MALT HOUSE GALLERY

In Masarykova Street in Žatec, there is a unique Renaissance building whose significance, thanks to sensitive reconstruction, goes beyond the borders of this region. According to research, the building was built as early as 1573-1574.

The building entered history as the town granary, then as the municipal malt house, then in 1801 as a dwelling house and last, but not least, as the paint and varnish factory of the couple Ferdinand and Maria Jacob, as shown by the original inscriptions found, and restored, on the building's facade.

Later, the building was aquired by the state and began to deteriorate. The salvation of this building was its inclusion in the project of the Hop & Beer Temple, and in 2010 it was completely renovated. Today, the Malt House Gallery offers an information office on the ground floor, where you can purchase a tour of the Malt House or the Hop & Beer Temple, as well as many souvenirs. On the ground floor, you can see a permanent exhibition on malting with related archaeological finds.

On the first floor, an interactive exhibition, The History of the Extraordinary Pencil, awaits you. It is a lifelong collection of historical and rare pencils by the collector Emanuel Petráň. You can learn about the evolution of writing and writing instruments, plus you can make your own pencil! The famous pencil company KOH-I-NOOR is a partner of this exhibition.

Upstairs is a unique exhibition gallery where regular exhibitions by various artists are hosted. Another part of the floor presents the collection "Žatec In Film" with short samples of Czech and foreign films shot in Žatec.