The Town The town of Valašské Meziříčí is situated in the charming countryside at the

foothills of the Beskydy. The town lies near the confluence of two rivers- the Rožnovská and the Vsetínská Bečva.

In the past there were two small towns. Meziříčí, which was founded on the left bank of the Rožnovská Bečva gained the status of a town in 1377. The

village of Krásno nad Bečvou situated on the right bank of the river became a town in 1491.

Both towns belonged to the same aristocracy. Trade and craft flourished there but wars (Thirty-Year-War), plague epidemics and fires destroyed the town often. The situation started to improve in the 19th century. The first

industrial factories appeared in Krásno in the middle of the 19th century and Meziříčí became to the centre of executive. That is why Krásno was rather

industrial and Meziříčí more administrative. Cultural and educational. Meziříčí was also called „Wallachian Athens“ because the first Czech secondary school in the Northeastern Moravia were estabilished there. Later on

both towns joined together (in 1924) Nowadays our town represents important road crossing and railway junction.

The town square and its surrounding parts are being reconstructed on their former beauty and the historical buildings are being renovated. Our town is

very beautiful, interesting and attractive for visitors.

In dates from the year 1580 originally it was reneisance but in the year 1765 was

reconstructed in the baroque style. It served as town hall until the connection of the towns in

1924. Nowadays the town library is situated there. In basemant of the town hall there is an enjoyable

tea-room.

It dates about the year 1598 and is considered to be the most valuable

preserved municipal house with figure decoration of its fasade.

It is a Secession building constructed in 1910 according to

design of architect A. Papež. Nowadays it is used by the School

for Deaf and Dumb Children.

The gramar school in VM is one of the oldest high schools in the Eastern Moravia, it was founded in

1871. The school building was built in Neo-Renaissance style by architect Antonín Gruška.

In 1936 the gymnasium was re-named after František Palacký, a famous Czech politician and historian who had visited the gymnasium in 1873.

During World War I. the building was used as a hospital for soldiers.

It was used for the needs of the German Army during World War II. The school was completely

reconstructed between 2003 -2006. The school has had a very good reputation recently. It

supports students´ activities and it is a member of several international students´ programes.

Antonín Ballner bought small wooden house in 1929. He took it to his garden on hill Stínadla, which has been good for astronomical observation. Little wooden

observatory with rotating cupola was made from the house. Nowadays there are two new buildings used as an observatory. The main building was opened for

visitors in 1955. The second building was built in 1964 and is used as a professional working station.

• Ni toho co sa súdí.

Originally Baroque administrative building from 1730 was rebuilt to the Empire castle in 1854. Since

1949 it has been used as a museum, with exhibitions of the

town history and life in it, big collection of tapestries and glass.

There is large park with many rare species of trees and bushes

nearby.

Jan of Perštejn started this construction

in 1538. Originally it was build in Renaissance style, but in the half of the 18th century it was styled in Baroque, the wings and one floor were added.

The Žerotins lived there till 1815, then it belonged to the Kinský family till 1854 and they sold it to the Austrian state. It was used as women jail from 1855 to 1909. Nowadays it is the seat of the Cultural Institution of the town. Since 1996 the building has been rebuilt.

It was built on the place of a small church from the 13th century. Originally it was built in Gothic

style but in 1851 the Renaissance tower with beautiful portal was added. In the half of the 18th

century the nave was reconstructed in Baroque style.

Nice late Baroque statues form an interesting part of its interior.

This secession building was constructed after

the design of the Zagreb architect Leoš

Kalda in 1908.

Since its construction in the begining of the 16th century, it has been used as a Renaissance cemetery church. In the 18th century a wooden nave with a gallery in traditional

Wallachian style was added to the church. Today it is the home of lapidarium of Renaissance and Baroque statues.

It dates from about the 16th century. It has a

Gothic groove portal and there is a little tower with

death-knell which is situated on the sheer

roof. The Baroque painting of the saint and

the folk xylography of Saint Georgeare the part

of interior.