Litomyšl: Angels, devils, castles and composers

The elegant town of Litomyšl, almost two hours east of Prague, is known to classical music fans as the birthplace of composer Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884). Very much inspired by Bohemian folk music, his works such as Vltava helped shape the emerging Czech national spirit in the late 1800s.

This being Czechia, beer and castles are never far away. Smetana's dad was a brewery manager; and the family home (and brewery) was right opposite the town's magnificent castle.

You can visit both his home (now a museum) and the castle. A feature of the museum is how it appeals to kids and families: there's some really good audiovisuals and animations accompanied by a medley of his greatest hits, and the furniture in the old family bedroom is replica. So while you can't quite bounce on the bed, you can sit on the chairs and generally feel at home.

The magnificent arcaded Renaissance castle, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a must-visit too. The grand state rooms give a vivid idea of what high-class life was like in the 19th century Czech lands. There's also a charming family theatre that has miraculously survived: many similar, being made almost entirely of tinder-dry wood, had short life expectancies in the days before fire alarms.

Litomyšl is also a town of angels and devils. The Piarist Church by the castle has a startling exhibition of sacred angel statues, while another visitor attraction has a rather more profane aspect to its spirit forms. Portmoneum is the former house of Josef Portman, a one-time friend of the visionary artist Josef Váchal. Mr V had a line in intensely coloured, lurid angels, devils, spirits and mythological figures from various cultures, and the inside walls of Portman's house - open to the public - are entirely filled with his technicolour work. Had he lived in the 1970s, he could have had a nice line in heavy metal concept LP covers.

The town's main square is, like most main squares, a bit of a car park, but it's a grand affair with fine facades and arcades. Litomyšl is at its busiest during the annual classical music and arts festival from mid-June to early July, with Smetana of course among the composers featured. If you can't get a ticket, you can watch it on the big screen in the local park with a picnic.

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