podjestedske muzeum

This museum is a gem! There are two distinct parts to it: the main museum building that houses the diverse collections (more on this below) and the commandery of the Knights of St. John - a 13th century Romanesque / early Gothic structure, consisting of a large entrance hall and a chapel. If you don't have much time, just see the commandery. It has an amazing history! The commandery was built in the 13th century but only discovered quite recently, and made open to the public in the 1990's. The history of the discovery is quite fascinating: the museum curator suspected its existence and after poking around in various basements of the town buildings indeed discovered the large underground space, with the lovely vaults, and secret 'escape' routes. Be sure to ask the guides to tell you the full story.The museum itself is also very interesting. It houses a diverse set of collections that include Gothic furniture (there is an entire room decorated in the Gothic stenciling style, which is lovely and quite unique), information about several writers who lived and worked in this area, most notably, Karolina Svetla (the museum used to be called Museum of Karolina Svetla). Svetla was a prolific writer in the 19th century, during a time when female authors were quite rare (http://www.radio.cz/en/section/czechs/social-chronicler-and-society-girl-karolina-svetla). The museum web site has a description of the exhibits and more info about visit logistics.http://www.muzeumceskydub.cz/podjestedske-museum.htmlWell worth a trip!In addition, Cesky Dub is a lovely little town with many nearby hikes and beautiful countryside.If you feel like hiking/walking, check out the nearby path that documents the life of Karolina Svetla. Ask for info at the museum on ' naucna stezka "Po Stapach Karoliny Svetle" '.There is also an amazing geological formation nearby: Certova Zed (the Devils' Wall)http://www.liberecky-kraj.cz/dr-en/682-certova-zed.html.