Teplice nad Metují

The town of Teplice nad Metují lies in a picturesque valley on the upper reaches of the Metuje River near the state border with Poland. 

The whole area of the town is part of the Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area. Much of the town cadastre covers the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks National Nature Reserve, a European natural treasure. Originally a compact sandstone plateau originating in the Upper Cretaceous period, it has gradually worn to form rock blocks. The countless towers, wild gorges, cool passages, caves and chasms of the resulting rock towns are a paradise for hikers, climbers and cavers. The climb up to the ruins of Střmen Castle is well worth it for the beautiful views of the Metuje Valley and part of the rock town. The Poseidon pseudo-karst underground labyrinth, at least 27.5 km in length, was discovered in the heart of the Teplice rock town. The area also includes Jiráskovy skály rocks with Bischofstein Chateau and the ruins of Skály Castle. 

Teplice nad Metují is the starting point for many marked hiking and cycling trails, as well as groomed cross-country skiing trails in winter. The newly built Sports Centre with its three tennis courts, squash and fitness facilities is open to residents and visitors all year round. In the summer there is a historical natural swimming pool with a water treatment plant, a football pitch and volleyball court; in the winter there is a ski slope with artificial snow, and in frosty weather there is an ice rink with natural ice. 

There are dozens of accommodation facilities available (guesthouses, hotels, hostels, campsites), as well as a Tourist Information Centre. 

The most important event, one that attracts thousands of visitors to the town every year, is the International Mountain Film Festival. The annual Regional Horticultural Exhibition is also become popular. 

The most popular sporting events are the Rallye Sudety long-distance mountain bike marathon and the Sudety tour road bike race. The newly reinstated Teplice-Adršpach 33 hike is becoming more and more popular. 

The town has a nursery and a primary school with a practical school, established by the town of Teplice nad Metují, as well as a Secondary Hotel Management and Catering School, run by the Hradec Králové Region. The Primary School building houses the Municipal Library. 

There is also a general practitioner, a paediatrist and a dentist. Care for the elderly is provided by the Kamenec Nursing Home, run by the town of Teplice nad Metují. The Lower Chateau Home, a contributory organisation of the Hradec Králové Region, provides resocialisation services for clients with addiction problems. 

There are branches of Czech Post and Česká spořitelna (ATM) in the town. The nearest financial services are in Police nad Metují, 10 km away, or in Broumov (16 km). 

Teplice nad Metují is located at the crossroads of the Týniště nad Orlicí - Broumov (026) and Teplice nad Metují - Trutnov (047) railway lines. Bus services are provided by two companies, P-transport and CDS. The town has direct services running to the neighbouring towns of Broumov, Police nad Metují and Trutnov. 

The most important sights in the town include the Baroque Church of St. Lawrence with its original ceiling paintings and lavishly carved furnishings, built in 1724 by Jan Straka of Nedabylice. Then there is the Renaissance Upper Chateau, built in 1599 by Václav Bohdanecký of Hodkov, now home to the town hall. The Lower Chateau was built in the early Baroque style in 1664 by Baron Zikmund Schmiedel of Schmieden. The garden wall is adorned with sculptures from Braun's school in Kuks. The Pilgrimage Church of Mary, Help of Christians with the Ivanite hermitage at Kamenec was built in 1753-1754 at the behest of Dr. Johann Maximilian, Lord of Peytersberg, to enable him to live there as a hermit. Bischofstein Chateau was originally built as a stronghold after 1582 by the Čertorej brothers of Čertorej. In 1662, the first Bishop of Hradec Králové bought the fortress and had it rebuilt as a chateau, to serve as the summer residence for the canons and the bishop himself.