The Nový Jičín Visitor Center – City of Hats has been an organizational unit of the City of Nový Jičín since December 19, 2011, established pursuant to a charter approved by the Nový Jičín City Council.
It is located in the historic Laudon House at 45 Masaryk Square, in the very heart of the city’s historic preservation district. It was here on July 14, 1790, that Austrian Field Marshal Ernst Gideon von Laudon, one of the most significant figures in 18th-century European history, died. His life, military achievements, and connection to Nový Jičín are commemorated by the General Laudon Exhibition, which is part of the Visitor Center.
The second permanent exhibition is the interactive Hat Exhibition, which guides visitors through the more than 400-year-old tradition of hat-making in Nový Jičín in an engaging and interactive way. It explores the history of the craft, the evolution of hat production, and the individual stages of the traditional factory process. Through modern interactive elements, visitors can gain insight into the world of hat-making, try on 400 different hats and headwear, or play at being a fashion designer in the creative section of the exhibition. The exhibition commemorates a tradition that has been inextricably linked to Nový Jičín for more than four centuries and continues to this day through production at the only functioning felt hat factory in the Czech Republic.
The visitor center contributes significantly to the development of tourism, the promotion and presentation of Nový Jičín both in the Czech Republic and abroad, and actively participates in the city’s cultural and social life. It provides comprehensive tourist information services, prepares cultural and experiential programs, organizes guided tours, and, through its exhibits, introduces visitors to the history, traditions, and unique story of Nový Jičín—the city of hats.

Nový Jičín Visitor Centre - the city of hats:

• is an organizational unit of the City of Nový Jičín
• offers comprehensive tourism services – Tourist Information Centre, public transport services
• features interactive exhibitions “Hats” and “General Laudon”
• includes a children’s play area within the exhibition
• houses a hat shop and a stylish café
• holds the record for the largest 3D-printed statue in the Czech Republic
• provides barrier-free access throughout the entire building
• is open all year round, seven days a week
• offers programs for the public as well as for kindergartens and primary schools
• provides teambuilding activities
• offers rental of disc golf discs and trekking poles
• provides audio guides upon request at the Tourist Information Centre reception (Czech, Polish, English)
• organizes local markets and the Pivobraní festival

Sections of the Nový Jičín Visitor Centre

• Head of the Nový Jičín Visitor Centre
• Tourist Information Centre and public transport
• Expositions and marketing of tourism (Exposition of hats and General Laudon)
• Promotion and economic activities
• Foreign relations

Staff contacts can be found here

Opening hours can be found here