Visitor Center

The Visitor’s Centre is a municipal organisational unit fulfilling the goals of the subsidy project: Nový Jičín – the Town of Hats, i.e. realisation of activities (restored monument, orientation system for cyclists, interactive exhibition, increase in the number of visitors, creation of a new product (experience tourism), cooperation with project partners, development of tourism in the region, establishment of facilities for a hat shop and hat coffee shop) as defined in the project goals.

Structure of the organisational unit (sections):

Exhibition

Tourist Information Centre

Tourism marketing

Foreign relations

Promotion

The newly opened Nový Jičín – town of hats - Visitor’s Centre, which is situated in the renovated Laudon House on Masaryk Square at no. 45, invites you to a unique exhibition devoted to the technological process of hat manufacture. The captivating exhibition will acquaint visitors with the process of hat manufacture, you can play fashion designer and try hats on live and interactively.

Thanks to this unique program visitors will be acquainted with the remarkable process of hat manufacture, become familiar with its history and expand on their knowledge using this entertaining method.

In the Visitor´s Centre building is located:
 
Exposure - the technology process, dressing room, studio,

Tourist Information Centre,

Hat shop Tonak

Hat coffee shop - Caffé Cappello.

Exhibition of hats

The unique exhibition devoted to the technological process of hat manufacture is situated on the first floor of the Visitor’s Centre. There is a main staircase as well as an elevator providing wheelchair access. Tickets for the exhibition can be purchased at the Tourist Information Centre at the entrance to the Visitor’s Centre.

On entering the exhibition a clear diagram will direct you along the tour route. Visitors will gradually be acquainted with the remarkable process of hat manufacture in an interesting and entertaining manner.

Due to the interactive elements visitors will experience an active tour, during which they will reveal the magic of creating a hat from the original raw material to the final decorated hat. They will become acquainted with the history of hat manufacture and will also be able to play hat designer in the creative workshop.

The exhibition is divided into three parts:

1. The technology of the manufacturing process – from rabbit to hat

During the first part of the exhibition visitors will gradually be acquainted with the technological process of hat manufacture. They will be able to view and personally try transformation of the material during specific processing phases. Authentic video-demonstrations from individual phases of factory manufacture will draw them into the remarkable process of manufacture. Visitors will also discover the important milestones and events connected to the tradition of hat manufacture in the Nový Jičín Region. As well as a historic panel, visitors will also receive additional information from the world of hats in the screening room, where they can view a film of their choice. The exhibition also contains exhibits of manufacturing machinery.

2. Studio

The second part of the exhibition is devoted to finishing hats. Final shaping of hats and pressing of miniature hats will be demonstrated on functional machines. Adults and children can express their own creativity and artistic skills here. A package containing a miniature hat with decorations will be prepared for you and you will be able to create an original souvenir with your own hands. There is also a children’s corner available for our smallest visitors.

3. Dressing room

The final part of the exhibition will delight all fashion devotees and hat enthusiasts. There are a number of various hats, caps and accessories available in the dressing room for visitors to try on and select the most attractive model. Visitors will find that there truly is a hat for every head in the digital dressing room. They can then use the web-camera program to e-mail a photograph of them wearing a hat as a postcard to friends.

The exhibition focuses on authenticity, knowledge, interactivity.

General Laudon Exhibition

The exhibition is made up of seven individually themed rooms which will take you in a logical order through all of the stages of the general’s life in a comprehensible and fun manner. The original design of the exhibition will ensure you have an authentic experience during the tour. Most of the rooms are supplemented with touch-screen panels in four languages (Czech, German, Polish and English).

1 Childhood and youth

As the name implies, the first room will familiarise you with Laudon’s childhood. Here, you can investigate and imagine how the idea of pursuing a military career was formulated in his young mind.

2 Seven Years’ War

This room will give you an insight into the general via his successes in his struggle against the Prussians. It offers a three-metre diorama of the Battle of Domašov with five hundred tin soldiers, where the creator captured not only the clothing and posture of the infantry and cavalry including their camp, but also the landscape around the Moravian village in which the battle took place in 1758. Historical weapons are also on display here and you can watch an animated film called “The Life of Laudon”.

3 Children’s playroom

The children’s playroom looks like a children’s armoury, where children can try period clothing, weapons and equipment or make themselves a paper cap and play at soldiers. Interactive tablets are also available here on which they can take entertaining quizzes or play battle games.

4 Turkish campaign

In this room, you have the unique opportunity to fire an interactive cannon at Kalemegdan Fortress and city walls. The military atmosphere is supplemented with audio-visual technology, illustrating authentic battle sounds. Touch-screen panels can be used to learn interesting information about the battle with the Ottoman Empire.

5 Exhibition room

This room operates as a gallery of pictures relating to the topic of General Laudon. The room includes a reproduction of a veduta by Ignác Čapek which shows how Nový Jičín looked in 1744.

6 Death room

General Laudon died in this house on 14 July 1790 although he has become immortalised in historical memory.

A dummy of Laudon on his death bed lies in the stylised death room. The same as the actual room where the general died, this room too faces onto the square and is also complemented by subdued lighting which gives it the right atmosphere.

7 Lecture hall

This is a common room designed for holding social events, workshops, theatre performances and accompanying programmes. The room has a sound system and projector with projection screen where you can watch a reconstruction of the Siege of Belgrade. There is a wonderful view of Masaryk Square from the room.

8 General Laudon nature trail + trekking pole rental

This nature trail called “In the footsteps of General Laudon” is 16.7 kilometres long and there are nine stops on the way. The first stop is Laudon’s house. The trail continues past Chateau Žerotín to the city centre. There are three stops here, the City Hall, the “U Zeleného stromu” house and the Old Post Office. The trail then passes via the Lower Gate and continues on to the Banner Spring in Šenov, then to St. Martin’s Church also in Šenov and ends at Chateau Kunín.

The Visitor Centre, which is the starting point of the nature trail, also rents trekking poles to anyone who is interested for a fee.

9 Laudoncaching

Four codes can be found at various places throughout the exhibition. The player records these codes on a game card after having found them. After finding all of the codes, the player wins a small reward. A player may play this game a maximum of three times. After having undertaken all three rounds and finding all of the caches, the player wins a prize fit for a general in the form of a tin soldier.

Opening hours:

YEAR ROUND:  

Mon - Fri   8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sat - Sun    9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The last visitor may enter the exhibition 30 minutes before the end of Visitor’s Centre opening hours.

Ticket price list

VC exhibition – the technology of the manufacturing process from rabbit to hat, including screening room, studio, dressing room (digital)

Basic ticket – adults

Concession ticket – Children 6 – 15 years, seniors over 65 years, students up to 26 years (must present a valid student card), disabled and heavily disabled persons (ZTP and ZTP/P cards) with their escort

Family ticket – max. 2 adults and 2 children (6-15 years)

Other group tickets – 10% discount for 15 and more paying individuals

Free – children under 6 years

School tours:  

Ticket per person for nursery school groups  10 CZK

Ticket per person for elementary school groups   10 CZK

Supervisors free

The price list is valid from 1^st December 2011. Prices are given including VAT.

Discounts cannot be added or combined

All types of ticket can only be used on the day they were purchased.

Photographic galleries