Kamenice nad Lipou

Visit between May and September. This is when the château is open every day except Monday, and the summer tourist trains run. Spring and autumn are cool and quiet. Winters are cold, and the château is closed from November to March.

The biggest event is Hračkobraní, a summer festival of toys made from natural materials. It has been held at the château since 2006. Check the château's website for this year's dates.

• Zámek Kamenice nad Lipou is the town's main sight. It was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 1580–1583 and got its present Neoclassical look in 1842. Today it holds toy exhibitions run by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, including a display about the Schowanek wooden toy factory.
• The English-style château park surrounds the château. Its old linden tree is said to be 700 to 800 years old.
• Kostel Všech svatých stands on the square. It has a Gothic core, a Renaissance exterior and a tall 17th-century tower. Look for the old tombstones set into its outer walls.
• The Chapel of St Mary Magdalene sits on Bradlo hill at the southern edge of town. A stone Way of the Cross from 1765 leads up to it.
• Židovský hřbitov lies on the north-eastern edge of town. It was founded in 1803 and keeps more than 200 gravestones.
• Pomník Vítězslava Nováka is a bust in the centre that honours the composer. It was unveiled in 1995, 125 years after his birth.

A few things to do here beyond sightseeing:

• Ride the narrow-gauge railway. In summer, tourist trains run on the historic line to Jindřichův Hradec, and some days are steam-hauled.
• Join Hračkobraní. At this summer toy festival, children can try old games and watch toys being made from natural materials.
• Walk the Vítězslav Novák trail. This educational trail passes the Jewish cemetery and the countryside around the town.

Kamenice nad Lipou is a good base for short trips around the highlands and into South Bohemia. A car makes these much easier.

• Žirovnice (≈15 min by car): a small town whose château has some of the most extensive wall paintings in the country, plus a museum of button making.
• Jindřichův Hradec (≈25 min by car, or by the summer narrow-gauge train): a large castle and château complex above a pond, and a well-kept old town.
• Pelhřimov (≈25 min by car or bus): a historic town with a Renaissance square and a museum of records and curiosities.
• Tábor (≈45 min by car): the old Hussite town, with underground passages below its main square.
• Telč (≈50 min by car): a UNESCO World Heritage town with a square of colourful Renaissance houses and a château.

Kamenice nad Lipou lies in the Vysočina Region. Other towns in the region worth a visit are Pelhřimov, Humpolec, Jihlava and Telč.

• By air: the nearest international airport is Václav Havel Airport Prague. From Prague, allow about 2 hours by car, a little more by public transport.
• By train: there are no regular mainline trains. Take a train to Tábor or Jindřichův Hradec and continue by bus. In the summer season, tourist trains on the narrow-gauge line from Jindřichův Hradec stop in Kamenice nad Lipou. See Narrow-gauge railway.
• By bus: regional buses connect the town with Pelhřimov and Jindřichův Hradec. Plan your trip at IDOS journey planner.

• On foot: the centre is small. The château, park, church and square are all a few minutes apart.
• Local buses: regional buses serve the surrounding villages, but services are thin at weekends. Check times before you go.
• Cycling: quiet country roads and marked routes lead through the hills, but the terrain is rolling.

• Is a car worth it?: not for the town itself, but yes for exploring the region. Public transport to nearby towns is slow.
• Parking: you can usually park near the main square and the château. It is easy to find a space outside the summer festival days.
• Roads: the town lies on road 34 between Pelhřimov and Jindřichův Hradec. In winter, highland roads can be icy.

Kamenice nad Lipou is a very safe, quiet town, and crime against visitors is rare. The main risks are outdoors. Check for ticks after walks in woods and meadows in spring and summer. Winter roads in the highlands can be icy.

Kamenice nad Lipou was first mentioned in writing in 1267. In the late 15th century, the lord Jan of Šelmberk gave the town new rights and privileges.

The Malovec family turned the old castle into a Renaissance residence in 1580–1583. In 1842 it was rebuilt again, in the Neoclassical style you see at Zámek Kamenice nad Lipou today. Since 1998 it has belonged to the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague.

From the 18th century, the town grew with mining of silver and iron ore, and later with glassworks. A Jewish community also lived here. Židovský hřbitov is its main reminder today.

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