Michal Farm is located in Vysočina in the tiny village of Pohleď, on the right bank of the Sázava River between the towns of Havličkův Brod and Světlá nad Sázavou. Filmmakers’ hearts will leap with joy – this tiny hidden village has maintained its typical rural character through the years, and the Michal Farm open-air museum shows the life, work, and traditions of peasants during the period from the end of the Thirty Years’ War until the end of serfdom in 1848.
The farmstead's gable end faces the village square, and residential and farm buildings enclose its courtyard on all sides. A wooden portal with gates secures the entrance to the courtyard. Photo: Vysočina Tourism
The farm is spacious both inside and out, making it ideal for filmmaking. The residential section smoke kitchen, and a storage room. The farm areas consist of a 60m2 barn, a granary (50 m2), a tool shed, and cellars for foodstuffs and potatoes.
In the former orchards stands the newest building, from 1924 – the retired farmer’s house. The courtyard is exceptionally large – 2000 m2 – and the adjacent gardens measure 4800 m2. There’s also a well and a barn on the property. Thanks to its location, the farm offers views of the surrounding countryside unspoiled by any newer buildings.
“The Michal Farm warmly welcomes filmmakers. There are many available rooms for various time periods – ideally, the farm could be the setting for a history of one noble family,” says Mr. Holub, the farm’s caretaker as well as the mayor of the village of Pohleď.
The Michal family owned the farm from 1591 until 1997. After 1950 the local agricultural cooperative used the farming areas, and the entire property gradually fell into disrepair. Its last owner was Karel Michal, who owned until his death in 1997. The town purchased the farm in 2000 and began renovations.
According to conservationists, the group of buildings that comprise the Michal Farm is an exceptional example of the development of rural architecture in Vysočina from the turn of the 18th century until the early 20th century. In 2003, Michal Farm and its surrounding land were declared a cultural monument.
Through Virtual Travel, one can take a look at the living room, the pub, and at the courtyard.
“Vysočina is exceptional for exactly this combination of charming nature and unique rural architecture. Picturesque log cabins and farms with richly decorated facades are visible throughout the region. Vysočina is typically sparsely populated, both with people and the number of small villages lying near small towns with populations of up to 10,000 people,” says Klára Čechov of the Vysočina Film Office. She can be contacted for more information about filming at Michal Farm or anywhere in the entire Vysočina Region.
Vysočina Region Film Office, c/o Vysočina Tourism, klara.cechova@vysocinatourism.cz, +420 731 597 613.
