vila Lipová Museum building

Villa Lip is a stand-alone Swiss-style building located in the village Luhačovice. The building was built at the end of the 19th century and represents an important architectural counter to later colorful creation of Dusan Jurkovic.

It stands at the site of the original Slanovoda Mill, built in 1669. The mill performed its function until 1880, when the spa guests had previously accommodated. This year, Count Otto Serényi purchased the building from the mill family Czadi, which in 1883 to 1885 had the mill rebuilt into a villa designed for the accommodation of spa visitors.

Project of the villa was developed by construction master Václav Pirchan. He used the walled ground floor of the original mill and built a wooden floor. The building has a plan of an elongated rectangle, it is covered by a saddle roof and facades oriented to the park and sides are divided by lizen frames with corner rustic. The windows on the ground floor are smaller, while the floors are larger and decorated with stucco relief under the windowsill. The middle part of the floor is decorated with wooden ships. The main entrance is located on the west facade, accessible via the pavement with a bowling alley connected to the street by a wooden footbridge. The overall architecture corresponds to the period of German architecture of the late 19th century, typical of the centre Luhačovice before the urban interventions of Dusan Jurkovic.

From 1902 to 1909 she served as a private residence of the then director of the spa František Veselý and his wife Marie Calm. After his resignation in 1909, the building became a spa house which worked until 1943 when it was converted into a national museum of Luhačovice Zálesí. The museum ceased its activities here in 2005. In 2001 the villa was declared a cultural monument. After the museum closed, the building was dilapidated until 2009, when the Spa Luhačovice started reconstruction.

During the period when František Veselý lived in the villa, there was a rich social life. The building hosted important personalities such as music composer Leoš Janáček or writers bratři Mrštíkovi, and architect Dušan Jurkovič, who modified several other spa buildings, but not the villa Lip itself.

At present vila Lipová is again used as accommodation for spa clients. Thanks to its history and architecture, it is a valuable testament to the flourishing of the spa culture in the late 19th century. Visiting the villa offers the opportunity to see an authentic Swiss-style representative in the heart of Luhačovice.