Vysoká u Příbramě

Vysoká u Příbramě ( German Wissoka ) is a municipality Příbrami in Příbram ( Příbram district ) in the southwest of the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. The town is located 575 meters above sea level, has a district area of 4.86 km ² and around 300 inhabitants (as of 2006). The first written mention of the village dates back to 1367th

Dvořák Memorial

The main attraction of the village is a 1878 built in Neo-Renaissance style property with about eight acres of beautiful English landscape park in the romantic phase ( originally a hunting park) and two lakes. The client was the owner of the reign of Vysoká, Count Wenzel Robert von Kaunitz ( Václav Robert Kounic ), the there with his first wife Josefína Kounicova ( 1849-1895; born Čermáková ), a then famous Prague actress, lived. Architect of the building was Čeněk Gregor.

The " castle" was during more than two decades, the country seat of the Bohemian composer Antonín Dvořák, whose brother the Count Kaunitz was (Anna Čermáková, the sister of Kaunitz 's first wife, Dvořák was the wife, both sisters were pupils Dvořák In the sixteen years Josefína he fell. unhappy, the eleven-year old at the time he married Anna, eight years later, on November 17, 1873). In 1884, after his great artistic breakthrough in England, Dvořák acquired the property with former manager's house and sheep barn of Kaunitz and designed this to the so-called Villa Rusalka. Many of the compositions Dvořák came to this country residence and were influenced by the landscape around Vysoká u Příbramě, including his most famous opera " Rusalka " whose motives are particularly resulting from Rusalka lake. Also for his 8th symphony Dvořák was inspired by the landscape at Vysoká u Příbramě. In addition to composing, he devoted himself to the fruit growing, gardening and raising pigeons. The Villa Rusalka is still owned by the descendants of the composer. Today the estate serves as a memorial and museum to commemorate Dvořák's life ( Památník Antonína Dvořáka ). The property was awarded by the Czech government with the European Heritage Label.