Day 15 – Broumovsko

 In the morning it was time to say goodbye to Piszkowice and its chief of guest services – Luigi, the dog. We got on our way to the town of Broumov in Czechia. The first stop was the village of Martinkovice, where a friend of Renatka’s had bought an old historic parish house from the 1690s, which she later sold to a young couple who continue to renovate it and run a cultural center there. Even though we knew they were not home, we decided to take a look at it from the outside. It didn’t disappoint – a lovely building in a very pretty spot, next to a beautiful (but closed) church of St. Martin and St. George from about 1380. We took pictures, walked around and drove to Broumov.



Broumov is a small and very picturesque town of about 7,500. It has a well-preserved historic center, but its main attraction is the impressive Broumov Benedictine Monastery of Saint Wenceslaus from the early 14th century. It was rebuilt in Baroque style to plans by Christoph Dientzenhofer, continued by his son, Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer in 1728–1738. Today the monastery houses the regional museum and a hotel and cultural center. No monks live there. Actually, the guide told us that there are only 13 Benedictine monks left in the whole Czechia, and all of them live in Prague. The monastery has a huge and attractive garden with sculptures, which is accessible for free. The Church of Saint Adalbert in the monastery complex dates from 1357 and was baroque rebuilt in 1684–1694. 

We didn’t have any reservation for the night in Broumov so we first tried the hotel in the main square, but then opted for a place in the mountains out of town – Zamecek Janovicky. It had a great view, a nice restaurant with a terrace (full of wasps) and great service. 

Walking around Broumov, we came across some impressive villas of pre-war industrialists, and a very picturesque area near the old city brewery. The brewery building (now empty) is absolutely awesome and Bo said she’d buy it any time. It looks like it belongs to the city, which is collecting ideas on how to use it.




















 


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