked green trail from Hluboký rybník (Deep Pond) or along the nature trail, which has information signs about the interesting features and beauty of the surrounding countryside.

Miniature South Bohemian village

You can discover a miniature model of a South Bohemian village in Plešovice, on the red tourist trail leading from Zlatá Koruna. Here you will find a village green, a pond, a mill, a chapel, a pub, and even a water sprite and a fireman. This model will delight all tourists who walk along the red trail around the garden of Mr Jiří Bauer, who created these miniatures himself. All the model houses are brick-built and made of mortar and stucco. Some models faithfully replicate real buildings, while others are slightly fanciful. In the garden by the pond with about fifty fish, there is a fully functional mill, a farmstead with a barn, a municipal office and a chapel.

Four-metre miniature dwarf in Hořice

The idea to create a statue based on a design by Kurt Gebauer was born in 1994. At that time, a civic association was founded in a restaurant at the railway station in Hořice with the aim of building a giant dwarf. The statue, located near the old entrance to the town, measures an impressive 11 metres in height, consists of 48 stones and weighs around 200 tonnes. The last and largest part of this “stone puzzle” was the dwarf’s cap, which stonemasons quarried in Dubenec in the Trutnov region. This cap was placed in the autumn of 2022, completing Kurt Gebauer’s work.

The largest dog statue belongs to the Chodský pes

The Chodský dog stands on top of Hrádek Hill near Újezd, not far from Domažlice. The concrete statue, measuring 3.8 x 8.1 metres, is one of the largest works by sculptor Michal Olšiak. The statue is hollow, allowing visitors to enter and look out through the dog’s mouth. It is located in front of the Chodská chalupa restaurant on Hrádek hill near the village of Újezd, about 4 km from Domažlice. Nearby is another monument dedicated to the famous Chod, Jan Sladký Kozina. The Chodský pes is a national breed of the Czech Republic. It was officially established in 1985, but as early as 1923 and 1924, Jindřich Šimon Baar wrote in his works about Chodsko and the dogs from there, which he called “Chodské”.

Giant Devil’s Heads in Želízy

Not far from Liběchov, near the village of Želízy, you can discover spectacular rock sculptures known as the Devil’s Heads. These reliefs were created in the mid-19th century by sculptor Václav Levý. They consist of approximately 9-metre-high sandstone reliefs of two giant heads, which were carved into sandstone blocks in a pine forest above the village of Želízy in the Mělník district. In terms of size, these works are completely unique in the Czech Republic. If you follow the blue tourist trail, you will find other beautiful carved gems in the area – the Klácelka, Harfenice and Hada caves.