The townspeople's nativity scene

Jarmila Haldová, a woodcarver from Sedloňov in the Orlické Mountains, has been making figures for the nativity scene since 2001. The composition brings the Christmas story into the life of the town square, placing historical figures among local residents. People can commission figures using photographs and their own ideas, then contribute them to the shared work. Not every carving portrays an actual person: some simply represent an occupation.

In 2022, the growing scene was moved into a larger room. Two years later, a painted backdrop of the Orlické foothills and missing parts of the square's buildings were added. These included the demolished Horská Gate, giving the miniature town a feature lost from the real landscape. The carvings and painted elements remain the work of the same artist, and the scene is displayed throughout the year. Its wooden residents include mayors, Albatros water scouts and owners of the castle. Underwater filming and cold-water swimming are represented too. Portraits of the local community extend the traditional scene through the recognisable activities of its participants.