Mezi Plutky

Infusion of Light: Rural Chalet, Contemporary Brilliance

This sturdy mountain home that's name translates as "Between Fences," holds four unique guest rooms and light-filled common areas updated with modern design in a doting architectural conversion by Daniela Hradilová, an award-winning architect and designer.

The inn’s good bones, found in its sturdy hand-chipped, spruce-shingled roof, diminutive original windows, classic beamed ceilings and centenary sandstone and granite flooring, create a bare base on which to layer a contemporary new look. Karl Andersson and Soner chairs join Patricia Urquiola’s Comeback swinging seat near the fireplace. A wool tapestry by Czech graphic artist Petr Nikl hangs over locally crafted oak furnishings. The property’s original doors were retrofitted with glass panes for a bright new ebb and flow of light and shadow. And an adjacent barn was converted into a winter garden with a massive fireplace. Outdoor updates include the original herbarium from 1613 by Basilius Besler and a repurposed natural swimming pond afloat with pure white water lilies.

Four rooms—named “Guest” “Parents,” “Son,” and “Daughter” include breakfast. Guest includes a living room with a view Ondrejnik mountain, a centuries’ old stone floor and deep stone soaking tub. Parents spreads out under the attic rafters, the largest suite with a sofa-lined den, shower, and view. Son also angles sharply under sturdy rafters and includes an extra sleeping alcove and Spruce mountain views. Daughter offers a bright, cheery space with windows on the garden and an open, in-suite bath.

A stunning, restored farm-turned-chalet, Mezi Lukami, also designed by the owners, is located walking distance from the hotel.  

Around

The small boutique hotel is located in the far eastern part of the Czech Republic, in the Beskids Nature Reserve (the country's largest), land of mountain meadows, karst outcroppings and dense stands of beech and fir. The Carpathian Mountains dominate the landscape, and the guesthouse makes a great base for exploring the region on foot, bike, or skis. The inn overlooks the Podolanky Valley and Beskydy mountains, and a short walk through a forest from the property leads to Radhošť with its wooden chapel and statue of the Bohemian God Radegast. Čeladná village is a spa/outdoorsy community with a handful of holiday resorts, including the 36-hole PGA course at Prosper, Eastern Europe’s largest golf course, as well as spa facilities, equestrian stations, and restaurants and cafes. 

Sigmund Freud was a regional son, and his childhood home is an interactive museum in the town of Příbor. The Baroque and Renaissance town of Nový Jičín is built around a majestic town square, and there's a lone medieval tower in Štramberk that offers breathtaking views of the Beskydy wilds, the dense forests and many jagged peaks. The town also has a hike-in cave system where traces of Neanderthals dating from 40,000 BC were discovered. Hiking, mountain biking, and Nordic walking are favorite activities in warmer months, and skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding fill winter days. Hikers can summit Lysá Hora peak via a trail from the village of Ostravice, and skiers can grab first tracks at nearby Opálenâ ski station, one of a handful of small resorts serving the area. Alternatively, they can cross country ski right out the front door, or enjoy the ski areas at Pustevny or Bílá.

Location

Čeladná, Czech Republic. Nearest airport: Ostrava Mošnov (40 km), Katowice/Poland (150 km), Kraków/Poland (200 km)

Best time to visit

Year round

Photos: Romana Bennet