10Danny Smiřický as a guide throughout the city

Danny Smiřický as a guide throughout  the city

In Náchod we will travel back in time to World War II. Through Škvorecky‘s alter ego Danny Smiřický visitors will learn about life in the city at this difficult time. Not only will the works of Josef Škvorecký, which are bound to Náchod, be presented, but also real stories from people
appearing as characters from his novels as well as other tourist attractions in the city.

Městské informační centrum Náchod (Náchod City In
  • Masarykovo náměstí 1
  • 547 01 Náchod
How to get there?
How to get there (map)?
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Where do you look?

The city of Náchod is the birthplace of Josef Škvorecký, and also the place where several of his novels take place. For this purpose, Škvorecký renamed Náchod Kostelec. At random, let’s name “The Cowards,“ “The Great Season“ and “The Tale of the Engineer of Human Souls.“ Some of the “Náchod“ work was created after Škvorecký had already emigrated in the year 1969, thus drawing in his experiences from his native country. After the revolution, the writer often returned to Náchod, and he was interested in the happenings of the city until the end of his life.

Josef Škvorecký was a Czech writer, translator, publicist and later an exile publisher. His literary work is exceptional for its realistic description of the time displayed. In exile, as a publisher, he supported the creations from Czech exile authors and authors prohibited in Czechoslovakia.

Many of Škvorecký‘s works were adapted into film. He received the biggest popularity by his “Tank Battalion,“ the first post-revolution era private film. Literarily the most valuable novel “The Cowards,“ which made a breakthrough for Škvorecký, however, was never adapted into a film allegedly because many of the characters of the book were not yet completely forgotten at that time.

Did you know that?

… Jaroslav Celba, the music author of many bedtime fairytales, such as “Štaflík and Špagetka” or “Fairytales from Moss and a Fern,” is hiding under the nickname Harýk in the novel “The Cowards from Škvorecký“?