Follow the Music: Central Bohemia in the Footsteps of Great Composers

Kmoch and His Kolín

“Kolíne, Kolíne, stojíš v pěkné rovině…” So goes the well-known march based on a traditional folk song and arranged by František Kmoch. Thanks to him, Kolín became a true town of music. Every June, it comes alive during the famous international brass music festival Kmochův Kolín.

Kmoch, the musician who founded the first brass band of professional standard in the Czech lands, was born in Zásmuky in Central Bohemia. He later worked in nearby Suchdol and Červené Pečky, before moving permanently to Kolín in 1873, already a respected bandleader and composer.

The house where he lived — no. 50 in Kutnohorská Street — is marked with a commemorative plaque. You can also pay tribute to him at the town cemetery in Zálabí. Or take a stroll to Kmoch Island — named, quite naturally, after him. Under the shade of mature trees, you will find a memorial with a bust of the famous bandmaster in the centre of the island.

But a musical walk through Kmoch’s town does not end there. From the historic square, head to the beautifully restored St Bartholomew Hill, gathered around the town’s main landmark — the Church of St Bartholomew. Right next to it, in the New Parish School, you will find the Dvořák Museum of Prehistory, part of the Regional Museum in Kolín. Its exhibitions present archaeological finds from the earliest chapters of human history.

More museum spaces await opposite the church, in the Červinkovský House. Here, you can explore 19th-century interiors, lifestyle trends of the middle classes, medieval Kolín, and an exhibition dedicated to hygiene and body care through the centuries.

And directly on the square, in the Veigertovský House, one of the exhibitions takes you into Kmoch’s Room, filled with authentic objects connected to the celebrated musician — including a Petrof grand piano and Kmoch’s batons.

Walk Like Antonín Dvořák

Nelahozeves

Antonín Dvořák loved a good walk — not too long, not too short — and it was most likely during these walks that he found inspiration for his music. He knew the countryside around Nelahozeves inside out, often walking along the Vltava River to visit relatives in Kralupy. Today, a marked trail bearing his name follows in his footsteps.

In Nelahozeves, visit the Antonín Dvořák Birth House, home to an interactive exhibition that introduces visitors of all ages to the composer’s life in an engaging and playful way.

You will find traces of Dvořák elsewhere in the village too. Directly opposite his birth house stands the Church of St Andrew, where young Antonín gave one of his first performances.

And do not miss the railway stop nearby. It has been transformed into a welcoming information centre with a café, where you can sip your coffee and watch the trains go by — just as Dvořák himself once loved to do.

While in Nelahozeves, visit the Renaissance Nelahozeves Castle, owned by the Lobkowicz family, who also stand behind the restoration of Dvořák’s birth house. And be sure to continue to nearby Veltrusy, where Dvořák once performed — first in the park and later at the château.

Vysoká u Příbrami

Plan a trip to Vysoká u Příbrami, where the composer spent his summer months. With its deep forests, meadows and dreamlike atmosphere, the landscape feels almost like stepping straight into Rusalka — as if water nymphs from the famous opera might still be dancing there.

A marked trail leads from the Antonín Dvořák Memorial to Rusalka’s Lake. Dvořák also often walked to nearby Svatá Hora, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Czech Republic.

Music All Around

The Antonín Dvořák Memorial is also worth visiting for its cultural programme. During the season, music fills both the villa and the park, bringing Dvořák’s work back to the very places where it was born — including as part of the Central Bohemian Cultural Summer.

The Wild Inspiration of Bedřich Smetana

Jabkenice

To follow Bedřich Smetana, head to Jabkenice near Mladá Boleslav. In the place where the famous composer lived and worked, you can now visit his memorial. The house, standing on the edge of an extensive game reserve with beautiful natural scenery, was originally a forester’s lodge. Today, its authentic exhibition offers a glimpse into the life of the Smetana family.

Every spring, Jabkenice fills with music. The long-running Smetanovy Jabkenice festival invites audiences to classical music concerts, while also giving space to other genres. Its programme is also adapted for deaf visitors and interpreted into sign language.

Loučeň and Mcely Châteaux

Smetana was a guest of the Thurn-Taxis family, who supported him as patrons. Prince Alexander Johann of Thurn and Taxis was also Smetana’s personal friend. This close friendship with the aristocratic family, who admired and encouraged his work, brought the composer to their châteaux in Loučeň and nearby Mcely.

Here, Smetana stayed as a guest, performed concerts for the family and taught the Thurn-Taxis children to play the piano. Later in life, he dedicated the composition Z domoviny to the princely couple.

Follow the Muse into St George’s Forest

Bedřich Smetana enjoyed walking through St George’s Forest, with the spring known as Boží voda among his favourite destinations. He also often spent long moments in thought in the gazebo by Vidlák pond in the Jabkenice game reserve— a place that still stands today.

You can follow a similar route along the Loučeň Educational Trail, which starts at Loučeň Castle, and take in the beauty of the surrounding countryside just as the composer once did.

More Places Connected with Smetana

Smetana’s Viewpoint over the Vltava near Třebsín is closed to the public, but there are still other places from which to look out over the landscape of the former St John’s Rapids. Once feared and celebrated, the rapids were swallowed by the Štěchovice Reservoir — yet in a way, they still echo through Smetana’s symphonic poem Vltava from the cycle My Homeland.

The deep Vltava valley, with its rocky slopes just south of Prague, feels made for romantic walks through the landscape. For beautiful views, set out on the St John’s Rapids Educational Trail, which begins in Štěchovice near the confluence of the Vltava and the gold-bearing Kocába stream. The nine-kilometre route follows the wooded left bank of the river towards Třebenice and passes the legendary tramping settlement of Ztracenka. Before setting off, check the current trail status, as some sections may be temporarily closed for safety reasons.

Beroun and Václav Talich

The artistic and personal life of one of the most important conductors of the 20th century, Václav Talich, is presented in the Václav Talich Memorial Hall in Beroun, which is part of the Museum of the Bohemian Karst.

Why Beroun? The renowned conductor spent the final part of his life in a family villa here. Looking for a place to rest from his demanding work and travels around the world, he bought a villa in the romantic Brdatka valley. Even at the height of his fame, he worked in the garden himself.

Talich was also a passionate hiker. You can walk through the places he loved along the Václav Talich Educational Trail, where 11 stops introduce both episodes from his life and the natural highlights of the area.

In Beroun itself, a bust on the main square commemorates the famous conductor. The town also hosts the annual international music festival Talichův Beroun. The programme often includes a concert in the garden of Talich’s villa, along with the opportunity to visit the private memorial room.