The northern Bohemian city of Liberec lies between the Ještěd and Jizerke mountain ranges, less than an hour’s drive from Prague. Although its history dates back to the time when these places were trade routes, Liberec underwent fundamental changes in the latter half of the 18th century, when the city center was comprised of brick homes in the neo-classical style. The beginning of the 19th century saw the development of the textile industry and, along with it, industrial architecture. At that time, many representative buildings came to be built in Liberec, giving the city its grandeur.
One of the most striking among them is the villa of Theodor Liebieg Jr. (also known as Liebieg’s mansion), a romantic structure inspired by a medievalaristocratic mansion, with some post-renaissanceaspects. It was built between 1897 and 1911in three stages, by three different architects, for the family of this Liberec textile magnate.
Another equally beautiful building, from the period of historicism, is the family villa of Johann Liebieg Jr., near the Liberec castle. The classicist home of Ferdinand Römheld, built between 1870 and 1872, was known as the Liebieg Palace due to its generous dimensions and architectural design. The villa has a large garden and various buildings on the grounds – a carriage barn, gatehouse, ramp staircase, a pergola and a fountain, a summer gazebo, a greenhouse and an ice house. From 1953 to 2013, the villa housed the Regional Gallery. At this time,the building is not open to the general public, as a new use for it is being considered.
Liberec offers many interesting buildings suitable for filming. The city is unique mainly thanks to its well-preserved German architecture, which builds on the historical context of Liberec itself, as the capital of Czech Germans. Liberec City Hall, already well aware of the city’s potential and attractiveness for filmmakers, in September 2015 set up a focal point for filmmakers.
“The Czech Republic is among the most popular European countries with foreign filmmakers – and Liberec also has something to offer. Our city is attractive to filmmakers above all thanks to its unique architecture facing the Town Hall, which some year ago featured in Jiří Menzel’s film I Served The King of England. The Liebieg palace has also become a popular destination for filmmakers, the interiors of which have even attracted a film crew from China. But Liberec has more to offer filmmakers than just history. Directly above the city tower the Czech building of the century – the mountain hotel Ještěd, where the Czech hit film Grandhotel was shot – not to mention the many lanes and picturesque corners with a unique feel. The fact that numerous film crews visit our city each year is no accident,” commented Liberec mayor Tibor Batthyány.
Contact the Czech Film Commission or one of the many local location managers for more information about this and other locations.
Other interesting locations in Liberec:
