Danzinger Blueprint Workshop in Olešnice: the Last Original Blueprint Workshop in Czechia

In Olešnice na Moravě, about 30 km north of Blansko, the Danzinger family has been printing modrotisk (traditional indigo blueprint) since 1816. According to the family, it is the last original blueprint workshop in Czechia. The cloth is dyed with indigo and printed by hand using original wooden blocks, by the same method used since 1849. Since 2018, the blueprint technique has been on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. Individual visitors can join a tour without booking from 2 May to 27 September, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1.30pm and 2.30pm. Adults pay 120 Kč (approx. €4.80) — an indicative conversion; the exchange rate fluctuates — and children under 15 pay 50 Kč (approx. €2), and the tour lasts about 50 minutes. Outside the season, groups only, by arrangement. Dogs are not allowed in the workshop.

QUICK LINKS 🎨 What is blueprint printing? · 🏭 The workshop and the family · 🎟️ Tours and admission · 🛍️ The shop and your own pattern · 🚗 Getting there · ❓ FAQ

You’ll know blueprint cloth from folk costumes, traditional aprons and your grandmother’s pinafores: a white pattern on dark blue linen. Most of the blueprint fabric sold today is machine-printed. In Olešnice they still do it by hand, in the same workshop and by the same method as two hundred years ago. It makes a great destination for a day when it’s raining in the karst, or when you’re heading north out of the karst.

What is blueprint printing?

Blueprint printing (modrotisk) is a resist-dyeing technique. A wooden block is used to print a resist paste, known as pap, onto white cotton cloth. The cloth is then dyed in indigo. Wherever the paste is, the dye can’t reach the fibre. Finally, the resist is dissolved in an acid bath, and the white pattern appears on the blue background.

In November 2018, UNESCO inscribed blueprint printing on its list of intangible cultural heritage. The application was made jointly by Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, Austria and Hungary.

The workshop and the Danzinger family

According to the family, the dyeing tradition of the Weis family, later the Danzingers, goes back to the 16th century. The workshop in Olešnice has been running since 1816, and the technique has not changed since 1849. Today it is the twelfth generation who work the dye here. The workshop has been awarded the titles Bearer of Tradition (Nositel tradice) and Master of Traditional Handicraft Production of the South Moravian Region.

They make more than 90 types of product and around 200 patterns by the metre, including aprons to go with folk costumes. According to Kudy z nudy, fabric from this workshop also turned up on the waistcoats and jackets of the Czech team at the Tokyo Olympics.

Tours and admission

On the tour you’ll walk through the original workshop, with commentary and a demonstration of how the cloth is made. It lasts about 50 minutes, and the maximum capacity is 45 people. The workshop is heated.

• Dogs are not allowed in either the workshop or the shop.
• In 2026 the workshop was closed from 24 June to 8 July for the family’s holiday. The Danzingers announce any changes to opening on their website.
• Contact: tel. 777 908 404, info@modrotisk-danzinger.cz, modrotisk-danzinger.cz.

The shop and your own pattern

The shop is open Tuesday to Friday, 9am–3.30pm, and on Mondays and Saturdays by arrangement only. It runs “on the doorbell”: just ring at the front door. Inside you’ll find cloth by the metre, aprons, tablecloths, scarves and small gifts, as well as goods that aren’t available in the online shop.

Your own blueprint: the Danzingers sell the cloth and the resist paste. You paint your pattern at home with a brush or stamps, then send or bring the cloth to them. They will dye it in indigo for you.

Getting there and what to combine it with

• Address: Křtěnovská 175, Olešnice na Moravě.
• By car: about 31 km from Blansko, around 35 minutes.
• With Rudka: the Blaník Knights Cave in Rudka near Kunštát is about 10 km away. You can easily combine the two in a single day.
• With Boskovice: the castle, the château and the Jewish quarter are covered in our article on Boskovice.

A word of warning about Tuesdays and Thursdays: on other days individual visitors can’t get onto a tour, and on Mondays both the castle in Boskovice and the cave in Rudka are closed. For more ideas for a day without stalactites, see the article The Moravian Karst when it rains.

FAQ

When are the tours of the blueprint workshop in Olešnice? For individuals, from 2 May to 27 September on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1.30pm and 2.30pm, no booking required. Groups by arrangement.

How much does the tour cost? Adults 120 Kč, students and seniors 100 Kč, children under 15 50 Kč.

Can I bring my dog into the workshop? No, dogs are not allowed.

Is blueprint printing on the UNESCO list? Yes, since November 2018, as intangible cultural heritage.

Information verified as of 13 October 2026. Sources: Modrotisk Danzinger: About us, Tour with a demonstration of production, Opening hours and contacts, How to make your own pattern; Kudy z nudy: The Danzinger family’s blueprint workshop.

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