Smetana's birthplace — a Renaissance château and operatic heritage
Litomyšl is a handsome East Bohemian town whose Renaissance château, built 1568–1581 with unique arcaded façades covered in sgraffito decoration, earned it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The town is the birthplace of Bedřich Smetana, the father of Czech classical music, and hosts the Smetana's Litomyšl opera festival each June in the château's baroque theatre courtyard. The colonnaded main square, lined with Baroque and Renaissance burgher houses, is among the finest in Bohemia.
Litomyšl was founded in the 10th century as a Přemyslid settlement and later became a bishop's residence. The current château was built by Vratislav II of Pernštejn in 1568–1581 and is exceptional for its sgraffito-covered arcaded façades — 30,000 individual Renaissance ornamental panels. The town's most famous son is Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884), who was born in the château's brewery. The opera festival held annually since 1949 in the château courtyard is one of the oldest open-air opera events in Central Europe.