Telc

About

Founded as a royal water fort in the 13th century to monitor the busy merchant routes between Bohemia, Moravia and Austria, Telc enjoyed great prosperity up through the 18th century. After a fire in the 14th century destroyed the town, it was rebuilt in stone, with the locals trying to one-up each other with increasingly elaborate homes. To this day, Telc’s main square is lined with some of the country’s most elaborate Renaissance and Baroque buildings. While the amazing facades get most of the attention, the houses are all connected by a maze of underground tunnels, which you can explore on a guided (Czech language only) tour. The gorgeous Old Town leads up to the elegant Renaissance castle and Gothic cathedral of St. James. If you’re looking for the best vantage of the picturesque town, you can climb to the top of the tower.