How can you get to us?
Traffic restrictions in Litomyšl
Tips for your journey
Litomyšl lies in the east of Bohemia, within driving distance from Prague, Brno and Ostrava. It is accessible by all transport modes and it is only up to you make your choice.
By bus
Litomyšl is part of many of the long-distance bus routes that cross the country, hence it is quite a good idea to come by bus. The bus station in Litomyšl is about 1km away from the castle; there is a bus stop marked U ZÁMKU just in front of the castle, which can be reached by buses departing to or coming from Česká Třebová, or by Litomyšl public transport (timetable here)
By train (for half a price!)
In the summer season, road repairs, detours and consequent traffic jams occur very often, hence a train journey can be faster and more convenient than by car. Moreover, it is cheaper! Smetana's Litomysl's official carrier is České dráhy (Czech Railways), offering all festival visitors a 50% discount on a return ticket from anywhere in the Czech Republic. How does this work? The traveller will purchase "Vlak+ Smetanova Litomyšl" ticket to Česká Třebová for the basic one-way fare (discounts cannot be combined). The ticket must be purchased at the desk of České dráhy at any station or on train. Then ask an usher to validate the ticket at the venue of a festival programme and it will thus become a valid ticket for the return journey.
Although it is possible to get to Litomyšl by train, there is only the terminus of a regional train from Choceň, which travels its 24-kilometer line in three quarters of an hour. A nice trip for romantic souls. Even though Choceň lies on the main line, not all fast trains call in there. For the "Vlak+ Smetanova Litomyšl Ticket" was chosen Česká Třebová as the final destination, which is an important railway junction, only 13 km away from Litomyšl. There is a bus to Litomyšl; if your train is not connecting to a bus, you can take a taxi or ask for free transfer with Škoda sponsoring cars. Booking is received while capacity lasts from March 2020.
By car
Obviously, the most common option is a car journey, but sadly enough, there is no motorway serving Litomyšl yet. The D11 will take you from Prague to Hradec Králové, from where you can continue either via Holice or via Pardubice on busy first class roads. Similarly busy roads lead also from Brno and Mohelnice, so it may be a real challenge to estimate the time of your trip. To be on the safe side, please allow yourself plenty of time ahead of the scheduled start of your festival programme.
Walking
The streets of Litomyšl are equipped with an information system, which will reliably lead you to the venues. Most of the programmes take place at the castle, and there is also the organisers’ centre. In the immediate vicinity of the castle there is the Piarist Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross (Baroque, with two towers); between this church and the Chapter Church of the Raising of the Holy Cross (Gothic, with one tower) there are the Monastery/Festival Gardens. The Smetana House is reachable from the Bedřich Smetana's statue on the main square across the river and to the left.
Taxi
Litomyšl is a pretty small town and you go on foot virtually anywhere. High heels, however, do not get along well with historic cobblestone pavements, so a taxi can also be an option.
Parking
Although Litomyšl is full of cars during the day, most of its parking lots are free in the evening when most "major" shows are held. Moreover, free of charge! The best option is to park your car on Smetana's Square, from where all venues are within 100 metres.
Overview of Parking in Litomyšl
In addition to the permanent parking spaces, an unpaid festival parking lot is set up in Zámecká and Jiráskova streets, which are closed for passing traffic for the duration of the programmes at the castle. However, these parking spaces are preferentially reserved for VIP card holders; wheelchair users may park in a reserved area right in front of the castle.
Traffic restrictions in Litomyšl
In order to create a silent zone, the streets near the castle are closed for traffic during festival programmes. Always 90 minutes before the commencement of any programme taking place in the castle courtyard, Zámecká street will be closed from the crossroads with Lidická street and Jiráskova street from Smetana’s Square to M. Kuděje street. The closed streets will be turned into parking areas for festival visitors and they will be reopened to traffic about an hour after the end of each programme. Public transport buses will still be able to pass through as will emergency vehicles, and access will not be limited for residents. The diverted route leads via Lidická and P. Bezruče streets.
