*A short walk around the Renaissance town and chateau of Nové Město nad Metují: 3 km*

• Nové Město nad Metují, a beautiful small town near the border with Poland in east Bohemia, has uniquely retained its Renaissance character and has one of the region’s most interesting chateaux. This short walk visits the main square and tours the chateau grounds.
• The area around today’s town was first settled in the Bronze Age, but it owes its current appearance to a major fire in 1536, which resulted in the whole town being rebuilt in Renaissance style. The colorful arcaded main square is truly special, and one of the nicest in the country. It would look even nicer if it was a car free zone!
• The chateau’s appearance is a blend of different styles from Gothic to Baroque and the interiors (which can be visited on public guided tours from April to October) are a remarkable fusion of Art Nouveau, Cubism, Art Deco and Functionalism. The chateau is privately owned by the Bartoň-Dobenín industrialist family, which acquired the property in 1908. In addition to touring the interior of the castle, the Renaissance Garden is worth exploring (accessed by a unique wooden covered bridge) and the chateau tower offers a grand view over the town.
• If travelling by car, there is a free car park behind the chateau gardens. The total walk around the old town is little more than 1 km and can be managed with a stroller. If travelling by public transport it is a 1 km walk from the bus station to the chateau or main square. Two of the best refreshment options in town are near the bus station: the modern Rozlitý kafe, which is a bistro/café style place (and a Hejlík recommendation – map point 8) and the stylish new café, Halabala Café (map point 7). On the main square, try the Bistro Vlaštovčí dům (map point 4).

Note: click ‘Show on map’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for online navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions

• Nové Město nad Metují has frequent bus connections with the larger towns in east Bohemia, but most visitors will probably travel to the town by car. There is a convenient free parking area behind the walled chateau garden (which can usually be accessed directly from the car park). Note that the access through the chateau garden is only open from May to September
• The main square is directly in front of the chateau, so it is difficult to get lost on a visit to Nové Město nad Metují