Reichenau can be explored through very different traces: the Baroque Church of St. Wenceslas, a local history of painting, a historic memorial site and a striking feature of the landscape. These themes help you understand the character of the destination. In Reichenau, sacred art and craftsmanship sit alongside industrial history and the regional landscape. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, these different points of interest can help guide your choice of destination.
Churches and historic memorial sites
The Baroque Church of St. Wenceslas was built between 1704 and 1712. Its furnishings include an altarpiece of St. Wenceslas by J. Hellich and a wooden baptismal font dating from the mid-18th century. The construction period and furnishings each offer a different perspective: the church building dates to the early 18th century, while the baptismal font dates to the middle of that century; the altarpiece adds a specific subject and the artist J. Hellich to this picture. For travelers interested not only in the building’s history but also in individual works of art and furnishings, the church offers several points of interest.
The Plague Column of St. Procopius, erected in 1702, is considered Rychnov’s oldest monument. It was built at the place where the last three victims of the plague died. Its date is shortly before construction began on the church. The two sites therefore offer historically close but distinct perspectives on the town: the Plague Column is a specific memorial site, while the church is about architecture and furnishings. This distinction can help you decide which aspects of the town’s history matter most to you.
Decorative boxes and the history of the painting school
The Rychnov Painting School offers a different facet of the town’s history. Its origins are linked to Rychnov lacquered boxes made of hard paper: decorating them with romantic miniatures led to the establishment of the painting school. As box production declined, the school turned to the industrial production of copies of famous paintings. These copies were intended for ecclesiastical and secular purposes. This progression—from decorating lacquered boxes to a different branch of production—also shows two distinct uses for the copies of paintings. The history of the painting school thus complements the sacred artworks and historic memorial sites with a distinctive perspective on local cultural history.
Exhibition and landscape
The outdoor exhibition “AL Reichenau Concentration Camp & Getewent Arms Factory” is also located in Rychnov u Jablonce nad Nisou. It is open to visitors. Its title points to a historical subject that differs from church art and the history of the painting school. If you would like to include the exhibition in your visit, check the current visitor arrangements in advance, as opening arrangements may change.
The Košovská Linden Avenue is an important part of the landscape: along the route from Rychnov u Jablonce nad Nisou, it is a prominent landscape feature. The railway is also part of the region’s local history. Historically, Rychnov station on the Pardubice–Liberec line connected the entire Jablonec area with the outside world. Alongside art and cultural history, the landscape and the railway’s former regional transport role therefore offer different perspectives on the town.
If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Reichenau, these themes can help you get a feel for the destination. First, consider whether you would like to focus more on sacred art, the history of the painting school, or the landscape and regional history during your stay. Each perspective offers a different way to discover Reichenau.
Discover more destinations: Morchenstern, Jilau, Bad Wurzelsdorf, Friedrichswald, Sassadel, Friedstein, Georgenthal, Puletschnei
Go to the regional travel overview: Okres Jablonec Nad Nisou.
