Moravian `mansion`

Hlučín is an appealing small town in the eastern part of the country, between the cities of Ostrava and Opava.

My house is very large and very nice (I think so anyway). It`s made up of two self-contained flats, so you can stay in both, if you wish to. There`s lots of space and there`s a sauna with a shower area too, in the cellar. Don`t be put off by the fact that the Czech Republic is a former Communist State because that would be to miss out. The country can be very beautiful in a wild sort of way and if you fancy some nightlife then the big city of Ostrava is less than 20 minutes away by car, or you can take the bus and the tram. The summers are usually hot and dry here but, if it does rain or if you want to stay in sometimes we also have wi-fi internet access and a computer and I have some books and some DVDs in English.

If you want to stay home, then we have a porch to sit in when it`s hot and two balconies upstairs on which to enjoy morning coffee. I`ve ticked the box, `children welcome` but, even though both balconies upstairs have railings, for an adventurous 6 year old child, for example, it wouldn`t be impossible for him or her to climb over the barrier. The stairs to the cellar are also quite steep so you would need to be careful with young children, as I`m sure you already are. but the door leading to them can be locked, for safety. The loft stairs cannot be accessed.

About the location

Where we live is near to many historic Czech towns and villages. There are castles to visit and we have a car, or bikes, to get you there.
http://www.hlucin.cz/
http://2009en.obrazovy-atlas.cz/town/?id=202
http://www.hlucin.cz/modules/fotogalerie/fotogalerie.html?op=zobraz_galerii&galerie=4
There`s a mining museum nearby for those interested in the history of mining here. http://www.landekpark.cz/domu

If you`d like to do some touring, then the journey to Poland takes less than 20 minutes and the Tatra mountains in Slovakia are only an hour`s car journey away. Vienna, Budapest and Prague are also easily accessible by train or by car, and the train is relatively cheap. It`s about 15-20 pounds from Ostrava to Prague, one way, and the journey takes about 4 hours, through some attractive countryside.

For those "sporty" types, there`s a lake less than a mile away where you can waterski or windsurf, or just go for a relaxing walk. http://www.hlucin.cz/pro-turisty/rekreacni-a-turisticke-moznosti-hlucina.html

You can also visit the Beskydy or Jesenik mountains which are only about an hour`s journey away by car, and we have two available- a Renault Twingo or a Toyota Verso.

There`s also horse riding, at a riding school nearby, if you like that sort of thing. I`ve never tried it myself because I`m not that keen on riding but it looks like a very professional outfit from the outside. I could check it out beforehand if anyone would be interested. And there`s a tennis court nearby and I have three tennis raquets and some tennis balls you can borrow and, perhaps, a tennis partner to play against. There`s also an 18 hole golf course and practice range in nearby Silheřovice. http://www.golf-ostrava.cz/basicinfo.htm

The area is served quite well by the "budget" airlines such as Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 or Aer Lingus, so your airfare won`t break the bank. Airports in Prague, Brno or Ostrava and even airports in Poland, such as Krakow or Katowice, mean you get you here fairly quickly and cheaply from most places in Britain, Ireland and continental Europe. Ryanair does flights direct to Ostrava from Stansted. If we exchanged, it may be possible to leave our car at the airport for you to use when you arrived, assuming our dates of exchange overlapped.

Another feature of holidaying in this area is that the cost of living is less than that of the UK. I recommend you try the beer, brewed in the small local brewery and served on the premises and for just over a pound a pint, at today`s exchange rate of 27 crowns to the pound. Delicious. Eating out in the pub can cost as little as four to five pounds each.

Why not give it a try?

Conditions of exchange

Facilities

Nearby