Location Tour: Usti Region: A variety of locations and good contacts

From Bohosudov to Louny and from Kadan to Varnsdorf, we drove across the entire Usti nad Labem region during our most recent location tour. We visited new locations that offer filmmakers a range of diverse motifs, from modern architecture to industrial buildings to historical structures both private and sacred – an Art Nouveau villa, a Renaissance chateau, a late Gothic monastery, and a Baroque basilica. And thanks to the close contacts with the Usti Region Film Office, all these locations are looking forward to welcoming film crews. 

Photo: Czech Film Commission

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Inspiration for film producers and filmmakers

We were joined on our tour by representatives of film production companies and location managers, as well as filmmakers, including a director and a screenwriter, for whom getting to know new places to shoot, as well as meeting the often fascinating owners and their remarkable stories, is a great source of inspiration.

The Ústí Region was a surprise for many of the participants. They found “fascinating locations that are original and hard to recreate elsewhere,” said location manager Jiri Lilek of Locaters.

Industrial objects ready for filmmakers

Most of the filmmakers considered the industrial objects as the most valuable discovery. “Of the locations we visited, the most useful for me personally were technical buildings and facilities, such as the Fláje dam and the disused Trmice distillery,” said Pavlina Muzikarova of the production company Film Kolektiv.

The distillery in Trmice is a disused industrial site just 5 km from Usti nad Labem. There are large warehouse and production areas. There is a footbridge over the granaries, which offers a view of the whole complex as well as the surrounding area and Milada Lake.

The premises are relatively new and well maintained, although it has not been in operation as a distillery since 2017. It includes offices with a control room, facilities such as changing rooms and showers, and equipped laboratories that look as if they’re just waiting for employees to show up for the next shift.

The Faje dam, built in 1963 on the Flaje stream 40 km from Usti nad Labem, a short distance from the German border, is the only one of its kind in the Czech Republic, with its unique pillar-like structure. It serves as a drinking water reservoir.

The interior of the hollow dam consists of several huge concrete domes with wires protruding from their walls. The dimly lit spaces are connected by corridors, tunnels, and, overhead, iron bridges.

Another of the industrial buildings visited was the former Nova Perla thread factory, built less than 4 km from Krasna Lipa near the German border. After more than 100 years, the factory has now been transformed into an art gallery with a large, bright exhibition space, studios and a café.

The elegant studios are currently rented out for short-term accommodation. In Nova Perla there is a community of people who organize various social events, such as yoga classes (for the brave, also on the roof of the building). 

Award-winning modern architecture: an indoor pool and training center

In addition to industrial buildings, modern architecture awaited us in the Usti nad Labem region. “The location cocktail was expertly mixed – interesting and varied. The tastes were different, but balanced,” said Ivana Stefanova of the location agency Film Makers, and mentioned the Municipal Swimming Hall in Louny as one of the most interesting locations.

The building makes effective use of materials such as wood and glass, which reflects the image of the adjacent garden to visitors. The building overlooking the Bohemian Central Highlands mirrors the shape of the surrounding landscape. The building won first place in the prestigious Building of the Year 2021 competition.

A glass wall connects the swimming pool with the garden. The modern changing rooms are complemented by a uniquely designed sauna area with an illuminated ceiling. A serving window connects the lounge to the bar, and sauna visitors can cool off in the chilling pool or on the balcony. In the basement there is also a room that can be used for massages and extensive technical facilities.

Another award-winning building we visited is part of the Jacer company premises in Usti nad Labem. The reconstruction of the original farm buildings from 1870 won the Czech Architecture Award in 2016. The new wooden building of the training center grew out of the original stone perimeter wall.

The interior is predominantly soft wood and light green tones, and is divided into classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices. Between the training center building and the former stables there is a parking lot for 15 cars and a garden.

The stables are currently rented out mainly for weddings. The interior consists of a single large space illuminated by a partially glazed roof, and the building is connected to a paved terrace with seating.

Modern buildings in Varnsdorf and Usti nad Labem

We visited an unexpected discovery in the form of a beautiful sensitively reconstructed Art Nouveau villa on Tyrsova Street in Varnsdorf. The enthusiastic owner has paid special attention to details such as period ceramic switches and light fittings.

The original wooden panelling and even some of the textile wallpaper have been preserved. On the ground floor and on the first floor there are two apartments with separate bathrooms. The villa is surrounded by a garden with mature trees and the windows overlook the adjacent park.

Another unique modern location is the Vetruse Chateau with a lookout tower, which was built at the end of the 19th century as an Empire-style excursion restaurant on the Orechovka hill in Usti nad Labem and offers views of the town and the Elbe Valley.

Today, the renovated building houses a hotel with a stylish restaurant. A cable car leads here from the town’s shopping center.

Surprise in Bohosudov

“I was very surprised by the hidden jewel of the Usti Region – the basilica in Bohosudov. It’s been completely off filmmakers’ radar until now, which is a surprise, as it’s a magnificent building,” said location manager Tomas Hasl of Stillking Films with admiration.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows is a former important pilgrimage site, to which the legend of the statue of the Virgin Mary found in the hollow trunk of a linden tree, many stories of miraculous healing, and a healing spring are ascribed. In the 18th century, up to a hundred thousand pilgrims travelled here every year.

The clean white interior of the single-nave basilica is dominated by an imposing canopy altar with a statue of Christ on a globe. The church is surrounded by an oval cloister with seven chapels, which is flanked by a series of confessionals for the crowds of pilgrims.

The cloister is decorated with frescoes depicting scenes from history and the story of the local legend. The vaulted corridor of the right side of the cloister opens onto the carefully maintained garden around the basilica, while the arcades of the left side of the cloister are glazed. The healing spring between the church and the left side of the cloister is covered by a small chapel.

Exceptional Baroque: Rose Garden, Long Ride and Belvedere

The beautiful Rose Garden in Decin also dates back to the Baroque period of the late 17th century. Some of the original decor was destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars. At the end of the 19th century, a rosarium, famous throughout the monarchy, was established here. At its height, 87 species of roses grew here. 

The garden leads from the sala terrena, where the ceiling and walls are covered with murals depicting scenes from Greek mythology, to the elevated gloriette. A triple staircase leads up to it – the structure is open to the sides and to the sky and is decorated with statues of mythological deities. From the top there’s a view of the region and the town of Decin.

Also unique is the 10m wide Baroque period driveway leading to the castle and gardens. The impressive Dlouha jizda (Long Drive) is 300 m long and bordered by 7.5 m high walls divided by blind arcades. At present, its surface is asphalt. 

The oldest viewpoint in Czech Switzerland, called Belvedere, offers exceptional natural scenery. The vast stepped terrace was built at the beginning of the 18th century on a sandstone cliff at a breathtaking height of 160 metres above the Elbe River valley. The viewpoint features a sala terrena in the form of an artificial cave.

Renaissance villa and Gothic monastery with vaulted ceiling

The Renaissance chateau Patek in the village of the same name, located 13 km from Louny, is another architectural treasure that filmmakers have not yet discovered. Built in the style of an Italian villa, the chateau conceals a Baroque church in the heart of the building. Of particular advantage for filmmakers is the closed grounds, which consists of the farm buildings surrounding the castle. This location is discussed in more detail in a separate article.

The picturesque Franciscan monastery in Kadan was built in the 15th century in the middle of vineyards and today is still surrounded by a vineyard, livestock paddocks, and a hop garden.

The interiors are exceptional, especially the beautiful vaulted ceiling, said to be the first in Bohemia. On the ground floor there is a dining room (refectory), a small cobblestoned “garden of paradise” and the Church of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

The first floor consists of an empty hall with a dominant vaulted ceiling and small, modestly furnished monks’ cells. The cellars, with vaulted ceilings and unplastered walls, now house a mineralogical exhibition.

The monastery is currently occupied by the Municipal Museum in Kadan and the Klement Slavicky Primary Art School.

Making it easy for filmmakers

The great advantage of all the locations visited is the fact that their owners or operators are film-friendly and are ready to work with filmmakers. Pavlina Muzikarova also emphasized this advantage: “It’s important that Bara Hyskova, the film commissioner of the Usti Region Film Office, has already established good contacts at all the locations we visited, so theoretically it will be easy to work with them once we start a production. And everyone on the location tour was very nice and it was great to connect,” she adds.

 

The filmmakers who joined us on the tours had a unique opportunity to meet the people who manage the locations and to get the information they needed right on the spot. They also made valuable connections with industry colleagues who participated in the location tour.

“The exceedingly lovely Bara Hyskova organized an excellent tour – I especially liked that we had plenty of time at the individual locations. And I would like to thank you very much for the incredible helpfulness, kindness, and truly amazing service for us filmmakers,” Ivana Stefanova concluded with her praise.

“Everything went like clockwork, and it was fun, not just work,” adds Jiri Lilek. “Personally, I was pleasantly surprised by the Usti nad Labem Region. I hope to meet you on a film shoot in Usti.” 

 

Contact for filming in the Usti Region:

Usti Region Film Office, Barbora Hyskova (hyskova.b@kr-ustecky.cz, +420 778 494 321) 

 

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The mission of regional film offices is to attract audiovisual projects to their regions and to be a reliable source of information for Czech producers.

One of the main tools to draw filmmakers’ attention to the region’s film-friendly locations is the location tour, which is organized for Czech film professionals, from producers and location managers to directors, writers, cinematographers and film architects, by the regional film office in cooperation with the Czech Film Commission.

A representative of the regional film office connects filmmakers with property managers and owners. A location tour is often the first step towards further inspections for a specific audiovisual work in preo-production.

A photographer specializing in architecture, landscape, and location photography is present on the location tour. The resulting photographs are then used for the promotion of the film-friendly locations both by the regional film office and the Czech Film Commission for promotional activities aimed at foreign filmmakers and are actively offered when specific requests from abroad are received.