Rychmburk castle was built in the 13th century and belonged to Tas of Rychmburk. One of its owners was Smil Flaška of Pardubice and Rychmburk in the 15th century. In 1425, the castle was seized by Hussites, in the 1st half of the 16th century Jindřich Šťastný of Valdštejn had it turned into a Late Gothic palace, afterwards Kinský had it renovated in the Baroque style in 1793 - 1798.
The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.
Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.