Poesiomat comes to Decin with selections specific to this area! Poetry, local legend, the sounds of a passing steamer, classical music, post punk — this mysterious black periscope emerging from the Elbe riverbank at the foot of Decin Castle can play several preset audio clips associated in one way or another with our riverside city. Unveiling at 5:00 pm, Sept. 11, 2024.

"The history, culture and heritage of our city. All this is brought closer to people in a playful way through the new Poesiomat. Literally. This is one of the first art projects of this kind in the Usti nad Labem region and I believe that it will once again make us more prominent on the tourist and cultural map of the whole country. We chose the place and the songs so that they would fit together perfectly with the iconic panorama of Decin Castle, the Tyrs Bridge and the Elbe River. I believe that this new attraction will appeal, entertain and proudly represent our city," said Martin Posta (Volba pro Decin), Deputy Mayor for Education, Culture and Sport.

A total of 19 audio clips include the work of local poets and musicians, songs related to the area, a story taken from local legend, oral history, as well as the sound of a passing steamboat and even a short morning workout (Decin is the birthplace of Sokol fitness movement co-founder Miroslav Tyrs).

Marketa Lakoma, director of Decin’s Municipal Center for Culture and Tourism, hopes the device will not only enliven the river embankment, but also celebrate Decin in a new way. "Thanks to the sound recordings, tourists and locals have a unique opportunity to get to know more about Decin’s music and to learn interesting things about the city, such as legends connected with local sights and what famous composer wrote the Decin Waltz," she says.

Most of the recordings are related to the area surrounding the Poesiomat. "On the Smetana Embankment, the horizontal of the Elbe and the cycle path connects with the vertical of the Shepherd's Wall and Decin Castle. So whether you listen to the sounds of the harbor, the tale of the Shepherd's Wall or Tyrs’s Sokol warm-up, you can see everything from where you’re stanind," says poet Radek Fridrich, one of the instigators of Poesiomat in Decin.

The grand unveiling will take place on Wednesday, 11 September at 5 pm.

What’s on the playlist

Decin's Poesiomat was funded in part by donations from:

RAC s.r.o., Studio Maglen s.r.o., JAW.cz s.r.o., EpaS-BS s.r.o., Fyziotoncar s.r.o., RYKO a.s., Walli CZ s.r.o., Free4U s.r.o.