Kuks Baroque Hospital (8 km) -

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Kuks Baroque Hospital (8 km)

The largest Baroque complex in the Czech Republic was built by Court František Antonín Špork (1662–1738) as a baths beside mineral springs. The start of the construction activity is dated to the year 1695. The church, monastery and sculptural decoration on the right bank of the Elbe has remained preserved until today. The baths building on the left bank disappeared one hundred years ago. The baths’ glory began fell into decline after F.A Špork’s death, and after the flash flood which damaged a significant part of the baths in the year 1740. The building of the original inn, U Zlatého Slunce [Golden Sun] from the year 1699, is still preserved today. During the years 1874-1996 the building was used as a school. The inn began operate again in July 2003. Statues of David and Goliath by Matyáš Bernard Braun are located in front of the building. In the year 1995, Kuks Hospital was declared a National Heritage Monument.

Several artists took part in the creation of the superb carvings mounted on the Hospital’s north façade and its terrace, as well as other decorations in the Kuks Hospital. First and foremost, however, it was Matyáš Bernard Braun, who took charge of the sculptural decoration in the year 1712. The best known are two rows of statues - always 12 figures - representing virtue and vice. Another architectural monument is a church with a ground plan in the shape of an unequal octagon, which belongs among the outstanding buildings of its time.

The Kuks-Betlém [Bethlehem] educational trail was opened in summer 2002. The starting points are the car parks in Kuks and near Betlém [Bethlehem]. Informational panels, which will familiarize you with the history of the individual monuments, are located along the educational trail.

Rentz Museum of Baroque Print in Kuks

May 2014 saw the opening of another renovated building in Kuks, which contains the print museum. The work of Michael Heinrich Rentz (Nuremberg 1698 – Kuks 1758), Špork’s court engraver in Kuks, is comparable in quality and extent to the position of sculptor Matyáš Bernard Braun in Czech Baroque sculpture. The museum building also contains sample workshops for book-printing, handmade paper production, copper engraving, and book binding and restoration, with a selection of workshops and printing on functional replicas of copper engraving and book-printing presses from the 17th century.

Kuks Hospital is found in the map portal here.

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