Antonín Dvořák Memorial, Vysoká u Příbramě

The Antonín Dvořák Memorial is housed in a small Neo-Renaissance chateau on the edge of Vysoká u Příbramě, about 6 km from Orlov as the crow flies. It suits music lovers as well as families who want to combine a short visit with a walk in the park.

A bit of history

The chateau was built in 1878 for Count Václav Kounic, Dvořák's brother-in-law. Dvořák came here as his guest, and in 1884 he bought from him a plot with a granary and a sheepfold, which he converted into a summer house later known as Villa Rusalka. In Vysoká he composed, began or completed more than thirty works, including the operas Rusalka and The Jacobin, the Eighth Symphony and the second series of Slavonic Dances. The memorial opened in 1963.

What you will see

The chateau holds a permanent exhibition on Dvořák's life and work. It is surrounded by an 8-hectare English-style park with an old oak avenue and two ponds. A statue of Rusalka stands by Rusalka's Pond, and a monument to the composer stands near the chateau. The former gamekeeper's lodge, Sládkovna, where the poet Josef Václav Sládek stayed, now houses a café.

Good to know

Villa Rusalka, where Dvořák spent his summers with his family, belongs to his descendants and is not open to the public. A blue-marked hiking trail runs through the park. Current opening hours and admission prices are listed on the memorial's website.