Litoměřice-Město: History, Museums and Wine

Litoměřice lies at the confluence of the Elbe and Ohře rivers and at the transition between the České středohoří mountains and the fertile Polabská Lowland. History, literature, wine and cycling give your trip different focuses. If you are planning specific visits, information about tour times and required advance reservations will help.

Cathedral Hill and ecclesiastical history

Since the 10th century, Dómský pahorek was the site of an original ducal and Přemyslid hillfort area of about six hectares, which has since disappeared without a trace. Around 1057, Prince Spytihněv II founded the Chapter of St. Stephen on this hill. These two historical references place the site's history in different periods.

The present-day Cathedral of St. Stephen was built in the Early Baroque style between 1664 and 1668. Before that, from 1662 to 1664, the former church had been demolished. This chronology illustrates the transition from the older church building to today's cathedral and adds a later construction phase to the story of the earlier chapter's foundation.

Museums, puppets and literature

The Litoměřice Diocesan Museum is located on Mírové náměstí in a house that was originally Gothic. The year 1513 is inscribed on the gable; since 1995, works from the collections of the Diocese of Litoměřice have been on display there. The architecture and the history of the collection offer two different points of interest for a museum visit.

The Puppet Gallery is housed in a Gothic tower that was once part of Litoměřice's fortifications. It displays more than 250 puppets and fairy-tale sets. The Karel Hynek Mácha Memorial, by contrast, is dedicated to the poet: its exhibition is in the room of the house at Na Vikárce where Mácha lived and died on 6 November 1836.

A different kind of exhibition, “Důl Richard v proměnách času,” is located in an underground passage about 160 meters long beneath the town hall. It documents the history of nearby Bídnice Hill. The information panels along the passage are in Czech, German and English. As access conditions may change, check access arrangements before your visit.

Dílna ručního papíru also offers guided tours. They start on the hour at 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 or 15:00. Check the times before your visit if you want to include a tour in your day's plans.

Wine history and wine trail

An exhibition at Litoměřice Castle provides an overview of the history of Czech winegrowing. The castle also offers guided wine-tasting tours, which must be booked at least one to two days in advance. Check the dates before finalizing your visit.

The Litoměřice Wine Trail is just over 15 kilometers long and has nine stops with information panels. Its official starting point is in the courtyard of Litoměřice Castle. Along the trail, you can visit local winegrowers and taste their wines by prior telephone arrangement. Arrange these visits by phone well in advance; this lets you combine the wine trail with a specific interest in regional wine.

Cycling

The Hněvice–Litoměřice section of the Elbe Cycle Route runs mostly along a cycle path and partly on quiet class III roads. These different route sections are relevant when planning your route. As conditions may change, check route information before setting off.

Discover more destinations: Býčkovice, Lovosice, Polepy, Lukavec U Lovosic, Úštěk-Vnitřní Město, Kundratice, Úštěk, Děčany.

For the regional travel overview: Litoměřice District.