Although Janáček is readily associated with his adopted home of Brno, the capital of Moravia, he was actually born further towards the Polish border of the country, in a small village called Hukvaldy. He was sent away from the village by his parents at the age of 11 to be educated at the ‘Queen’s’ Augustinian Monastery in Brno, but the village of his birth was always held dear to him and he returned there frequently. In 1921 he bought a cottage in the village, to which he eventually added a second floor, largely for the visit of Kamila Stösslová. Various works were composed here, but of course most famously the surrounding countryside, nestling in amongst the Beskedý hills, inspired The Cunning Little Vixen. It was in Hukvaldy that Janáček caught the pneumonia which was to eventually kill him in August, 1928.

The cottage was kept as a memorial to the composer, and following renovations a few years ago it is now a charming museum, replete with manuscripts, designs from the operas and details of the composer’s life in the village. The front room and Janáček’s bedroom are kept as they were left. The harmonium he played (and annoyed Stösslová with, by playing it throughout the night) is still there, placed under the portrait made of the composer on his wedding day.

It is difficult to travel to the village without a car, though there are bus connections from the train station at Hranice na Moravě – which connects to Olomouc, Ostrava, Brno and Prague. You can also travel to Ostrava or Príbor and change there. The easiest journey is by car.

A trip to Hukvaldy is an absolute must on the Janáček trail around the Czech Republic – like Elgar’s home near Worcester or Britten’s Aldeburgh – and it’s well worth the time and effort to get there. It’s a tranquil haven away from the rush of the cities, or, to quote the Forester’s final numinous monologue from The Cunning Little Vixen…

Photographs from a recent trip to Hukvaldy

A distant view of Hukvaldy (approaching from Príbor)
 

A commemorative plaque on the Hukvaldy Vixen statue.
 

The Vixen statue in Hukvaldy.
 

The centre of the village.
 

The schoolhouse where Janáček was born.

The cottage Janáček bought in 1921. The additional room for Kamila Stösslová is visible on the second floor.
 

Janáček's harmonium.
 

The front room of the house. The portrait of Janáček over the harmonium was painted on the composer's wedding day.
 

The composer's bedroom. Photographs of Zdenka and Kamila are just visible on the small bureau in the corner.

The composer's bedroom.