Giant Mountains Museum Jilemnice
The Krkonoše Museum in Jilemnice offers interesting expositions and uniqueness. You will get acquainted with the beginnings of skiing in Bohemia, you will see Metelka's unique sounded mechanical nativity scene from 1883-1913, Kaván's gallery or the finest
Giant Mountains Museum Jilemnice
Kostelní 75
514 01 Jilemnice
Tel./fax: +420 481 543 041
Mobile: +420 737 225 429
E-mail: kmjilemnice (at) krnap.cz
More information about the museum, opening hours - HERE.
Distance from Spindl - 24 km / 27 minutes
Navigation to the museum - HERE
Admission: full CZK 80 discounted CZK 40 family 180, - CZK
History of the museum
The museum was founded in 1891 in connection with preparations for the Czechoslovak Ethnographic Exhibition in Prague. The decisive credit for its construction went to the director of girls' schools, Jáchym Metelka. The first exposition was located in the former girls' school, later the museum moved several times and since 1953 it has been located in the chateau grounds.
In 1979 it became a facility of the Krkonoše National Park Administration and since 2013 it has been operated together with the town of Jilemnice. The expositions are located in the chateau, the former brewery and the garden house.
Historical and ethnographic exposition
It describes the history of the western Giant Mountains from the great colonization in the 13th century to the 20th century and focuses on Jilemnice as a natural center of trade and crafts. The set of 33 funeral shields of local guilds from the first half of the 19th century or linen yarn is unique - 296 meters of hand-spun fiber weighs only 1 gram. The furnished nativity scene of Jáchym Metelka from 1883–1913 is also located in the furnished weaving room. The original mechanism moves 142 figures, which show 350 types of movements, all accompanied by sound effects.
White Track - chapters from the history of Czech skiing until 1938
The exhibition captures the development of skiing from the introduction of skiing in the Czech lands until 1938. Attention is also paid to German skiing in the Czech Republic. Everything is framed in a European context so that the position of our skiers (Czech and German) in the international context stands out well. The value of the exhibition lies primarily in the fact that it is a colorful mosaic of the history of skiing. The most popular exhibits include a massive country sledge, then a rohačka sledge. Of course, the oldest skis, unique colored pictures from the end of the 19th century and medals that are reminiscent of jewelry in their beauty are very valuable. For example, mannequins in period ski clothing are impressive. And there are a lot of other attractions.
The exhibition shows a seven-minute silent film from 1926, which perfectly captures the large ski races in Jilemnice. The exhibition is located in the historically valuable halls of the old manorial brewery, to which the current form was imprinted at the end of the 19th century by Jan Count Harrach, a nobleman who brought the first skis to Jilemnice.
From the life of a Czech cavalier
The castle exposition introduces the Harrach family, especially Jan Nepomuk, Count Harrach (1828–1909), who contributed to the development of Czech culture and economy. You can see the hallway, anteroom, study, bedroom, men's lounge, ladies' boudoir, dining room and bathroom.
Kaván's gallery
It was founded in 1956 on the occasion of the late 90th birthday of František Kaván (1866–1941). The painter was born in Víchovská Lhota near Jilemnice and his native region remained permanently inscribed in his soul and work. In the years 1889–95 he studied at the Prague Academy of Painting with Julius Mařák. Under his leadership, he quickly grew into a prime landscape painter, and most of his works from that time belong today to the golden fund of Czech landscape painting. The famous Podmrak painted in Víchovská Lhota in 1894 was awarded a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris six years later. Kaván's gallery owns approximately 90 works by this leading Czech landscape painter.
Church of St. Elizabeth
The oldest documented building in Jilemnice stood on the site of today's garden house. The Gothic church dating from the second half of the 13th century burned down in 1788, the building underwent an interesting historical and architectural development, it also became the burial ground of some of the owners of the estate (Wallenstein, Harantová).
Jan Count Harrach and Horticulture
In the first half of the 19th century, the church of St. Elizabeth's garden house. The exhibition recalls the work of the former owner of the estate in the field of horticulture (development of the castle park, Krkonoše gardens, etc.).
Permanent exhibitions are complemented by a number of exhibitions and accompanying events.
