Trebon, Telc,and Trebic - Prague and the Czech Republic - page 210

of August, makes the squares, gardens, and castle chambers
come alive with folk music, open-air theater, and exhibitions.
Internet Access: The TI has one computer available to the public.
The shop next to the TI also offers Internet access.
Bike Rental: You can rent bikes at the shop next to the TI (40 Kč/
hour, 250 Kč/day, daily 9:00-18:00, tel. [phone]). Locals
enjoy the half-day bike trip to the castle ruin of Roštejn and
back (10 miles round-trip).
Boat Rental: During the summer, you can rent a boat for a lazy
lake cruise. To get to the rental boats, walk through the gate
between the castle and the square, then turn right on the path
along the lake (40 Kč/hr; July-Aug daily 10:00-18:00; June
Fri 13:00-18:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon-Thu; no
rentals Sept-May).
SigHtS
s Main Square (Náměstí Zachariáše z Hradce) —Telč's
spacious square, lined by fairy-tale gables resting on the charac-
teristic vaulted arcades that still
cover local shops and bakeries, is
the most impressive in the Czech
Republic. The uniqueness of the
square lies in its enormous size,
unexpected proportions in such
a small town, and the purity of
its style—of the 40 houses lin-
ing the square, there isn't a single
one younger than 300 years. A
fire devastated the town in 1553, and it was rebuilt of stone. A
plague that ravaged the region in 1780 skipped Telč, so the plague
column was built on the square to thank God.
Telč Castle —In its early years, this castle belonged to the clan
of the Five Roses (symbolized by a golden rose on a blue field;
see the “Parting of the Roses” sidebar on page 184). In the 1500s,
the nobleman Zachariáš z Hradce (for whom the grand main
square is named) imported a team of Italian artists, who turned
the earlier Gothic palace into a lavish Renaissance residence.
(Their work also influenced most of the burgher houses in the
square.) The castle can be toured only with an escort. You have
two options: Tour A, the best basic castle tour, takes you through
some stately Renaissance chambers. Tour B goes through the
19th-century apartments of the Lichtenstein family, who lived
here until 1945. You'll most likely have a Czech-speaking guide
and be given an English description to read as you go (160 Kč per
tour; May-A u g Tu e -Sun 9:00-12:00 & 13:00-17:00, closed Mon;