Polička, once the dowry town of Czech queens, was founded by Přemysl Otakar II in 1265. In the 18th century Polička was one of the richest towns in East Bohemia. However, its promising development was halted by huge fires. After the biggest of them in 1845, only four houses in the whole town remained undamaged.
Today, Polička is an attractive tourist destination and boasts a unique medieval fortification system. Come and see the 1,220-metre-long walls with nineteen towers, which are among the best-preserved city fortifications in Central Europe. The impressive atmosphere of the town surrounded by a ring of walls is completed by old streets with houses decorated with classical carved doors. In the town square you will find one of the most richly decorated Marian columns in Bohemia and the Baroque town hall with exhibitions of the municipal gallery. The dominant feature of the town is the Church of St. James, in whose tower the composer Bohuslav Martinů was born and spent part of his childhood. You can learn more about the Polička native at the town museum, where you can visit several interesting and entertaining interactive exhibitions.
The town of Polička is the owner of one of the oldest Czech castles - Svojanov Castle. In its Empire-style palace you can see a Gothic hall and an exhibition of life in the castle in the 19th century. Throughout the tourist season, there are a number of cultural events prepared for you at Svojanov. If you like the castle, there is nothing easier than to stay here and discover even more of the secrets of the medieval building hidden in the dense forests of the Bohemian-Moravian Borderlands.
