Jičín

Jičín is a city on the border of North and East Bohemia. It is close to the Bohemian Paradise, a protected landscape area and sought-after resting place for many locals. Albrecht of Valdštejn, a powerful aristocrat living in the 17th century, chose Jičín as his home. He liked to be admired and therefore left many historical monuments behind that visitors still admire today, not only in Jičín and its surroundings, but also in Prague, where he had the Valdštejn Palace built, competing with the Prague Castle in its monumentality.

Jičín is a popular tourist destination thanks to the numerous historical sites, from Gothic to the 20th century, as well as its position in the Bohemian Paradise, and it is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the Czech Republic.

What you must see in Jičín

Firstly, you have to see the Valdštejn loggia. Albrecht of Valdštejn had it built after he chose Jičín as the central seat of his Frýdlant duchy. One of the axes of the Baroque landscape composition was a two-kilometre-long four-row linden alley that leads from the historical centre of Jičín to the Valdštejn loggia. The honourable courtyard with a park, a gazebo and sala terrena became a place where the duke’s guests used to go for entertainment, hunting and rest. You can also hike the educational trail and get to the scenic lookout on a nearby hill.

A bit of Czech fairy tale art

Writer Václav Čtvrtek spent his childhood in Jičín at the beginning of the 20th century, and he also later found his inspiration for his stories about the kind bandit Rumcajs, his wife Manka and son Cipísek in Jičín. It is a very popular Czech fairy tale and a TV series that all Czech children know. You can learn about the author of the story and the illustrator at the interactive exposition in the information centre, in Rumcajsova ševcovna (shoemaker’s shop) under Valdická brána or during the annual Jičín – City of Fairy tales festival.

Tourist attractions in the city of fairy tales

Are you coming to Jičín with children? Then go straight to Jičín Chateau, where you will find the Regional Museum with an interactive exposition dedicated to all games and plays, or watch the Sun and the evening sky from the Jičín observatory. You can also find unusual experiences in rock climbing courses or abseiling in the sandstone rocks in the Bohemian Paradise.