One of the main reasons that so many people visit the city of Telč each year is because of its amazing Italian Renaissance architecture. Many of the buildings in this city date back to the 1700s and 1800s. The houses in Telc, which stands on a hilltop, were originally built of wood. After a fire in the late 14th century, the town was rebuilt in stone, surrounded by walls and further strengthened by a network of artificial ponds. The town’s Gothic castle was reconstructed in High Gothic style in the late 15th century.The Historic Centre of Telč features a triangular market square surrounded by Renaissance and Baroque burgher houses (but whose origins are medieval). These houses are linked by a continuous arcade. Their facades are characterized by a great diversity as regards the choice of decorative elements. In the middle of the market square, there is a fountain and a plague column. A little further, there is the town hall, the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Jesuit College and the Gothic St. James parish church. Finally, the evidence of the origins and historical development of the city is provided by the city walls built of stone whose functioning was enhanced by a system of fishponds, originally built for its strategic security.
