Czech Republic - Castles and Chateux

7/30/2019 Czech Republic - Castles and Chateux

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Bečov nad Teplou . . . . . . . . . 4Bezděz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Bítov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Blatná . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Boskovice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Bouzov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Buchlov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Buchlovice. . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Častolovice . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Červená Lhota. . . . . . . . . . .13Český Krumlov . . . . . . . . . .14

Český Šternberk . . . . . . . . .16Cheb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Dětenice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Dobříš . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Duchcov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Frýdlant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Hluboká nad Vltavou . . . . .22Horšovský Týn . . . . . . . . . . .23

Hořovice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Hradec nad Moravicí . . . . .25Hrádek u Nechanic . . . . . . .26Hukvaldy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou 28Javorník – Jánský Vrch. . . .29Jindřichův Hradec. . . . . . . .30Kačina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Kámen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Karlova Koruna. . . . . . . . . . 33Karlštejn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Kašperk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Klášterec nad Ohří . . . . . . .36Kokořín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Konopiště . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Kost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Krásný Dvůr. . . . . . . . . . . . .40Kratochvíle . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Kroměříž . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Křivoklát . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Kuks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Kunětická hora . . . . . . . . . .45

Kunín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Kynžvart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Landštejn . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Lednice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Lipnice nad Sázavou . . . . .50Litomyšl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Loket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Manětín. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Mělník . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Mikulov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Milotice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Mnichovo Hradiště. . . . . . .57Náchod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Náměšť na Hané . . . . . . . .59Náměšť nad Oslavou . . . . .60Nelahozeves . . . . . . . . . . . .61Nové Město nad Metují . . .62Olomouc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Opočno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Orlík. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Pernštejn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66Ploskovice . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Praha – Pražský hrad. . . . .68Praha – Trojský zámek. . . .70Praha – Vyšehrad. . . . . . . .71Rabí . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Ratibořice . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Rožmberk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Slavkov (Austerlitz) . . . . . .75Sychrov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Špilberk (Brno). . . . . . . . . . 77Šternberk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Švihov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Telč . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Točník and Žebrák . . . . . . .82Trosky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83Třeboň . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84Valtice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Velhartice . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Velké Březno. . . . . . . . . . . .87Velké Losiny . . . . . . . . . . . .88Vizovice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89Vranov nad Dyjí . . . . . . . . .90Zákupy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91Zvíkov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Žďár nad Sázavou. . . . . . . .93Žleby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

Contents

Opening hours Special Ofer Suitable or children

Hotel Restaurant UNESCO

Hire o premisesor cultural andsocial events

Weddings Chateau garden

Tours Chateau park



The most valuable things inherited bythe Czechs rom their ancestors are monuments.Anyone coming to the Czech Republic or the rsttime will be surprised by their number and intact-ness, impressive location, architectural magni-cence, variety o art designs, skilled nish and in-genious operation. The visitor will be enchanted

by special energy they radiate, and thus createan unprecedented atmosphere when enteringinside. And the visitor who has already seen allthis rom previous visits knows that the reper-toire o places worth visiting, photographing andlater talking about with enthusiasm to riends,is almost inexhaustible – and the experience isalways strong, surprising and prime...

Long centuries o Czech history let abouttwo thousand castles, chateaux, ortresses andtheir ruins in the country. We invite you to learnabout the remarkable stories and secrets. In thisbook we present a selection o the most beautiulplaces that the current owners make accessible

to public curious eyes. The guides will tell youin detail on the spot about the interesting ateso individual residences and their inhabitants inthe ow o time and leave you to be carried away

by your imagination o ction stories. You willvisit magnicent interiors, urnished with neattaste and almost unlimited nancial acilities o long-time owners, you will see all manner o col-lections and works o art collected with love andpride by generations o aristocratic amilies, youwill climb towers with magnicent panoramas

o the area, you will be lost in the mysteriouslabyrinths o underground corridors, you willinhale the scent o ancient parks and lushness o perectly arranged historic gardens.

However, the Czech castles and chateauxare not only a sleeping museum, where timestood still. These also include historic estivitiesand markets, night-time guided tours, guidesin costumes, demonstrations o birds o preytraining, presentation o old crats and tasting o traditional delicacies, theatre and opera, encing,concerts, art estivals, exhibitions and workshops– everything is announced on relevant websitesin time. And i this is not enough you can try to

live in a chateau – almost everywhere you canrent most attractive premises or social events– or example or a wedding ceremony. Pleasecome in...

Castles and Chateaux –heirloom of the Czech Republic



Bečov nad TeplouWhy visit:

The chateau shelters a unique treasure, the sec-

ond most valuable arteact o the Czech Republicollowing the crown jewels. A magnicentlydecorated golden casket created inthe 13th century on the order o the BelgianBenedictine monastery or housing the remainso St. John the Baptist and St. Maurus, belongs,considering the art and the crat aspects, tothe most beautiul medieval goldsmith’s work,the only one o its kind in Central Europe.

From history:

De Beauorts, the last owners o the chateau,had to leave the estate ater collaboration withthe Nazis in 1945. They buried St. Maurus reli-quary beneath the oor in the chateau’s chapel

hoping to come back or it. I later on a oreignbuyer had not appeared to negotiate a purchaseo an unspecied valuable item with the Czechstate, most probably, nobody would have ever

known about its existence. This complicated caseinvestigated by leading Czechoslovak criminolo-

gists was resolved in 1985 and became alsoa topic o a detective story.

The story o the St. Maurus reliquaryincluding its demanding restoration by leadingCzech restorers is told by a gripping exhibition inthe chateau’s interior.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV and X at week-ends and public holidays

www.zamek-becov.czNáměstí 5. května 13,364 64 Bečov nad Teplou

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BezdězWhy visit:

The majestic ruin o the medieval castle is one o

the most distinct dominant eatures o the Czechlandscape. It inspired many artists, or examplethe composer Bedřich Smetana, who usedthe local story theme o the hidden treasurein his opera “The Secret”. Karel Hynek Mácha,the greatest Czech romantic poet, brought ameto the castle with the tragic love story in the epicpoem “May”. The nearby Lake Mácha, bearingthe poet’s name in tribute, is now a centre o water sports and recreation.

From history:

Přemysl Otakar II (Ottokar II o Bohemia), “the Ironand Golden King”, certainly had not anticipatedthat the sentry castle he built in the second hal

o the 13th century as a residence or his oc-casional stays, would become shortly ater hisdeath a prison or his seven years old son Václav(Wenceslaus) and his widowed queen or many

months. In the 17th century the castle waschanged into a ortied monastery and ollowing

its abolition it declined into a quaint ruin.

Thanks to the act that no extensive adjust-ments were carried out in the castle, it preservedthe authentic medieval atmosphere. The mostvaluable structure is the Chapel o the RoyalPalace, a real gem o Gothic architecture.A monumental orty meters high Big Tower usedby inhabitants as the last reuge in the siege,easts the eyes with distant views o “the Mácha'sregion”.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV and X at week-ends and holidays

www.hrad-bezdez.euStátní hrad Bezděz, 472 01 Doksy

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BítovWhy visit:

In the last century the amily residence wasused as a place or building one o the biggestprivate zoological gardens o the time in Europe

by the ever-so-slightly eccentric Baron Haas,the last owner. In addition to live animals he alsoloved his zoological collections o local and exoticanimals, in particular the collection o 51 stufeddogs o various breeds including the extinctAfenpinschers – today the collection has beenentered in the Guinness Book o Records asthe largest o its kind in the world.

From history:

The ortied castle situated on the promon-tory near the conuence o the Želetavka andthe Dyje rivers protected the Southern MoraviaCzech Kingdom borders as early as the earlyMiddle Ages. Its present appearance is a result

o romantic adjustments rom the 19th centuryand it picturesquely ts the local area o woods,waters and hillsides, where the sun and the spar-kling Moravian vine reign.

Four guided tours outline the intricate

history o one o the most ancient royal castlesand the lie o its inhabitants. In addition tothe palace and the armoury with unique exhibits,the prison, dungeon and the torture chamberwith replicas o torture tools the visitors can tryout themselves, are also very attractive.

V–VIII Monday–Sunday, IV and X at week-

ends and holidays

The ghostly exposition “Armorial beast”in the ormer castle brewery introduces mythicmonsters, dragons, basilisks and other peculiari-ties used in heraldry.

www.hradbitov.czStátní hrad Bítov, 671 07 pošta Uherčice



BlatnáWhy visit:

The town’s typical white and red entrance

tower o the water castle rom stone was builtat the end o the Middle Ages under the ruleo Lords o Rožmitál (Rosental). They held highstate positions, loved luxurious lie styles andwere inspired by advanced culture o the WesternEuropean nobility. The reconstruction o the oldpalace into the splendid three oor Gothic andRenaissance palace was assigned to Benedict

Rejt, the amous master builder working in royalservices.

From history:

The representative residence in Blatná was veryoten the centre o political events in the CzechKingdom. Johanka, the sister o Jaroslav Lev o Rožmitál married Jiří (George) o Poděbrady and

became the Czech queen. Jaroslav as a very edu-cated and competent diplomat headed on behal o his brother-in-law the amous legation aroundthe European courts.

The partitioned interior mainly holdsamily collections o Hildprandts, who possessedthe chateau rom the 18th century. O interestalso is the study and the exhibition o Jan Evan-gelista Purkyně, the excellent Czech doctor andnaturalist o the 18th century, who worked hereas a tutor in his youth.

V–September 15 Tuesday–Sunday, IV and

September 16–X at weekends

www.zamek-blatna.czNa Příkopech 320, 388 01 Blatná



BoskoviceWhy visit:The charming chateau which belongs to the pur-est exhibits o Empire architecture in Moravia,houses special curious items: one o the threecopper globes in the world, where the starlitsky eatures heraldic symbols, and a remarkableRococo theatre or children donated to the own-ers by the British Queen Victoria.

From history:

At the site o the present representative manorthere used to be a Dominican monastery thatserved as a dye actory or a short o period o time ater its abolition. The manor was rebuiltinto its current appearance at the beginning o

the 19th century.

A grandiose dance hall housed many ballsand estivities, attended by the cream o society.In the battles hall you will nd paintings onbufalo leather with scenes rom wars againstthe Turks.

V–IX daily except Monday

The children will enjoy the miniature urni-ture set and the children’s Rococo theatre.

Recommendation: The chateau’s history also includesthe near romantic ruin o Boskovice castle with 26

metres deep well driven by a wooden treadle.

www.zamekboskovice.czHradní 6, 680 01 Boskovice



BouzovWhy visit:

I lm-makers seek an ideal scenery or a airy

tale or a historic story, the Bouzov castle withits battlements, oriels, loopholes and gargoyles,drawbridges and portcullises is the rst oneon their list o locations. The Order o TeutonicKnights, the then owners, ordered this romanticmedieval atmosphere during the castle’s rebuild-ing at the turn o the 19th and the 20th centuriesand they did not hesitate to pay or it 20 million

guldens.

From history:

The castle ounded in the 14th century is mostprobably the place o birth o Jiří o Poděbrady,the uture Czech king.

The urniture in the chambers o the GrandMaster o the Order o Teutonic Knights, the se-cret passages, but also a big stove and a grill inthe castle’s kitchen show that the holy knightsliked their period comorts. The castle andthe beautiul orests o the Drahanská uplandsare nicely seen rom the gallery o the 61 metreshigh watchtower.

IV and X at weekends; V–IX Tuesday–

Sunday

www.hrad-bouzov.czStátní hrad Bouzov, 783 25 Bouzov 8



BuchlovWhy visit:

An old, mysterious castle emblazoned witha number o legends is the most dominant ea-ture o the distinctive Moravian Slovakia region.In the rst hal o the 19th century the lastowners o the castle established here a museumaccessible to the general public, or whichthey acquired numerous collections. Perhapsthe greatest curiosity is the old Egyptian mummyestimated to be 4 000 years old.

From history:

The construction o the royal ortress castle,

which the sovereign endowed with jurisdictionand the so-called hunting rights, started inthe 13th century. Almost every owner per-ormed ambitious reconstructions and thereore

the castle presents a textbook o architecturalstyles rom the early Middle Ages up to the 19thcentury.

In addition to the rare Egyptology collectionit is impossible to miss out rich collections o natural objects including a number o curiosi-ties and a vast library established at the endo the 16th century with more than 10 000volumes. The castle tower o 545 metres altitudeis an excellent lookout on the slightly undulatingriendly region o Moravian Slovakia.

VII–VIII daily, IV–VI and X Tuesday–Sunday

www.hrad-buchlov.czPolesí 418, 68768 Buchlovice



BuchloviceWhy visit:

The Baroque chateau was a git o Count Dětřicho Petřvald to his Italian wie o noble rank, so

that she would eel comortable in her newhome in Moravia. The designs were perormedin the style o the so-called villa rustica, structurein the open rustic landscape. It is the purestexample o Baroque villa in Central Europeplanted in the Baroque garden, the beauty o which captivated their contemporaries, as it doesor visitors today.

From history:

The chateau gained its international ame aroundthe year 1900 when Leopold Berchtold was itsowner and rom 1912 the Austro-Hungarianmonarchy oreign minister. The leading politi-cians o that time decided the ate o Europe in

this representative seat; talks about annexationo Bosnia and Hercegovina by the Austrianmonarchy, which was the main reason or start-ing the First World War, were held here.

Fancy interiors in the middle o greennessreect the elegant lie style o the Austrianmonarchy aristocracy at the turn o the 19th and

20th centuries. You will nd there both the col-lecting hobbies o owners, as well as their amilyhistory. The Baroque garden changed in the 19thcentury into a sentimental park with a connect-ing English park is a signicant monument o historic greenness in the Czech lands.

Children will be delighted with the wild

animals rescue centre and a small zoo onthe chateau’s premises.


www.zamek-buchlovice.czStátní zámek, 687 08 Buchlovice



Častolovice

Why visit:The original chateau at the oothills o the Or-lické Mountains was rebuilt several times bythe Sternbergs, who have been its owners rom

the end o the 17th century up to today, exceptor the German occupation and the socialistdisruption. They gathered extraordinary collec-tions o paintings with originals by outstanding

European painters, such as Karel Škréta, Lucasvan Valckenborg and J. H. Schoneld and a serieso portraits o Czech kings. The Tapestry Roomand the Smoking Lounge are decorated withthe most precious paintings.

From history:

The Sternbergs were ans and patrons o arts

and science. They had been building the picturegallery or 300 years. The leading representativeso the amily supported the revival eforts o the Czech nation in the 19th century, and theyalso took a signicant role in ounding the Na-tional Museum in Prague in 1818.

Twenty rooms urnished in various historic

styles document the change o the lie style inthe course o long centuries. I you raise yourhead to the original Renaissance cofered ceil-ing in the Knight’s Hall, the colourul theatre o biblical stories rom the Old Testament unroll inront o you.

I–XII Tuesday–Sunday and at publicholidays

The tour also includes the children’s roomwith the exhibition o toys rom the 19th century.In the chateau’s park the children can rolic inthe playground or visit a small menagerie.

www.zamek-castolovice.czMasarykova 1, Častolovice, 517 50



Červená LhotaWhy visit:

The unusual red colour distinguishes this pic-turesque “weekend” manor rom other similarRenaissance chateaux in Bohemia. The glamor-ous outline o the chateau on the island whichis mirrored in the water level is most impres-sive rom boating around the chateau’s pond.The airytale atmosphere o the place is otenused by lm crews.

From history:

The summer house rebuilt rom the Gothic ortin the 16th century was a place o amusement,celebrations and leisure. At the beginning o

the 17th century it obtained a new red brickroo and the original name o Nová Lhota (NewVillage) changed to the “Red”, and later the samecolour was acquired by the acade.

The social, private and guest rooms, reur-bished at the beginning o the 20th century, areurnished exclusively by authentic urniture andvaluable works o art.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV and X at week-ends

Recommendation: There is a boat rental service

with the same opening hours as the chateau.

www.zamek-cervenalhota.euČervená Lhota 1, 378 21 Kardašova Řečice



Český KrumlovWhy visit:

A vast and artistically exceptional, valuablechateau complex is the largest one in the CzechRepublic ater the Prague Castle. Its greatestera o ourishing was in the 16th centuryunder Vilém o Rožmberk, the humanistic intel-lectual and inuential politician in the court o the Emperor Rudol II, and even the candidateto the Polish throne. He changed its vast domain

into a protable rm with airylike income, andenchanted by the spirit o Renaissance Italy herebuilt the amily castle into the magnicentchateau residence. The artists, cheaters andcharlatans prospered at his court.

From history:

For three centuries the powerul Rožmberks had

inuenced the ate and architecture o their seat,the town below the castle and also o the wholeSouthern Bohemia, where they were almostabsolute rulers. Their wealth was blinding, but wasnot su cient or the Renaissance reconstructionsand their luxurious lie style. Debts and stagnationcame, the chateau changed owners several times.Only in the 18th century another creative person-ality, the Prince Joseph Adam o Schwarzenberg,brought the castle to another peak. Anothermonumental reconstruction o the premises anda rich social lie competed with lavishness o the Emperor’s residence in Vienna.



Two guided tours ofer the best romthe exceptionally large and complex labyrinth o richly urnished chateau interiors. The highlighto the tour is the amous Masquerade Hall, onthe walls o which the paintings, mirrors andoptical illusions start the rolicsome carnivalwhirl o Rococo dames, their cavaliers andservants. An extraordinary monument o worldimportance is the chateau’s Baroque theatrewith the complete period equipment. The mag-nicently decorated six-oor high Renaissance

tower provides an unrepeatable view o oneo the most beautiul European historic towns(UNESCO monument).

IV–X (Castle museum I–XII) Tuesday–Sunday

“Five- Petalled Rose Festival”(VI) – orthree days the town goes back to the times o Renaissance knights, august ladies, magiciansand beggars. Festival o Chamber Music (VI–VII),Festival o Classical Music (VII), Český KrumlovInternational Music Festival (VII–VIII), Festival o Baroque Arts (IX–X). Perormances on the revolv-ing stage in the chateau’s park (VI–IX).

www.zamek-ceskykrumlov.euZámek 59, 381 01 Český Krumlov



Český Šternberk Why visit:

A huge Gothic castle on a steep stony bank o

the Sázava river meander is one o the best pre-served ortied settlements in the Czech lands.Its original deence system o the 14th centuryhad not counted on the invention o rearms andit completely ailed in 1467 when the artilleryo the King Jiří o Poděbrady attacked it. Thispainul experience then resulted in a new andmore elaborated deence strategy in the castle’sreconstruction. The ortication built with steepramparts and a sticking out bastion ranks amongthe top monuments o the medieval ortica-tion art.

From history:

The castle or a total o eight centuries, almost

without interruption rom its oundation around1241, was in possession o the old aristocraticamily o Sternbergs, bearing an eight-pointedgolden star in the coat o arms. I you are lucky

you can meet the current owner, who underthe communist regime worked as a miner or

a theatre scene-shiter.

Collecting was always an interest o the amily. This is supported not only by exten-sive collections, o which the globally unique isthe one with 545 copperplate engravings depict-ing the history o the Thirty Years’ War, but alsoitems mentioning Kaspar von Sternberg, the co-ounder o the National Museum in Prague.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV, X at weekendsand holidays

In the summer there are demonstrations o

hawks training.

www.hradceskysternberk.cz257 27 Český Šternberk



ChebWhy visit:

J. W. Goethe, who liked to stay in Cheb and in

the neighbouring Mariánské Lázně, consideredthe strange castle tower rom black lava stonea work o old Romans. Though he was mistaken,the tower is the oldest structure o the historictown. The Emperor Fridrich I Barbarossa builtthe Romanesque alce type castle in the 12thcentury.

From history:

The occasional residence o sovereigns expe-rienced important diplomatic negotiationsand signicant political events o Europeansignicance. The last one was the plot and cratymurder o generals loyal to Albrecht von Wal-lenstein, the commander-in-chie o the Austrian

Emperor’s troops, in 1634. Since then the castlestarted to decay, nobody wanted to live atthe place o the barbarous crime.

Only old walls are the reminder o an opu-lent palace, intended or estive occasions underthe presence o the sovereign. However, well-preserved is the two-oor castle chapel, one o the most signicant Romanesque monuments o the Czech Republic.

IV–X Tuesday–Sunday

Recommendation: The municipal museum wasestablished in the medieval house at the mainCheb’s square where Albrecht von Wallenstein wasmurdered. An extensive exhibition is devoted to

the amous general.

www.muzeumcheb.cz/hradTrčky z Lípy 1, 350 02 Cheb



DěteniceWhy visit:

The Spanish queen Maria Cristina took such a ancyto the chateau in the romantic landscape atthe edge o Bohemian Paradise (Český ráj) duringher visits in the 19th century that she wanted tobuy it. The purchase did not materialize owing to

the inexibility o the Vienna court due to tenserelations between the Austrian and SpanishHabsburgs. At least the Spanish court receivedamous beer rom the chateau’s brewery.

From history:

Turbulent ates o the aristocracy in the Czechlands have been reected in the history o the chateau, which was conscated by orce

several times, sold many times and also lost atthe stock exchange. The Maltese Knights whoinherited the chateau by bequest rom BaronWessenberk, the signicant Austrian politicianwho shot himsel in 1873 because he had beencharged with treason, let a visible constructionimprint. In the period o real socialism the cha-teau served as a remand centre.

The tour includes classical, airytale andghostly tours through Baroque interiors withperiod urniture and ttings. The Order o Mal-tese Knights let behind its unique collection o

weapons dating the Thirty Years’ War, includingunique ship cannons rom the battle or the is-land Rhodos in the 16th century.

VII–VIII Monday–Sunday, V–VI and IXTuesday–Sunday, I–IV and X–XII at weekends

Each Saturday in the year there are ghostlytours, where devils, vampires, witches, ghostsand other monsters haunt the chateau chambers.The tours o the chateau with live airy tales andsinging and live music take place every Sundayrom June to September.

www.zamekdetenice.cz507 24 Dětenice



DobříšWhy visit:

The attractive and opulent milieu o the Rococostyle chateau surrounded by a rare garden withower ornaments, cut hedges and sculptures,

evokes the atmosphere o the Viennese Schön-brunn. That is also the reason why lm-makerso airy tales, concert organizers or participantsin private celebrations and weddings seek it somuch.

From history:

The magnicent Rococo style residence romthe 18th century ully resembling the period,taste and style o the French King Louis XVI,appealed so much to the Nazis during the SecondWorld War that they dispossessed the aristocraticowners o it. For the period o another 50 years itserved as “the House o writers” or recreationaland creative stays o pro-regime artists and other

prominent persons.

“The Writers’ room” reminds us aboutthe communist era when the interiorswere urnished with amily collections o the Colloredo-Mannselds; the old and the latest

owners; and admired by the public today, wereinaccessible to “ordinary mortals”.

I–XII daily

Exhibition o ghosts, children’s corner, zooin the chateau’s park, the summer night tours orthe earless people.

Recommendation: Expositions o the town museumare situated in part o the chateau. In addition tothe history and exhibits o local traditional gloves

production, there is a numerous collection o his-

toric motorcycles o the Czechoslovak make.

www.zamekdobris.cz263 01 Dobříš



DuchcovWhy visit:

I the aged Giacomo Casanova had not becomea librarian o the extensive library at the Duchcovchateau at the tail end o his stormy lie, it

is questionable, i he would have written hisamous autobiography, speaking about hisscandalous adventures on the royal courts and inthe ladies’ sleeping chambers. The hot-bloodedItalian spent 13 years in cold Bohemia and hedid not take to the country very much, althougheven here he experienced his last love afairs. Hedied in Duchcov and is buried there.

From history:

Artists with resounding names participated inthe construction o the imposing residence o powerul Wallensteins. Prestige o the culturalcentre o Northern Bohemia was gained also bystays o amous musicians and writers, such as

L. van Beethoven, F. Chopin, F. Schiller andJ. W. Goethe. Visits o the Prussian and AustrianEmperors and the Russian Tsar gave it a socialglitter. The ate o the chateau was tragically

marked in the 20th century: part o it ell sac-rice to intended coal mining and the splendidBaroque resco rom the hospital dome had tobe transerred to the newly built pavilion in

the chateau’s park.

In addition to the representative premisesand the Wallenstein amily gallery also the serv-ants’ rooms are accessible; obviously there isa museum eaturing the amous personG. Casanova.


www.zamek-duchcov.czNáměstí Republiky 9, 419 01 Duchcov



FrýdlantWhy visit:

The original castle, extended in the 16th cen-tury by the Renaissance chateau, was openedto public as early as in 1801. Thus it becamethe oldest castle museum in Central Europe, andeven now is part o the permanent exhibition.Concerning the architecture point o view it canserve as a live textbook o construction styles inthe history o arts.

From history:

The Duke Albrecht von Wallenstein, the European

politician and general, acquired abulous wealthin the Thirty Years’ War and its basis was the pro-itable Frýdlant estate, called Terra elix – Happyland. However, the chateau and its surrounding

were not spared the horrors o a long war whenthe Swedish garrison settled here ater Albrecht’smurder.

The new armoury holds one thousandweapons, rom which the oldest date to the 12thcentury and the newest the First World War.


www.zamek-frydlant.czZámecká 4001, 464 01 Frýdlant v Čechách



Hlubokánad VltavouWhy visit:

White brickwork, battlements, loopholes, towersand spires, oriels, pointed windows, partitioned

plan – all this recalls a romantic countrysideestate o English kings, Windsor Castle. All prem-ises o Hluboká and the landscape around werereconstructed just according to its model.

From history:

The originally sentry royal castle had severalsignicant owners. The Schwarzenberg amilylived here or a ull three hundred years up to

the Second World War when the chateau wasoccupied by Gestapo and the amily emigratedover the sea. The residence was alive mostly inthe autumn during the hunting period, whenthe leading European aristocracy came here.

Even the interiors were second to none

concerning the elegance and comort o the Eng-lish and Scottish manors o the 19th century.The necessary equipage included a privatechapel, a personal theatre and the library witharound 12 000 volumes. The chateau has ap-proximately 140 chambers, many o which houserich amily collections o Schwarzenbergs and areopen to public.

VII–VIII daily, I–VI and IX–XII Tuesday–Sunday

Recommendation: Important museum o art,the Gallery o Mikoláš Aleš, named ater the SouthBohemian painter, is situated in the ormer Neo-Gothic riding-school next to the chateau.The amous collection o Gothic art rom SouthBohemia and Šumava (The Bohemian Forest)is the highlight o the high quality collections.The estival o chamber music with a long tradition“Music Summer Hluboká” (VI–VIII) takes place

directly at the exhibition’s place.

www.zamek-hluboka.euBezručova 142, 373 41 Hluboká nad Vltavou



Horšovský TýnWhy visit:

A typical Renaissance chateau, which sincethe 16th century has not changed its appear-ance, is one o the most open monuments inthe Czech Republic. During the main seasonthere are ve visitors routes ofered to the publicwith the total time o over 5 hours!

From history:

Ater a big re o the medieval castle in the hal o the 16th century, a modern chateau was builtrom the damaged ruins. However, the propertyo the signicant Czech amily o Lobkowicz was

conscated due to their participation in the up-rising against the Habsburgs and it was sold ora little sum to the Stereyerian county amily o Trauttmansdorf or a period o 300 years.

Maxmilian Trauttmansdorf, the Emperor’sdiplomat, was the main organizer o peacetalks leading to the end o the Thirty Years’ War.The chateau library contains rare documentsrelating to this efort, including the richly deco-rated goose quill, by which the Count on behal o the Habsburg monarchy personally signedthe Peace o Westphalia in 1648.


www.horsovsky-tyn.czNáměstí Republiky 1, 346 01 Horšovský Týn



HořoviceWhy visit:The nationalized chateau was plundered im-mediately ater the end o the Second World Warby the Red Army, which temporarily stayed there.Then the devastated acility was used by anyoneuntil it had to be closed down due to its criticalcondition. In the last 25 years it has undergonean incredible transormation to its previousglamour. Beautiully urnished chambers againpresent the chateau’s history and the groundoor houses a unique exhibition o musicaldevices and music boxes.

From history:

The old Czechs had an original method o how

to tackle political disputes: they simply dumpedthe disliked o cer rom the windows o PragueCastle. Jaroslav Bořita o Martinice, the cruelroyal proconsul survived the deenestration

miraculously, however, the owner o the Hořovicechateau, Jan Litvín o Říčany, who personallydumped Bořita, ended very badly. He lost notonly Hořovice, which the amily Martinice gainedas a conscate, but also all other property. Thisevent oreshadowed the Thirty Years’ War.

Part o the chateau’s rooms houses the ex-tensive exhibition o the games and toys o littlearistocrats. There are also old theatre puppetsand panoramic theatrical stage sets.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV, X at weekends

www.zamek-horovice.czVrbnovská 22, 268 01 Hořovice



Hradec nadMoravicí Why visit:

“White chateau” went through a turbulent his-tory as a strategic point o Northern Moravia nearthe country border. Several times it was caughtin the centre o wartime, diplomatic and culturalevents concerning not only the Czech lands,but also Poland, Hungary or Prussia. Its current

appearance o an elegant classicist chateauoriginates in the 19th century and “Red chateau”,copying the medieval old German castle wasbuilt or the necessary household operation.

From history:

In addition to sovereigns, dignitaries o European

courts, political and social celebrities the chateau also

entertained many personages o the music world,such as L. van Beethoven, N. Paganini and F. Liszt.

The interiors o the comortably urnishedresidence house the exhibition o historiccarriages and hunting weapons. O interestis also the English park, smoothly continuinginto the open landscape with the view onthe Jeseníky Mountains.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV, X, XII at week-ends

The prestigious International Music Competi-

tion and Music Festival “Beethoven’s Hradec” (VI)

is hosted by the Big Lobby o the Red Chateau.

www.zamek-hradec.czMěstečko 2, 747 41 Hradec nad Moravicí



Hrádek u NechanicWhy visit:

Though the chateau is hidden in the orestpark it looks like an ancient English manor, itwas ounded only in the middle o the 19th

century and ranks among the youngest chateaustructures in the Czech Republic. Through thisstructure the Count František Arnošt o Har-rach ullled his romantic dream o revivingthe ancient glory o his aristocratic amily andremembering their knightly past. The inspirationwas drawn rom his trips around England.

From history:

The urnishing o the chateau was to evoke storieswith knights. The Count Harrach transporteda number o antiques rom abroad, mainly romItaly and Austria, he bought entire portals, ceilingsor complete urnishings o the rooms. His airydream vanished soon: in 1866 during the Prussia-

Austrian war a military hospital was established inthe chateau. Ater the Second World War the Har-rachs lost the chateau by conscation.

Armour at the entrance o the Knight’s

Hall, the historic urniture, rare paintings orgilded wallpapers rom cal leather on the wallso the Golden Hall, the largest and the mostbeautiul room o the chateau – by all o this KarlFischer, the Viennese architect, skilully createdan illusion o a medieval residence.

V–X Tuesday–Sunday, IV, XI and advent atweekends and holidays

Recommendation: Four weeks prior Christmas youmay absorb the estive atmosphere at the Advent concerts and in the estally prepared interiors.

www.hradekunechanic.czStátní zámek Hrádek u Nechanic,503 15 Nechanice



HukvaldyWhy visit:

On every step in Hukvaldy you will nd signs o the amous native, Leoš Janáček, the composer.His music legacy is connected with the monu-

mental castle ruin on a steep hill in the beautiulold game preserve with allow deer and mou-on. He liked to sit in one o the castle lookoutscomprising part o the castle’s old ortication,and derive inspiration or many o his works.In the orest below the castle his most amousopera Liška Bystrouška (The Cunning Little Vixen)has its monument.

From history:

One o the largest castles in the Czech Republicwas ounded in the 13th century. It was nevercaptured, only 500 years later it was completelyburned down. The romantic ruins have beena avourite place or trips since the 19th century.

A ree access to the partly rooed palace,the vault, the dungeon and the ormer prison is

possible rom the courtyard at the castle’s heart.Lack o water had always been the biggest prob-lem o the castle. The 150 metres well dug out inthe 16th century was allegedly more expensive

than the total construction o the castle.


Directly at the premises o the castle andin the surroundings, concerts o the prestigiousInternational Music Festival o “Janáček’sHukvaldy”(VI–VII) take place in the summer.

Recommendation: The Foundation o Leoš Janáček established a monument with exhibits on the com-

poser’s lie and works in the village Hukvaldy

below the castle.

www.janackovyhukvaldy.cz739 46 Hukvaldy



Jaroměřice nad RokytnouWhy visit:

Jan Adam o Questenberk, the much-travelled and

educated patron o arts, made a decision at the endo the 17th century to build a small Versailles romthe inherited residence. He then lled every cornero the monumental Baroque chateau surroundedby a French garden with music, which he alsoactively perormed. Only servants who could playa music instrument or could sing were hired.

From history:

The rst Czech opera entitled “The Foundation o the Town o Jaroměřice” was composed at the cha-teau and perormed in 1730 or the rst time.The opera was composed by Antonín Míča, the re-nowned Baroque composer and a court orchestramaster, who in the services o the count organized

ample music and theatre events at the chateau.

The Interiors o the chateau reectthe artistic disposition o its owner. The chateau

theatre, the music and dance halls, the libraryand the gallery comprise the necessary part o

representative rooms.


International Music Festival o Peter Dvor-ský (VIII).

Recommendation: You may taste quality Mora-vian wines rom the local wine restaurant inthe romantic garden or under the historic vaults o the chateau cellar.

www.zamek-jaromerice.czNáměstí Míru 1,675 51 Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou



Javorník – Jánský VrchWhy visit:The chateau on the rocky hill above the townclose to the border with Poland was the centre o erudition and culture in the most northern tip o Silesia or many years. It stands out or unusualtechnological peculiarities: a water main wasalready here at the turn o the 18th and the 19thcenturies and in 1906–1932 gas chandeliers andlamps were used in the interiors and in the maincourtyard.

From history:

For a period o 600 years the chateau and the exten-sive territory belonged to the bishops in the PolishWroclaw. The Wroclaw bishops and archbishops

gradually created a monumental Baroque chateaurom the medieval castle and used it as a summerresidence. In the honour o their patron, Johnthe Baptist, they renamed it to Jánský Vrch.

An interesting enrichment o the valuableinteriors tour is the largest displayed collectiono pipes and articles or smokers in the CzechRepublic. An individual tour route shows the cha-teau’s household background.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV–X at weekendsand holidays

www.janskyvrch.czStátní zámek, 790 70 Javorník



Jindřichův HradecWhy visit:

From the cradle o the Renaissance the Mediter-ranean lightness and grace were transerred tothe Southern Bohemia’s picturesquely undulat-

ing landscape with quiet orests and ponds bythe Italian masters. The old castle ort changed toa majestic chateau with palaces linked by shadyarcades. The vast complex o buildings, court-yards and the greenness create a harmonic unitwith the adjoining town listed as a monument.

From history:

The catastrophic re o 1773 destroyed the townand major part o the Renaissance interiors alongwith artistic collections. The premises, temporar-ily rooed and abandoned by the Lords, went ondecaying. The magnicent garden music pavilionwith ingenious acoustics, the pearl o the Renais-sance architecture, served as wood and game

storage rooms and as a cowshed. Only the 20thcentury ully appreciated the chateau’s signicanceand the reconstruction, which lasted or nearlytwenty years, returned its impressive beauty.

Under Adam II o Hradec the chateauunderwent a radical reconstruction accordingto the Italian models. The most beautiul palacewith outstanding Renaissance interiors bears hisname. The legendary White Lady, whose spectreas per the avourite legend appears in all estateso her ancestors, allegedly made sweet porridgeor the sers in the Black kitchen o the ormermedieval castle.


In the summer the chateau and the townhost the avourite estival “The Folk Rose” (VII).

www.zamek-jindrichuvhradec.euDobrovského 1/I, 377 01 Jindřichův Hradec



KačinaWhy visit:The snow-white beauty o the Empire chateau,built in the 19th century on an unusual groundplan in the shape o a bow, stands out againstthe background o another masterpiece – a natu-ral landscaped park.

From history:

The sublime chateau o the Chotek amily was inits time a prototype o a manor o a new genera-tion. It ully represented the rich and politicallyinuential amily and maniested clearly the goodtaste o its owners, whose sideline was culture,arts and nature. The theatre and the library closedby cupola like the Roman Pantheon have remained

the most beautiul premises o the chateau evenup to now.

In addition to chateau exhibitions the col-lections o the Museum o the Czech Countryside,such as 400 historic ploughs or 140 historictractors, have been placed in part o the interiorsand outside the premises.


Recommendation: The chateau cofee bar will prepare picnic baskets or ans o romance. Anywherein the park you may then have uninterrupted mo-

ments on a blanket with good ood and beverages.

www.kacina.czSvatý Mikuláš, 284 01 Kutná Hora



KámenWhy visit:Is it possible to live in a tower? The inhabitantso the castle Kámen had ull comort there:a storage room and armoury on the groundoor, living quarters and a representative hall onthe rst oor. Stone walls were thermally insu-lated by panelling, titled stoves were used orheating and the small arched windows provideda beautiul view o the land. O course there wasalso prevét – a medieval washroom.

From history:

The castle solid as the stone (rock-stone), onwhich it was built in the Middle Ages, wasan important strategic point or Hussite troops

under the religious wars in the 15th century. Atthe end the peace talks o disunited parties un-der the Czech non-catholic King Jiří o Poděbradywere held here.

The exhibition o the manor lie style atthe turn o the 19th and 20th centuries cor-responds well with the set o 46 motorcyclesand bicycles o Czech manuacture o the sameperiod.


www.hradkamen.czMuzeum Vysočiny, 394 13 Kámen 1



Karlova KorunaWhy visit:The individuality and genius o Jan Santini-Aichel, the Czech Baroque architect o Italianorigin who had drawn up the chateau plans, wascombined with the excellent gits o anothersignicant architect František Maxmilián Kaňka,who managed the construction works. The cha-teau with a unique ground-plan resemblinga royal crown was named Charles Crown (KarlovaKoruna) by the owner, the Count Kinsky, inhonour o the coronation o the Emperor CharlesVI, King o Bohemia, to commemorate his visitto the chateau.

From history:

The Kinsky amily were big experts on horsesand since the end o the 18th century they hadan excellent stud arm o their own breed onthe estate. The ounder o the breed, Oktavian

Kinsky, was active at the beginnings o the stee-plechase cross-country Velká pardubická, whichhas been up to now the most di cult andprestigious horse race in the Continental part o Europe. He loved his horses so much that it is saidthat the most avourite ones had to be broughtto his deathbed.

In the chateau tour the turbulent historyo the Kinsky amily is obviously associated withthe history o breeding o their horses.


www.kinskycastles.comPražská 1/IV, 503 51 Chlumec nad Cidlinou



KarlštejnWhy visit:

Charles IV, the Czech King and Roman Emperor,could not have picked a better place or sae-keeping the holy relics and the imperial corona-tion jewels. He let the royal treasures rest underthe gilded vault o the Chapel o the Holy Cross,covered with glass beads. The illusion o the star-

lit sky was awless. Tens o saints, as silentwitnesses, look down rom the panel paintingsby Master Theodoric, the top representative o medieval European painting.

From history:

Charles IV personally supervised the completiono the imperial residence and the interior decora-tions, and he also consulted his astronomers.

The current appearance ollowing a substantialreconstruction at the turn o the 19th and 20thcenturies difers signicantly rom the originalGothic castle and the architect Mocker wasblamed, that he repaired the structure too beau-tiully and perectly. This most amous Czechroyal castle, sheltered rom three sides by highorest hillside, has retained its magic up to today.

The premises o the Imperial Palace andthe Marian Tower will not leave any room ordoubts that you are in the residence o the great-est Czech sovereign. Some places, such as hisbedroom and study or his Chapel o St. Catherine,evoke a strange eeling that Charles IV remainspersonally present.

VII–VIII, 1. 1.–9. 1., 1. 11.–13. 11. and25. 12.–31. 12. daily, III–V and IX–X Tuesday–Sunday, other time at weekends

Every year a Royal procession in costumeswalks with coronation jewels rom Prague tothe Karlštejn castle. The historic event ends witha tournament or the Czech knight title (VI).

Recommendation: I you do not want to walk upthe steep hill to see the most visited Czech monu-ment, you can make use o a historic carriage and

pair rom the village below the castle.

www.hradkarlstejn.cz267 18 Karlštejn 172



Kašperk Why visit:

A sentry castle near the Bavaria border wasbuilt by the Czech King and the Roman EmperorCharles IV in order to protect the gold-bearingKašperské Hory and the newly built trade routeconnecting the Czech Kingdom with Bavaria. Asa proo o riendship he put it into the pledge o his loyal and wise Prague archbishop and the rstCzech cardinal, Jan Očko o Vlašim. The king alsoentrusted him with the education o his smallson, the uture sovereign, Václav IV.

From history:The huge ortication o the castle supportsthe view that the sovereign was serious aboutthe protection o this region and the Golden

Route or trading. The side towers were built,except or the alcoves, without any openings – incase it was bombarded by dangerous casting andhurling weapons.

The lookout rom the huge castle towerswill open views o the mysterious orest Šumava(The Bohemian Forest).

V–X Tuesday–Sunday, IV at weekends,December 28–January 1 daily

www.kasperk.czŽlíbek 55, 341 92 Kašperské Hory



Klášterec nad Ohří Why visit:

When at the end o the 18th century the chateaubailif Weber perormed experiments with kaolin

just discovered in the surrounding area, he couldnot have anticipated that the porcelain o Klášterecwould become amous in the whole world. His rstunskilled products were ar away rom the snow-white translucent porcelain rom distant Asia. Heovercame the ailures by persistent eforts andin 1794 he ounded a actory, which has been incontinuous operation until today under the nameo the chateau owners, the amily Thun.

From history:

The Thuns acquired the Renaissance chateau in1621 as a cheap conscate rom the previousowner, who participated in the Czech nobility’suprising against the Habsburg hegemony. How-

ever, the Thirty Years’ War caught up with themtoo: the Swedish army plundered and vandalizedthe chateau twice. A costly rebuilding had tocome, this time in the Baroque style.

An extensive exhibition dedicated to

the development o this Czech porcelain showshow the taste o the period was reected inthe design o porcelain products. A walk inthe park will be enhanced by the sculptures o Jose Brokof, perhaps by the sculptures o con-tinents. However, Australia is missing – in thosedays it had not been discovered.

IV–IX Monday–Sunday, X–III Tuesday–Saturday

Recommendation: You may buy porcelain productsin the chateau shop and get them painted with

motives according to your wish.

www.zamek-klasterec.czChomutovská 1, 431 51 Klášterec nad Ohří



KokořínWhy visit:

The castle, situated in a picturesque landscapeull o sandstone, small lakes and orgottenvillages is only 40 km rom Prague. When it waspurchased at the end o the 19th century byVáclav Špaček, the Prague businessman, it hadalready been only a deserted ruin or a long time.He reconstructed the castle very expensivelyunder the supervision o our leading historianso the time and opened it to the public. Hebuilt a recreational acility, a swimming pooland tennis courts below it, thus promotingthe Kokořín area to a avoured recreational andtourist destination.

From history:

Ater the Thirty Years’ War the Austrian EmperorFerdinand included the desolate medieval

residence in “the cursed castles”, which wereorbidden to be repaired. It became a reugeor marauding knights and ootpads, whothreatened the wider surroundings. The ruin was“discovered” by young patriots in the romantic19th century and many writers and painterssought their inspiration here.

There are beautiul views o the Kokořínnature reserve rom the castle terraces andthe huge cylindrical tower.


www.hrad-kokorin.cz277 23 Kokořín



KonopištěWhy visit:

Nothing was let unattended in the romanticrebuilding o the majestic seat o the utureAustrian Emperor Franz Ferdinand d’Este.The chateau was equipped with all periodamenities – ush toilets, a lit, central heatingand distribution o power rom its own hydro-electric power station. The Archduke livedcontentedly in his amily circle on the chateau

away rom the commotion o the surroundingworld. The idyll was ended by an assassinationin Sarajevo in 1914, where he died togetherwith his beloved wie.

From history:

A very unusual castle in the Czech context,built at the end o the 13th century ollowingthe model o French castle ortresses, and

protected by seven huge towers orming sepa-rate ortresses, it had ve gates and two draw-bridges. Even though it was considered one o the strongest chateaux in the Czech Kingdom,it was plundered by the Swedish army duringthe Thirty Years’ War.

Franz Ferdinand d’Este was a passionatehunter and ardent collector o works o art. Hecollected everything bearing the resemblance

o St. George – pipes, coins, weapons, swords,containers, standards, tombstones, sculptures,paintings. He wanted to outdo the English king,who had the same passion, and he wanted toshow of with his collection. The assassinationthwarted his plan.

IV–IX Tuesday–Sunday, X, XI at weekends

and holidays

The avoured children’s attraction –the bears – have a long tradition in the chateau.Allegedly they were kept here as early asthe 18th century.

www.zamek-konopiste.czKonopiště 1, 256 01 Benešov



KostWhy visit:

The Kost castle stands in an attractive land o

orests and sandstone, and by right it is calledthe Bohemian Paradise because o beauty.The castle stands on a low promontory aboveponds, the dikes o which were, in a case o danger, burst open changing it into a waterortress. In a period o danger o war the lordwith his amily sought reuge on the last oor o the solid White Tower.

From history:

In the period o religious wars in the 15th centurythe castle was a problem also or the invincibleJan Žižka, the Hussite’s general. It is said thathe had not seized the castle because its wallswere as hard as a bone (in Czech kost), and hedisappointedly pulled out. The truth is slightly

diferent: this castle o his catholic enemies wassimply overlooked by his troops – it does notstand as other medieval seats on an elevated hill,but in the valley.

The exposition introduces the Kinsky amilyin the Czech lands, today’s owners o the wellkept castle. The medieval torture chamber withvisual demonstration o the method o “inter-rogations”, which orced an accused person toconess, is accessible in the cellar.

VII, VIII Monday–Sunday, IV–VI, IX, XTuesday–Sunday

During the visit children may draw the castle

and hand the picture in at the booking o ce. I

the owner likes it, he will reward the child with

a diploma. The picture will be exhibited at the place

o honour in the castle and on the website.

Recommendation: A 10 km long route goes romthe settlement around the castle through the pic-turesque Plakánek valley up to the Humprecht

castle near Sobotka.

www.kinskycastles.comPodkost 1–8, 507 45 Mladějov v Čechách



Krásný DvůrWhy visit:The rst and probably the largest English parkin the Czech lands was established at the endo the 18th century near the Baroque chateau.The Count Černín (Czernin) was a keen botanistand he travelled a lot. In Western Europe hewas ascinated by the new method o bring-ing the countryside up to the buildings. Parto the concept was also a number o romanticpavilions imitating the French Versailles inalmost all details.

From history:

The history o the estate is associated withthe history o the Černín amily, who owned

the chateau up to the Second World War, whenthe Third Reich Nazi elite picked it out as a rec-reation resort. It has been in the ownership o the Czech Republic since 1945.

The magic o 18 opened up chateauchambers are in competition with the visit tothe unique naturally landscaped park. Manybeautiul moments were spent here also byJ. W. Goethe, who had established a temporarystudy in one o the pavilions.


Late summer concerts in Krásný Dvůr (IX).Park trips in a horse-drawn carriage (VI-VIII).

www.krasny-dvur.czZámek č. 1, 439 72 Krásný Dvůr



KratochvíleWhy visit:

Vilém o Rožmberk, abundant in ortune andgood taste, had a charming water summerresidence or moments o enjoyment and relaxa-tion built or the amusement o himsel and thato his riends in Bohemia by Italian builders.(Pastime means in Czech “kratochvíle”.) Therewas possibly no important celebrity in the CzechKingdom, including the Emperor Rudol II, who

would not have visited the Renaissance treasure.

From history:

Jakub Krčín, the manager o the Rožemberksproperty, acquired the small redoubt andthe land near Netolice as a git or good servicesin 1569. Through his admirable managerial skillsand his severity with the sers, he signicantly

increased the economy o the South Bohemianestate, apart rom other things, by oundingprotable ponds and managing to ully provideor the costly lie style o his ruler. He also de-veloped the donated manor in such a way thatVilém o Rožmberk recognized that the place wasideal or leisure time o the Renaissance eudallord, and reacquired it at great expense back orthe construction o his villa.

The colourul world o mural paintings withhunting and religious motives and the gildedstucco glittered in ull beauty ollowing the de-manding reconstructions. The management o this state chateau has been returning graduallythe original urniture to all chambers accordingto the period style.

V–VIII Tuesday–Sunday, IV, X at weekendsand holidays

The chateau premises regularly hostthe Theatre summer (VII)

www.zamek-kratochvile.euStátní zámek Kratochvíle, 384 11 Netolice



KroměřížWhy visit:

The historical gardens, mainly the Flower garden,

are the chateau’s pride. Its globally uniqueconcept o linking the world o plants and waterwith arts and architecture, and its unalteredhistoric appearance, brought it onto the UNESCOWorld Heritage List.

From history:

Since the Middle Ages Kroměříž has been a sum-mer residence o the Olomouc bishops andreected their power and wealth. In the Baroqueperiod the town was talked about as “The Mora-vian Athens”. The newly built majestic structureswere equipped with no less grand collections o urniture, glass, porcelain, books and paintings.The permanent orchestra outdid by its number

and repertoire the orchestras o the AustrianEmperor or the French King.

The opulent palace houses apart romother things the European amous collection o

Central European paintings o the 15th–18thcenturies with original works by Titian, van Dyck,Cranacha senior and Dürer. From the 84 metreshigh chateau tower there is a view on the historicheart o Kroměříž and its surroundings.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV, X at weekendsonly

Recommendation: Do not miss a visit to the me-dieval vaults o Archbishops’ wine cellars. Tastethe sacramental wines, which are attended to and

decanted with love.

www.zamek-kromeriz.czSněmovní náměstí 1, 767 01 Kroměříž



KřivoklátWhy visit:

Among the orest hills the high circular tower

o the ancient castle with extensive orticationstands out white. Many Czech sovereigns a-voured the castle because o its excellent settingin the middle o orests ull o game. The castlehalls experienced a lot o un, easts and drinkingbouts, but also many serious political discussionsand ateul diplomatic talks.

From history:

The royal seat was built in the 13th cen-tury as a support base or the ruling amily o Přemyslids. Later on it also served as a stateprison. For example Edward Kelly, the courtalchemist o the Emperor Rudol II, was im-prisoned here or three years or the murder o

the Emperor’s o cial in a prohibited duel.

The castle, damaged by many res, un-derwent several reconstructions, which endedonly in the 20th century. The only chamber withits original urnishing is the Gothic chapel withthe richly carved altar. However, the imprints o the Czech kings and the splendour o their liestyle are visible at every step. The preservation-ists, who successully seek or return into the in-teriors the once taken away historic collections,have their share there.

IV–X Tuesday–Sunday, I–III Monday–Satur-day, XI, XII at weekends and holidays

www.krivoklat.czKřivoklát 47, 270 23 Křivoklát



KuksWhy visit:

One o the most ascinating sets o Baroquesculptures adorn the terraces in ront o the hugestone church and extensive monastery onthe bank above the river Elbe. The allegorieso Virtue and Vice, and other collections o sandstone sculptures were created by “the CzechMichelangelo” – Matthias Bernard Braun duringan incredibly short period o time on the order o

the Count Sporck. A contrast to the humble worko Merciul Brethrens in the monastic hospital orthe poor was the opulent world o luxury, balls,theatres, hunting and other amusements inthe majestic spa residence on the opposite hill.

From history:

The ounder o the grounds in Kuks and other excel-

lent buildings, libraries and picture galleries, Franz

Anton, the Count o Sporck, was a big and contradic-

tory personality o the Czech Baroque and sufered

or the whole o his lie rom a complex relating to

the low social background o his ather. Thereore

even more he wanted to showcase the grounds on

both sides o the river Elbe as a grandiose social

centre o the aristocratic cream o society providinghis guests with all manner o attractions and com-

ort. A number o buildings, including the chateau,

irrecoverably disappeared in the course o the time.

In addition to the ree tour o the place withthe outside gallery o sculptures, it is possiblealso to visit the monastic church and its vaultwith the tomb o the Count Sporck, the interiorso the Baroque hospital with dispensary andthe unique exposition o the Czech PharmacyMuseum.

VII–VIII daily, V, VI and IX Tuesday–Sunday,IV, X at weekends and holidays

“The Music Summer in Kuks”– the estival o

classical music in the Holy Trinity Church (VI–VIII).

Recommendation: M. B. Braun, the brilliant master

o the Baroque sculpture, is also the maker o

the unusual set o sculptures and relies in the orest

3 km westward rom Kuks. He carved Biblical scenes

directly into the rocks, so they would look like

the work o nature. The Braun’s Bethlehem is reely

accessible on oot by tourist marked paths.

www.hospital-kuks.czHospital Kuks, 544 43 Kuks



Kunětická horaWhy visit:

A ruin o the Gothic castle on the highly visiblehill stands out above the horizon in the ertileplain o the Elbe valley in Eastern Bohemia.It used to be higher, but during the centuriesthe stone was extracted and used, or example,or constructions in the nearby town Pardubice.

At the end the quarry slumped and took with italso part o the castle’s area. In the 20th centurythe Museums’ Association in Pardubice providedor an extensive reconstruction according tothe project o the excellent architect DušanJurkovič.

From history:

The castle became very amous under the reli-gious wars in the 15th century. It was occupiedby Diviš Bořek, the recognized Hussite com-mander, and with the assistance o local inhabit-ants he built an ingenious system o orticationin a period o two years.

The exposition o archaeological discoveriesincludes amongst the most interesting itemsplaying dice, more than 500 years old. And whatwould a castle be without an exhibition o me-dieval torture instruments? However what youwould not nd anywhere else is the executioner’s

price list rom which it is evident that the execu-tioner received a sizeable amount o money orpractising his proession.

V–VIII Tuesday–Sunday, IV, IX, X at week-ends and holidays

The children may experience shooting roma bow and crossbows in the castle’s shootingarchery.

www.hrad-kunetickahora.cz533 52 Staré Hradiště



KunínWhy visit:

One o the most valuable Baroque chateaux inNorth Moravia and Silesia, it experienced itsgreatest heyday at the turn o the 18th and 19thcenturies under the Maria Walburga o Harrach.The beautiul and intelligent Countess sufereda tragic ate: three children died here and herhusband let her and took away her last son. Inspite o that or because o it that is the reasonwhy she made hundreds o children happy romvarious social strata and religion. She built andco-unded a tuition and educational institute,one o most modern ones in Europe at that time.

From history:

The ormer Enlightenment centre o education

and culture was plundered by the Soviet Armyat the end o the Second World War. The soldierswere riding on horses in the chateau’s interiors;they used the urniture and the books or

heating and enjoyed themselves by cutting up

the precious paintings. The socialist era nishedthe work o devastation. In 1999 the dilapidatedchateau became the property o the villageKunín, which saved the Baroque pearl.

In addition to the tour o the chateau’s

school classrooms and their urnishings, o inter-est is the attic with a unique Baroque system o chimneys.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV–X at weekendsand holidays

www.zamek.kunin.czZámek Kunín 1, 742 53 Kunín



KynžvartWhy visit:

Kynžvart chateau with its unique collectionsranks among the most signicant Europeanhistoric monuments. It was reopened atera quarter o the century in 2000 and the preciousmanuscripts rom the library o the ChancellorMetternich are being gradually digitised.

From history:

Even though the Austrian State Chancellordisliked and dreaded in the Czech lands, livedmost o his lie in Vienna, he devoted afectionateattention to his chateau in the spa area o West-ern Bohemia. He even borrowed a staggeringsum o 900 thousand guldens rom Rothschild,the banker, or the demanding reconstruction o

the devastated residence. The loan was a rewardto both parties: the duke built a luxurious resi-dence corresponding to his position and bought jewels, coins and art collections and the Roths-

childs were honoured with an aristocratic title or

their services.

A passionate collector Metternich accumu-lated an unrivalled chamber o curiosities whichranks among the oldest publicly open museumsin Europe. It includes also hundreds o itemswith a relationship to historic personalities – orexample an amulet o Lord Byron, a prayer booko Marie Antoinette, the desk and the arm chairo Alexandre Dumas senior, and a cigarette, notully smoked, rom the Emperor Napoleon III.


www.zamek-kynzvart.euZámek Kynžvart, 354 91 Lázně Kynžvart



LandštejnWhy visit:

A huge royal castle in the unspoiled nature o the most Southern edge o Bohemia, called orits harsh climate “Czech Canada”, ranks amongthe most signicant Romanesque historic monu-ments in Central Europe. It was built in the 13thcentury or the protection o an important traderoute and the border between the Czech landsand Austria. Even though only a monumentalruin has remained, it still commands respectwith its plain architecture meeting deensivepurposes.

From history:

The land route brought big wealth to the Lordso the castle. Its trail was a source o permanent

conicts with equally powerul neighbours,the Lords o Hradec. The conict led to a regularwar and at the end to a personal duel o implac-able opponents, in which Vilém o Landštejn

was mortally wounded. The route was diverted

in a diferent direction and the castle lost itssignicance.

Thanks to extensive archaeological researchand exhibitions it is possible to get a picture o the luxurious lie o inhabitants o the castle inthe 13th and 14th centuries. They belonged tothe then social elite and led an expensive liemade more pleasant by luxurious utility items,arteacts and amenities o that time.


www.hrad-landstejn.euStátní hrad Landštejn, 378 81 Slavonice



LedniceWhy visit:

The chateau, French garden with unique green-house and an extensive park passing into a ree

open landscape extending to the Valtice chateaubelongs to the most signicant maniestation o high European Romanticism.

From history:

The huge lands on both sides o today’sMoravian-Austrian border had been acquired anddeveloped by generations o the Liechtensteinsamily rom the early Middle Ages. In the 19thcentury Prince Alois II decided that the chateau inLednice was better suited or summer meetings,estivities and the balls o European aristocracythan heated Vienna and he rebuilt it opulently inthe spirit o English new Gothic.

Four sightseeing tours show a picture o the extent o the social and private lives o the ar-

istocracy in the course o centuries. The beautiul

park called “the Garden o Europe” is unique with

many rare woods, ponds with nesting water-

owls, and a number o interesting small struc-

tures, such as the 60 metres high Turkish minaret,

the lookout tower called the Temple o the God o Sun Apollo, or an articial ruin called the John’s

castle, the owners wanting to make the appar-

ently unattractive land more unique.


Authentically urnished rooms o princesand princesses o Liechtenstein with originalurniture and historic toys were opened atthe second oor o the chateau in 2011. Thereis also the largest private collection o historicmarionettes in the Czech Republic.

www.zamek-lednice.comZámek 1, 691 44 Lednice



Lipnice nad SázavouWhy visit:

Seven centuries o Czech history have been

inscribed into the wall o one o the most gi-gantic Czech aristocratic castles. Since the 14thcentury it resisted invasions on its rocky bumpbetween two hills and it guarded as a sentrythe surrounding silver mines and merchantroutes which interlaced the area o the riverSázava at the boundary o the Czech Kingdomand the Margraviate o Moravia.

From history:

In 1869 the castle and the Lipnice town below itburned down. The re was viewed with horrorby the whole region. The burned ruin remainedabandoned or hal a century. Ater the FirstWorld War, the Club o Czechoslovak Tourists

bought it or 100 Czech Crowns and gradualreconstruction has been continuing up to now.

A ree tour o the monumental and raggedarchitecture with unique views o the surround-

ings is supplemented by the maze o extensivecastle cellars.

VI–VIII Tuesday–Sunday, IV, IX and X atweekends and holidays

Recommendation: Lipnice is inseparably connected with the name o Jaroslav Hašek, who in the house(Today’s Museum) below the castle and in the innU České koruny (At the Czech Crown) wrote the major

part o his world-amous work “The Fortunes o the Good Soldier Švejk”. The writer is also buried here.Every summer the natural amphitheatre hosts a Festi-

val o humour and satire called Haškova Lipnice (VII).

www.hrad-lipnice.euStátní hrad, 582 32 Lipnice nad Sázavou



LitomyšlWhy visit:

A chateau with arcades rom the 16th century

ranks among the most signicant Renaissancemonuments to the North o the Alps. You maystand in ront o the sgra to decoration o itsacade and swallow tailed gables or a long timeand seek two equal pictures among hundredso “love letters” carved in the stucco – you willnot nd any.

From history:The French garden, English park and other barnsand buildings, including a brewery, were part o the chateau. In 1824 there was a big celebration,the beer owed reely. The brewer was veryhappy, because the 11th child was a boy. He gotthe name Bedřich Smetana and he grew intoa amous composer.

Two classical tours covering the representa-

tive halls, including the Baroque theatre andthe apartments o aristocrats, are supplementedby the possibility o looking around rom the 55metres high tower or exploring the cellars.The acoustically perect courtyard with a uniqueextensible roo is lled with stylish musicreminding us that every year a amous music es-

tival accompanied by a number o good exhibi-tions and other events takes place in the chateauand in the whole picturesque town.

VI–IX Tuesday–Sunday, V and X at week-ends and holidays

International Opera Festival “Smetana’sLitomyšl” (VI–VII).

www.zamek-litomysl.cz Jiráskova 93, 570 01 Litomyšl



LoketWhy visit:

The Czech name o the royal castle Loket (i.e. El-

bow) and the town o the same name surround-ing it, developed in the Middle Ages rom a placewhere the river Ohře creates a lovely meanderin the shape o a human elbow. The legendarysovereign Charles IV preerably stayed here andhe alternated his state duties with hunting inhis game preserves. According to a legend hisentourage discovered, during a hunt, a springwith thermal water which healed the King’s sickleg. Above this wonder spring, he then oundedthe town Teplé lázně near Loket, today’s KarlovyVary.

From history:

Charles IV liked Loket very much even though

his royal ather imprisoned him here or severalmonths in his childhood. As a three years’ oldboy he was separated rom his mother, who henever saw again. In the course o history noble

prisoners were kept here many times, but romthe 18th century up to 1949 the castle served

only as an ordinary regional prison.

The most impressive part o the tourcomprises premises where the practices o torture were executed. The cells o the ormerour-oor prison have moving lie-sized dum-mies, on which various methods o torture arebeing perormed, accompanied by heartbreakingbackground sounds.

I–XII daily

Middle Age Festivities (VIII)

www.hradloket.czZámecká 67, 357 33 Loket



ManětínWhy visit:

A discreet town, harmonized with the chateauinto a unique whole called “The Baroque Pearl o Western Bohemia”. Following a great re at the be-ginning o the 18th century the Count Lažanskýinvited leading artists o the Czech High Baroqueto perorm an entire reconstruction o his seat.

From history:

Manětín owes or its unmistakable atmosphereto sculptures scattered around the whole townand lining the main road leading to Pilsen.The stone gures o saints, telamones, allegorieso elements or human characteristics look down

rom their pedestals in the chateau, in the cem-etery, inside the ountains, and rom the terracesin ront o the chateau’s windows. The traditionwas established at the end o the 18th century,

when the aristocracy sent the local stonemasonto serve his apprenticeship with the amous JanBrokof’s Prague workshop.

The tour represents lie in the chateauunder the Lažanský amily, in particular underMarie Gabriela, who married into the amily, andhad a special set o 13 paintings portraying herservants painted.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV and X at week-ends

www.zamek-manetin.czZámek 1, 331 62 Manětín



Mělník Why visit:

A visit to a chateau with a magnicent viewo the conuence o the Elbe and Vltava riversbelow the traditional vineyards with the sacredhill Říp on the horizon is like a trip to the roots o

Czech history. Two legendary Slavonic amilies o Pšovans and Czechs (Čechové) were joined hereinto one through a marriage. The Princess Ludmi-la, the rst Czech saint, with her husband Bořivojbrought the Christian religion to the Czech landsthen and ounded the Přemyslids ruling dynasty.

From history:

Since the early Middle Ages the castle was occu-pied by widows o Czech kings and dukes. Underthe rule o the Emperor Charles IV the townbecame a dowry property o Czech queens. Laterthe chateau was owned by various aristocraticamilies, and since the 18th century, by one o the oldest still living Czech aristocratic amilies –

the Lobkowicz.

The centre o the open representative andliving chambers o the Early Baroque chateau isthe Great Hall with its unique collection o mapso all big European towns o the 17th centuryincluding their vedutas. They serve to show

the excellent work o cartographers and graphicartists and printers o that time.

I–XII daily

The beginnings o viticulture in the Czechlands all into the 10th century when the Prin-cess Ludmila ounded a rst vineyard inthe Mělník region. The current owner restoredthe original production o wine in historic cellarsand ofers a wide selection o chateau wines –the most amous one is “Ludmila” in its typicalbottle, the shape o which comes rom the timeo the great medieval sovereign Charles IV.

www.lobkowicz-melnik.czSvatováclavská 19/16, 276 01 Mělník



MikulovWhy visit:

Mikulov town is situated in the very centre o the wine-growing region o South Moravia inthe magnicent nature reserve Pálava. In additionto stops at local and amily wine cellars or tast-ing o wines in wine bars and wine restaurants,the visit also includes the historic chateau cellarwith expositions o traditional viticulture. The hugerichly decorated Renaissance wine cask with a vol-ume o 101 400 litres and weight o 26.1 tonnes isthe largest one in the Czech Republic.

From history:

Fires became atal or the highly visible Baroquechateau up above the town. It burned to the groundor the last time a ew days beore the end o

the Second World War when the German Army wasretreating. Thanks to the initiative o local inhabit-ants the chateau was soon sensitively restored andadjusted or the needs o the Regional Museum.

The Museum expositions represent, inaddition to the local viticulture, the history o the chateau and the aristocratic amily o Di-etrichsteins, archaeology and attractive seasonalexhibitions.


Since 1994 the chateau’s “Workshop” hasbeen gradually establishing one o the highestquality collections o contemporary sculpture inthe Czech Republic as a result o annual summerart symposiums.

www.rmm.czZámek 1, 692 15 Mikulov



MiloticeWhy visit:

This Pearl on the string o Moravian Baroquechateaux is situated in the middle o ertile vine-yards and wine cellars in the Slovácko (MoravianSlovakia) region, on the Moravian wine path.The chateau acquired its appearance comprisingthe French Baroque garden, pheasantry, oranger-ies, a riding hall and a stable, in the 18th centuryunder the amily o Serény, ater the old manorwas twice ravaged by oreign raiders.

From history:

Serényi, by origin a Hungarian count, spent mosto his time at the Emperor’s court in Vienna; how-ever, he oten invited selected Viennese societyto his Milotice estate, mainly to boast about his

unique collection o thoroughbred horses, stalledin the luxurious environment o the chateaustables. Portraits o the 32 most precious stal-lions are exhibited at the chateau.

The tour shows the stylish interiors, whichwere installed exactly in accordance withthe period photographs and with still livingeyewitnesses, presents the lie o the last ownerso the chateau, the German amily o SeilernAspang.


Sales gallery o wines and a wine restau-rant.

www.zamekmilotice.czZámecká 1, 696 05 Milotice



Mnichovo HradištěWhy visit:

The amily o Wallensteins ound a perectlyluxurious manor at the western promontory o the magnicent land o the Bohemian Paradise,exactly in accordance with the amily slogan “In

deance o envy!” (Invita invidia!)

From history:

Václav Budovec, the ounder o the chateauand a signicant Protestant politician, a writerand a patriot, was executed in 1621 as one o the main leaders o the Czech revolt againstthe Emperor. His conscated chateau andthe whole estate were acquired by Albrecht vonWallenstein, the Emperor’s general, as anotherpart o his huge and expanding property. Aterseveral years his lie was also prematurely ended– he was done away with by assassins in orderto prevent his plans o crowning his starry careerwith a coronation to become Czech king. His

body ollowing many transers, 150 years aterhis death, was laid to rest in the St. Anna Chapel,close to the chateau.

Several tours o the Baroque chateau and itsrich interiors return the visitor to the aristocraticlie o the 18th century. At that time also 22thousand volumes were brought rom the libraryin Duchcov, another chateau o the powerul

Wallensteins, where the library had been man-aged by the exiled Giacomo Casanova, the agedseducer and diplomat–schemer, until his death.


Saturday’s extraordinary tours o the back-

stage and historic stage equipment o the cha-teau theatre rom the 18th century (V–IX).

Sunday’s children’s tours with a guide inperiod costume and with the airy tale o be-witched knights (VII–VIII).

www.mnichovo-hradiste.czStátní zámek, 295 01 Mnichovo Hradiště



NáchodWhy visit:

When in 1634 Ottavio Piccolomini, the Italiangeneral, acquired the chateau and the extensiveestate as a git rom the Emperor or help withdispatching Albrecht von Wallenstein, he wasonly 35 years old. However, he already had

a more than rich experience rom the ThirtyYears’ War, so it was not a wonder that his rststeps in his new residence led to modernizationo the ortication. Under the 150 years reign o the Piccolomini amily in the Baroque and Rococoperiods, the chateau basically received its currentappearance.

From history:

Albrecht von Wallenstein came, by the mother’sline, rom the Smiřický amily, the long-timeowners o the Náchod estate. In the 17th cen-tury they owned the most extensive lands inthe Czech Kingdom, including tens o castles andtowns. However, the property was conscated

by the Emperor rom the last heiress, who tooksides with the Czech nobility’s revolt in 1620.Shortly ater, the chateau was conscated bythe Emperor also rom Adam Erdman Trčka, who,

as a brother in law and trustee o Albrecht, wasmurdered together with him, in 1634 in Chebduring the liquidation o the so called Wallen-stein’s conspiracy.

The chateau ofers six diferent tours o

the beautiully urnished interiors o the chateau.The newest one is the exposition o a unique col-lection o orders and decorations, mainly jewelson big ribbons and order stars rom the oldchateau’s sae.


Those who would not like to see the bearsDáša and Ludvík in the chateau’s moat may peepinto the children’s room with historic toys romthe 19th century and the rst hal o the 20th inthe Piccolominsk’s exposition.

www.zamek-nachod.czZámek 1282, Náchod 547 01



Náměšť na HanéWhy visit:A beautiul carriage o the Olomouc archbishopappeared in the lm o Miloš Forman “Amadeus”,but also other carriages rom the local historiccollection are extraordinary; mainly the threeunique richly gilded carriages used or ceremo-nial occasions. The velvet and gold embroideredseats are lled with eiderdown and the curtainsare sewn rom rare brocade. The length o the carriage with six thoroughbred horses wasup to 15 metres, and the biggest carriage is morethan 3.5 metres high and weighs over 2 tonnes.

From history:

František Ottáhal, the iron merchant, bought

the estate with a French style chateau, to whichavenues o centuries-old lime trees are con-verged rom our sides, rom the Count Kinsky,the last aristocratic owner, in 1916. He paid 2.3

million Austrian Crowns or it and invested otherbig sums into the modernization o his residence,which should reect his property upturn.The amily lost its property a ew weeks aterthe end o the Second World War. It was one o the rst conscations in Czechoslovakia accord-ing to the Decree o president Beneš on seizingthe property o Germans.

The exhibition o more than 50 historicchildren’s prams is also part o one o the tours.


www.zamek.namestnahane.czHrad 1, 783 44 Náměšť na Hané



Náměšť nad

OslavouWhy visit:

The chateau was amous at the end o the 18thcentury as an important centre o musical liein Central Europe. The chateau’s numerousorchestral players included teachers and olk

musicians rom the neighbourhood, but mainlythe servants o the Haugwitz amily – thosewho did not play well on an instrument weredismissed. The repertoire and the artistic quality

were excellent, concerts were held even threetimes a week. Famous composers and perormerswere guests at the chateau. Musical traditionstill continues.

From history:

In the 16th century the Žerotíns amily playedan important role in rebuilding the inconvenientcastle into an extensive Renaissance chateau.The elite o the Moravian aristocracy met herein order to enjoy themselves and plot theirpolitical and amily plans. At that time Moravia

was a country o welare, religious reedom andtolerance, thus the biggest in Europe. The Protes-tant Unity o Brethren had a printing house here,which was transerred to the nearby town Kralicein 1578. There one o the most valuable workso the Czech literature o that time originated –“The Kralice Bible”.

The amous collection o 24 large historictapestries rom the Renaissance up to the 19thcentury stands out among the exhibits o the tour route.


Summer international multigenre cul-tural estival “Folk holidays” (VII), concerts inthe chateau.

www.zamek-namest.czZámek 1, 675 71 Náměšť nad Oslavou



NelahozevesWhy visit:

The chateau houses a signicant part o the col-lections o the Lobkowicz amily, which rankamong the oldest, the most extensive andthe most well-preserved private arts and archi-tecture collections in the Czech Republic. Anotherpart o the collection can be seen in the LobkowiczPalace in the Prague Castle.

From history:

Originally a ortress and later a Renaissancechateau built in an Italian style by Italian artistsit changed owners constantly and no one stayedthere or a long time. Since the 17th centurythe opulent residence served only as o ces andwarehouses and gradually started to decay.

A new active chapter started to be written onlyat the end o the last century, when the chateauwas returned, as restitution, to the amily o Lobkowicz and opened to the public.

The view into the aristocratic interiors o

the Lobkowicz amily illustrates how an old andinuential noble amily lived in one o theireminent chateaux in the countryside. Huntingwas the essential entertainment o the autumnmonths, which is shown by trophies o the chase,a collection o rearms and stag horn urniture.

IV–X daily

Recommendation: The great Czech composer Antonín Dvořák was born in Nelahozeves. There isa museum in his parental house and the chateauhosts a cycle o concerts o classical, jazz and alter-

native music rom spring till autumn.

www.lobkowiczevents.czZámek Lobkowiczů, 277 51 Nelahozeves



Nové Městonad Metují

Why visit:At the beginning o the 20th century J. Bartoň,the rich owner o a textile actory, picked outthe devastated Baroque chateau as a utureamily residence. Excellent architects o thattime, Dušan Jurkovič and Pavel Janák, rebuilt itinto a modern residence equipped with technicalamenities, such as a water main, central heat-

ing, electric power, telephone, and dining andpersonal lits.

From history:

In the 17th century the whole chateau andthe estate came into possession o Walter o Leslie, a Scottish constable, who was promotedto the position o eld marshal and imperial

Count. It was a reward or his share in the murdero Albrecht von Wallenstein and other Czecharistocrats accused o a plot against the Emperor.

Modernised historic interiors or the rep-resentation and privacy o the industrial amilywere boldly decorated in the Art Nouveau, ArtDeco, Cubism and Functionalism styles by promi-nent Czech artists.

V and VI, IX Tuesday–Sunday, VII and VIIIdaily, IV, X at weekends and holidays

www.zameknm.czHusovo náměstí 1201549 01 Nové Město nad Metují



OlomoucWhy visit:

The signicance o the Přemyslid castle in Olo-mouc or Czech history is comparable only withPrague Castle. The ragment o the Bishop’s Pal-ace rom the 12th century with beautiul stonewindows is considered to be one o the mostsignicant European monuments o residentialRomanesque architecture. Contrast is given bythe hypermodern reconstruction o the premisesinto an attractive museum o arts, which broughtmany prestigious awards to its young architects.

From history:

In 1063 the rst Czech King Vratislav II oundedthe bishopric in Olomouc, which then was baseddirectly in his castle. In 1306 one o the oldest

Czech detective stories took place in these wallsnot resolved up to this time: the murder o the sixteen years’ old King Václav III, who restedhere prior to his crusade to Poland, was never

reliably claried. This meant a denitive end o

the single Czech ruling dynasty o Přemyslids.Thirty o its representatives were in power ormore than 400 years. The castle was then let tothe clergy.

The permanent exposition o the Archdioc-esan museum shows gems o art rom the 12th–18th centuries, one o the highest quality CentralEuropean collections o the old art o paintingand the vault treasures o Olomouc archbishops.As ar as the number o collection items and or-ganization o excellent exhibitions are concerned,the museum is the most signicant Czech artinstitution ater the National Gallery in Prague.

V–X Tuesday–Sunday

www.olmuart.czVáclavské náměstí 3, 771 11 Olomouc



OpočnoWhy visit:

At rst it looked as i Jan Rudol Trčka o Lípa wasvery lucky. He inherited an opulent Renaissanceamily chateau, a protable estate and married

Marie Magdalena o Lobkowicz, a woman notonly beautiul and intelligent, but also active andbusinesslike. Maybe even too active. The serscalled her “Bad Manda” due to her selshness,greed and inhuman treatment. Mainly aterthe year 1620, when the Czech nobility’s revoltagainst the Emperor had been deeated, she hadbecome the richest woman o that time throughproperty leverage, intrigues and relations withboth the deeated and the victorious sides. Shedreamed about a military and later a politi-cal career or her son, but this ended with hisdeath and the loss o credit and the property o the whole amily.

From history:Alliance with the Duke Albrecht von Wallensteinwas atal or the Trčka o Lípa amily. In 1634the ormerly avoured Emperor’s general was

accused o a plot, unseated and wilully assas-sinated together with his riends and counsel-lors, among whom was also Adam ErdmanTrčka, the young o cer and his brother-in-law.

The amily died out and Opočno became the pos-session o the Italian aristocratic amily Colloredountil the Second World War.

The genteel representative premises inthe so called French palace style were remod-elled in the 19th–20th centuries, when bigcollections o paintings, weapons, ethnographicexotic items and hunting trophies rom Aricaand America were installed here.


www.zamek-opocno.czTrčkovo náměstí 1, 517 73 Opočno



Orlík Why visit:A wooden castle like an eagle’s nest was built ona steep rock above the Vltava river in the 13thcentury and in later centuries it got the ap-pearance o a stone Gothic castle or the royalgarrison. However, the rock and the settlementbelow the castle were swallowed up by a dam inthe 20th century, but the impressive appearanceand the ancient name Orlík (Small eagle) werepreserved.

From history:

The period o greatest glory o Orlík came aterthe year 1802 with Karl Philipp Schwarzenberg.When he was only 16 years old he started a bril-

liant military career, rst in the bodyguard o the Austrian Emperor, then our years later healready was a colonel and very soon a marshaland the commander-in-chie o anti-Napoleon

troops. His 237 000 men then denitively crashedthe French army o the Emperor Napoleon in“The Battle o Nations” at Leipzig in 1813.

The diplomatic talent o the Schwarzen-bergs has been remembered not only bythe unique collection o orders, but also bythe Empire style lounges with urniture broughtrom the Ambassador’s residence o Karl Philippin Paris, and by the activity o the current owner,Karl Schwarzenberg, as a Foreign Afairs Ministero the Czech Republic.

VI–IX daily, IV, V and X Tuesday–Sunday

www.schwarzenberg.czZámek Orlík, 398 07 Orlík nad Vltavou



PernštejnWhy visit:

A marble castle with a silver access road (made o

small mica stones) and remarkable architecturestands up rom the rock above the surround-ing dark green woods as a mysterious seat o the Lord o the Rings. The alcoves attached tothe higher oors like swallow nests ingeniouslyincreased the castle’s living space.

From history:

The castle bears the name o a amous aristocraticamily, one o the richest in the Czech lands,to which the irrecoverable loans to emperorsbecame atal. The Pernsteins had to sell up theirvast lands. The castle remained in its intact ap-pearance in the Gothic and Renaissance orms asit had in the 16th century, when it was nished.Its insu ciently used interiors were then consid-

erably marked by ravages o time and vandals.

Thick walls, small windows and impressivevaults, the dungeon, the chapel – comprisethe Gothic base o the castle. And also the spiralstaircase and narrow corridors with a numbero authentic medieval inscriptions – quotationso Ovidius and smutty drawings by long-timemilitary guards. This is in contrast with the com-ortably urnished chambers o last owners.


www.hrad-pernstejn.czStátní hrad Pernštejn, 592 62 Nedvědice



PloskoviceWhy visit:

It is said that or this luxurious Baroque chateau,

which would equal the structures o oreign nobil-ity, the ambitious Anna Maria Franziska, the Grand

Duchess o Tuscany paid an outrageous sum o

more than one million guldens. She cared so much

about the construction o “small Versailles” that

she personally ollowed the construction and every

week she paid out all the workers. In order to hide

the price or her lavishness rom her husband, she

burned all bills at the end, so there is no document

about either the exact time o construction or

about the architect.

From history:

At the end o the 15th century a rebellion o serstook place in the chateau and in the domain

and its main protagonist was the deender o oppressed people, the Knight Dalibor o Kozojed.As a punishment he was put as the rst prisonerin the new dungeon in the Prague Castle and

executed. His story came alive in the 19th centu-ry in the period o Romanticism, when thanks to

the patriotic opera “Dalibor” by Bedřich Smetana,he directly became a symbol o Czech music.

The interiors evoke the atmosphere o the summer stays o the retired Austrian Emperorand the last crowned King o Bohemia, Ferdi-nand V. Habsburg in the 19th century. The arti-cial Baroque water caves called grottos shouldbe experienced.


www.zamek-ploskovice.czStátní zámek, 411 42 Ploskovice 1



Praha – Pražský hradWhy visit:

It is hard to say which o Prague’s panoramasis more breathtaking: whether the view rombelow the river with the characteristic silhouetteo the Hradčany, or rom above the terraces andwindows o Prague Castle down to the magictown with its hundreds o spires and sightsspread on the hills on both banks o the Vltavariver itsel spanned by many historical bridges. Inany case Prague Castle together with the St. VitusCathedral belong to the nations treasures, theyare symbols o Czech statehood and an areacontributing to the reputation o Prague as oneo the most beautiul cities in the world.

From history:

Whether you choose the monumental entrancethrough triumphal arches through whichthe kings and emperors with their escorts usedto arrive, and nowadays presidents in theirlimousines arrive, or a sort o a “back entranceor servants”(but the Old Castle stairs alongthe terraced southern Castle gardens which aremore romantic), you will be overwhelmed bythe size and magnicence o this ancient seat o the Czech sovereigns. Nowadays the castle is alsothe residence o the head o state. The rst ratearchitectural monuments, o all art styles, rangingrom the Romanesque Royal Palace, the GothicMetropolitan Cathedral, Renaissance summerpalaces, Baroque galleries, Classicist ceremonial

halls to the high-tech greenhouse by the re-nowned architect, Eva Jiřičná, in the gardens area textbook o architecture and shown in a 3D lmon the Czech history and national identity.



The whole Castle premises are reely ac-cessible. O the interiors open to guided toursworth mentioning are: the Old Royal Palace,a permanent exhibition called the Story o

the Prague Castle, St. George’s Basilica, the Con-vent o St. George’s (exposition o the NationalGallery), the Picture Gallery o Prague Castle,Powder Tower, St. Vitus Cathedral with the tombso Czech kings, the Rožmberk Palace, the GreatSouthern Spire o the Cathedral and the GoldenLane with its ramparts. The representative hallso Prague Castle are open to the general public

on two holidays in a year, typically on the rstSaturday ater the 8th May, and the rst Saturdayater the 28th October. In many Prague Castlepremises temporary exhibitions and culturalevents are organized throughout the year.

The Castle precincts and premises open tovisitors I–XII daily, gardens IV–X daily

“Summer Shakespeare Festival”– the oldestand the biggest Shakespearean theatre estival inthe open air in Europe (VI–IX)

The Supreme Burgrave’s house accom-modates one o the largest private collections o toys in the world including a huge number o oldEuropean and American unique items.

Recommendation: Each hour changing o the Cas-tle guards takes place, at noon with anares and the exchange o the standard in the rst courtyard.

www.praguewelcome.czPražský hrad, 119 08 Praha 1



Praha – Trojský zámek Why visit:The young Czech Count, Wenzel Adalbert vonSternberg had been so thrilled by the atmos-phere o the “Eternal City” o Rome that hedecided to bring a part o it home. He wasextremely lucky in choosing the place and artistswho were to bring his dreams o a magnicentBaroque suburban villa ull o works o art amidstboundless gardens to lie.

From history:

The oasis o joy and rest surrounded by pictur-esque vineyards and whispering river had notbeen meant or longer stays but or organizingestivals. The major theme o the magnicent

mural decorations o the castle was the glo-rication o the power and ame o the houseo Habsburg and the Count also hoped to hostEmperor Leopold I and his hunting entourage.

But the Emperor let Prague or good shortlyater the start o construction and only over 23years, in 1703, could the Count welcome his son,the Emperor Joseph I.

The story o the construction is narratedby the exhibition “Eternal Summer in a Romanvilla”. It is complemented by a unique selectiono historical portrayals o hounds, horses andother animals rom collections in aristocraticmanors, and other art collections o the Galleryo the Capital City o Prague.

I–XII Tuesday–Sunday

www.citygalleryprague.czU Trojského zámku 1, 170 00 Praha 7



Praha– VyšehradWhy visit:

The rock above the Vltava river and the twinslender spires are emblazoned with manyancient legends and genius loci (spirit o the place) o one o the most memorable placeso the Czech people. Away rom the crowds o tourists owing through the oldest o Prague’s

quarters in the centre, it ofers an unusual viewo the magnicent city and a peaceul walk inthe beautiul park.

From history:

Vyšehrad is the oldest Czech royal residencebecause Vratislav II, the rst man to be crownedresided there. Legends go back to the beginnings

o the Přemyslide state in the 11th century andeven deeper in the ancient times, as the majorarchitectural monuments at Vyšehrad (Neo-Gothic St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral, BaroqueCasemates) are not o such an old date. O the abundance o old national legends artisti-cally rendered many times, the most popular oneis the legend o the mythical horse, called Šemík,who saved his rider rom execution having jumped over the ramparts and the river. PrincessLibuše, a mythical prophet who chose Přemyslthe Ploughman or ounding the royal amily, issaid to have predicted the immortal glory andstarry uture o Prague.

Leisurely walk and stops at memorableplaces or observation places may be comple-mented by visiting the Art Nouveau interior o the capitulary cathedral, the tombs o the mostamous Czech prominent people in the Vyšehradcemetery, or entering casemates and a largeunderground hall Gorlice where the originalsculptures rom the Charles Bridge are placed.

I–XII daily

www.praha-vysehrad.czV Pevnosti 159/5b, 120 00 Praha 2-Vyšehrad



Rabí Why visit:Nearly 3 kilometres o ramparts encircle the larg-est Czech castle ruin boasting one o the mostadvanced deence systems o that time inEurope. The attractive medieval milieu is popularwith airytale and historical story lm makers.In 1967, director František Vláčil shot the mostamous Czech art lm “Markéta Lazarová” here.

From history:

The most amous event rom the rich history o the castle is the siege by Hussite troops in 1421.The legendary olk commander Jan Žižka losthis only healthy eye in the siege, allegedly aterbeing shot rom a bow by the castle deend-

ers. The scene was once carved on the castlegate, but people rom the neighbourhood usedthe stones rom the derelict building, uninhab-ited since the 18th century, as building material.

How was it with Žižka’s eye? What viewdoes the donjon ofer? Is the well in the court-yard really bottomless? Two guided tours giveanswers to these and other questions.

V–IX Tuesday – Sunday, IV and X at week-ends and public holidays

www.rabi.czStátní hrad Rabí, 342 01 Sušice



RatibořiceWhy visit:Intelligent, independent and on top o thatattractive, Katharina Wilhelmine, Duchess o Sagan (in Czech Kateřina Zaháňská) had en-chanted the highest European social circles withher charm and subtlety or many years; she wasadmired by prominent men o the early 19thcentury, rom the Russian Tsar to the Austrianchancellor Metternich. She knew the whole o Europe, she was in her element when at the Vi-enna royal court, but she considered her summerresidence amidst the beautiul countryside o Eastern Bohemia as her real home.

From history:

“The Hall o Three Emperors” reminds us o the act that in 1813, Katharina Wilhelmine,Duchess o Sagan lent her elegant manor houseto host the secret negotiations between Austria,

Russia and Prussia on a coalition against Napo-leon which contributed to his all and the newarrangement o Europe.

The tour o the manor drawing rooms issuccessully complemented by a walk roundthe manor park and the “Grandma Valley”, whereeverything reminds you o the story o the cultCzech novel “Grandma” by the popular novelist o the 19th century, Božena Němcová.

V and VI Tuesday–Sunday, VII and VIII daily,IV, IX, X at weekends and holidays

www.zamek-ratiborice.czStátní zámek Ratibořice, 552 03 Česká Skalice



Rožmberk Why visit:

The most splendid view o the huge medieval

castle and the romantic countryside o SouthernBohemia opens to you rom the English Tower.But you must climb more than 200 steps.

From history:

The castle rom the middle o the 13th centurybelongs among the oldest castles o the Vítkovciamily, the predecessors o the one o the mostpowerul Bohemian aristocratic amilies –Rožmberks – who, ater the king, used to bein the most powerul positions in the country.Despite a number o learned and venturesomeeudal lords, apparently the most popular amilygure is Perchta o Rožmberk, who, as the legendsays, has been walking around the amily resi-

dences as a mournul ghost since her death.

A portrait o the amous White Lady deco-rates the Hall o Rožmberks in the rst guided tour,

which will bring the visitors to the times o the lastRožmberks, Vilém and Petr. The Buquoy amily,which held the castle in possession rom 1620 untilthe end o the Second World War, will be intro-duced during the guided tour o the private amilyrooms on the second oor o the castle.

V–XI Tuesday–Sunday, IV and X at week-

ends and holidays, XI–III daily

Evening tours in period costumes wherehistoric personalities guide visitors aroundthe castle have become a summer tradition(VII–VIII).

www.hrad-rozmberk.euStátní hrad, 382 18 Rožmberk nad Vltavou



Slavkov(Austerlitz)Why visit:The monumental Baroque chateau becameamous in connection with the Battle o Slavkovwhich took place in 1805 between the Frenchtroops on one side and allied Russian-Austriantroops on the other. The Emperor Napoleonater the victorious battle stayed in the chateauovernight several times and started peace negotia-

tions.

From history:

The chateau reached the peak o its ame inthe second hal o the 18th century under WenzelAnton Kaunitz, a member o the old Moravianaristocratic amily, which had owned the manoror our centuries. In the highest circles, the Prince

participated in the creation o the Habsburgmonarchy policy and hosted the Empress MariaTheresa in his magnicent residence many times.He was the lover o art and books and regardless o censorship he was ordering “subversive” new titlesocused on Enlightenment and new revolutionarymovements directly rom France.

The chambers with rich artistic decora-tions and unique gallery o Baroque paintingsrepresent the Italian concept o the palace styleo living. In the main round hall the history o Europe was drawn up – ater the amous “Battleo Three Emperors” the armistice between Franceand Austria was signed here. The major instances

o the amous event are reconstructed in a virtualBattle at Slavkov (Austerlitz) in the orm o a projection.

IV–XI Tuesday–Sunday, VI–VIII daily

Recommendation: Every year at the beginningo December, a reconstruction o the battle takes

place on the Slavkov battleeld where NapoleonBonaparte deeated the numerically superior army commanded by the Austrian and Russianemperors. The memorable places, o which the Art Nouveau memorial called the Cairn o Peace isthe most notable, are possible to visit, organised by the château’s custodians, or to one’s own taste

any time during the year.

www.zamek-slavkov.czPalackého náměstí 1, 684 01 Slavkov u Brna



SychrovWhy visit:

Not only the chateau itsel belonging tothe most notable sights o the historicist styleso the 19th century, but also the surroundingcountryside reshaped in a work o art eaturesthe esprit o the French countryside. But allthe work during its reconstruction in its abso-lutely enchanting Neo-Gothic orm was doneexclusively by domestic artisans and cratsmen,namely by the brilliant carver Petr Bušek who

imprinted high artistic value to the interiors o the chateau and an unrepeatable atmosphere.

From history:

The manor, conscated rom the Czech nobility,was once acquired by a French Chivalry amily asa benet or the services provided to the Austrian

Emperor during the Thirty Years’ War. The manorprospered mostly in the 19th century when Brit-tany princes o the House o Rohan moved in. Asthe rst cousins o French kings o the Bourbondynasty they ound a reuge here ater the GreatFrench Revolution and they grew ond o the North o Bohemia insoar as they stayed hereeven though they were invited to return back

home later on.

In addition to the basic guided tour o the noble interiors with antastic carving decora-tion and the portrait gallery o the Rohan amily,which survived the French revolution hiddenin an attic o one o the Parisian palaces, alsomany interesting details and secluded places o the complex chateau including the pink bath-room o one o the Rohan princesses can be seen.

I–XII daily

Proessional alconers demonstrate the his-torical way o training o birds o prey severaltimes a day (V–IX).

www.zamek-sychrov.czStátní zámek, 463 44 Sychrov



Špilberk (Brno)Why visit:

The stone castle high above the city invokedmixed eelings o saety and ear in citizens o Brno throughout long centuries. This leading

residence o the Czech kings and MoravianMargraves had gradually changed into a hugeBaroque military ortress with the severest prisono the Austrian monarchy – the well-known“Prison o Nations”. Later the army barracks werethere. Nowadays, it is the seat o the Museum o the City o Brno and one o the most signicantBrno cultural centres or exhibitions, theatre,concerts and historical and sporting events.

From history:

The prison had been a part o the ortress sincethe Thirty Years’ War. Its cells witnessed hardenedcriminals and military and political prisoners o allregimes, or example Hungarian Jacobites, Italian

patriots, or Polish revolutionaries rom the KrakowUprising in 1846. During the Second World War itbecame an interchange station to other Germanprisons or concentration camps.

In addition to the tour o casemates it is

also possible to visit the castle interiors, severalpermanent expositions and occasional exhibi-tions rom the museum collections o the Cityo Brno. The observation gallery on the bastionofers a unique view o the City o Brno and itssurroundings.

Exhibitions and historical interiors - Tues-

day–Sunday all year round, casemates andthe southeast bastion V–IX including Monday

“Summer Shakespeare Festival” (VII–VIII),Festival Špilberk Filharmonie Brno (VIII), encingestival (IX)

www.spilberk.czŠpilberk 1, 662 24 Brno-střed



Šternberk Why visit:The complex castle with rich decoration rangingrom Gothic to Art Nouveau styles is a typicalexample o the method o restoration o old his-torical buildings in the Romantic spirit o the 19thcentury. Opulent urnishing was mostly brought inrom inaccessible North Moravian chateaux.

From history:

The long history o the residence o the Sternbergamily is closely linked with the troubled timeso Czech history, mainly with wars during whichthe castle and the town below it sufered con-siderably. The castle was or a long-time in ruinsand only at the end o the 19th century the own-

ers decided to undertake a general reconstruc-tion. Installation o a water main, hot air heatingsystem, equipping o bathrooms and a personallit were a part o the reurbishments.

Collections o the last owners o the Liech-tenstein amily are the basis o two guided tours.


www.hrad-sternberk.czHorní náměstí 6, 785 01 Šternberk



ŠvihovWhy visit:

The magnicent water castle was built by rich,power intoxicated, Půta Švihovský o Rýzmberk.Till these days legends go round about the prideand cruelty with which he handled his sers andcratsmen and or which the devil brought himallegedly down to hell. In his bedroom there hasbeen a mysterious hole in the vault till these daysallegedly resisting any attempts to be walled up.

From history:

The perectly protected medieval ortress, withits ingenious equipment capable o oodingthe surroundings with water in no time (includ-

ing the inner courtyard) and letting the waterout without any harm to the building, is con-sidered to be the last real castle in Czech lands– only chateaux were built ater it.

Guided tours o interiors where the nobilitylived and entertained, but also o the parts o the castle where the staf worked hard per-ectly illustrate the castle style o lie in the 16thcentury.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV and X at week-

ends and holidays

What do dragons look like? Everythingabout dragons and how to outsmart themis shown in an exhibition “Dragons” duringthe holidays.

www.hradsvihov.czŽižkova 1, 340 12 Švihov



TelčWhy visit:

The chateau and the main square in Telč belongamong the most distinctive European historicalmonuments o the Renaissance style outside itscradle in Italy. It was there that one o the rich-est and most powerul eudal lords o his time,Zacharias o Hradec, became enthusiastic aboutthe new artistic style during his diplomaticmissions. He invited home top ranked Italianarchitects, cratsmen and artists and gave them

a ree hand in the reconstruction o his old amilyresidence. Richly decorated interiors with gildedsilver urniture, tapestries, jewels and gemstones,sgra ti, courtyards interconnected by arcades and

a magnicent park with an orangery surroundedby ponds, all this is a remarkable illustration o translating Italian art into the Czech milieu.

From history:

The luxurious residence rebuilt during the sec-ond hal o the 16th century rom the originalGothic castle had lived on its ame or manycenturies. The enormous patrimony rom oneo the most prosperous Moravian estates had

been decreasing and passing to the possessiono other aristocratic amilies. The Renaissanceorm o the chateau and the adjacent squarelined by the pastel acades o patrician houses



above the arcades has not thereore essentiallychanged and has preserved its original character;this was the reason or its entry in the UNESCOWorld Heritage List. The exceptional Renaissancetreasure nestled among ponds looks nearly likeairytale lm scenery – and so lms are otenshot here and the locals have become experi-enced supernumerary actors.

The guided tour o the chateau chambers

gives the impression o a compendium o Renais-sance artistic techniques. They boast o carvedcofered ceilings decorated with paintings andcurious hunting trophies. But the real gem is

the large Golden Hall called ater its gildedcofered ceiling with scenes rom Ancient Greekmythology. A visit to the private drawing-roomso the last owners o the chateau, Podstatzky o Liechtenstein, also includes a tour o the Count’sbathrooms and a dressing-room with a collectiono historical clothing and accessories.


www.zamek-telc.czNáměstí Zachariáše z Hradce 1, 588 56 Telč



Točník and Žebrák Why visit:

The ruins o two closely neighbouring medievalcastles creating the best preserved twin castles inthe Czech Republic dominate the deep orests o the Křivoklát region.

From history:

Žebrák, the older one, had been used by nobilityand the Czech kings since the 13th century. Itwas a place o requent intermediate stops bythe Emperor Charles IV on his “business trips”in oreign countries, and also his successor tothe throne, Václav IV, an ardent hunter, andhis numerous hunting entourage spent a lot o

time there. Ater a great re, he had the morecomortable castle Točník built on the oppositehill; at those times an unprecedently luxuriousresidence with two palaces, representing indeed

the king ruling over ten countries, as seen onthe entrance gate with their coats o arms onit, including the avourite symbol o Václav IV -kingsher surrounded by a bre veil.

The ree visit is livened up at practicallyany time by various estivals, medieval markets,music estivals and encing combats.

Točník: V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, III, IV and Xat weekends and holidays, Žebrák: VII and VIIIdaily, IV–IV and IX at weekends and holidays

www.tocnik.comHrady Točník a Žebrák, 267 51 Zdice



TroskyWhy visit:

The towers o the ruins (“trosky”) o the Gothic

castle called the Virgin and the Crone are a symbol

o the picturesque region o the Bohemian Para-

dise – rom the towers a unique view o the wide

countryside opens up. The castle, abandoned

since the Thirty Years’ War, and gradually alling

into picturesque ruins, is still popular with poets,

painter, photographers and all romantic souls.

From history:

Building the castle on two steep volcanic rocksmade the castle an impregnable ortress, whichwas not seized even during erce Hussite wars.

As a last resort, there are allegedly large cellarsunder the castle and escape routes in the mazeo the surrounding sandstone rocks and under-ground caverns. Once, 200 marauding knights

that got hold o the castle using a trick oughtof, in this way, the enormous predominance o the Territorial Army.

During the individual tour you will admiredistant views rom the observation platormon the Crone tower and in the summer monthsdemonstrations o birds o prey trainings inthe castle premises.


www.hrad-trosky.euStátní hrad Trosky,512 63 Rovensko pod Troskami



TřeboňWhy visit:

Not even three groups o ten alchemists headedby the amous Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelleyinvited to Třeboň by Vilém o Rožmberk were ableto prepare a potion guaranteeing the birth o a descendant. He died childless and his youngerbrother Petr Vok inherited his vast estate, butalso his debts. He gradually sold several amilyresidences and moved with his entire court toTřeboň, which he got rebuilt in Renaissance

style or his comort and the storing o a uniquearchive and collections only commensurate withcollections o the Emperor Rudol II at the PragueCastle.

From history:

Not even Petr Vok, an educated and art-lovingeudal lord, so charming and attractive towomen, had children, and so ater his death

in 1611 the 400 year course o the aristocraticamily o Rožmberks through the Czech historyended. The results o their presence in the South-ern Bohemia are a large number o sh breedingponds that generated a substantial part o theirprots and gave the countryside an unrepeat-able charm.

Renaissance chambers o the Rožmberknobility and rooms o courtiers and ladies-in-waiting give us the image o the lie in noblecourts o those days, or example o the rules or

the art o ne dining and easting. During holi-days it is possible to visit the stables, kitchen justor dogs and underground casemates which wereconverted into wine cellars later on. Also the touro the remarkably urnished private suites o the last owners, Schwarzenbergs, is possible.


Recommendation: In the English park at the banks o

the large pond called Svět (World) stands a remark-

able stone tomb with 26 co ns o the members o

the Schwarzenberg amily. Owing to its magnifcent

acoustics it is used or the organising o concerts.

www.zamek-trebon.euZámek 115, 379 01 Třeboň



ValticeWhy visit:

In the southern most part o the Czech Repub-lic the powerul and rich Leichtensteins letthe swamps and marshes around the Dyje river

between their beautiul chateaux in Valtice andLednice be drained and created an articiallandscape with ponds ull o water lilies, shadywoods, scented meadows and blossomingparks in an area o 185 km2. For the delight andsurprise o guests, the best Viennese architectsalso placed a number o remarkable romanticbuildings in the countryside.

From history:

Valtice, in history, belonged more to Austriaand rom the Middle Ages to 1945 was ownedby Liechtensteins. Gradually, 13 ruling countsbuilt their residence, which, with its decorative-ness and magnicence and rich equipment and

collections competed with the Viennese imperialcourt itsel in the 18th century.

In addition to the guided tour o the Count’s

chambers o the Liechtenstein amily it is also

possible in summer months to visit places o

interest in the surroundings, such as the Rendez-

vous hunting lodge, the antique styled colonnadewith its beautiul view, or the chapel o the hunt-

ers’ patron St. Hubert where votive services were

served ater the end o aristocratic hunting.

V–X Tuesday–Sunday, IV at weekends andholidays

The chateau amidst the traditional wine-growing area ofers, in addition to wine tastingrom their own wine cellars, also summer wineestivals (VII), and at the end o Septemberthe tasting o new wine, and the grape harvestbeginning o October.

www.zamek-valtice.czZámek 1, 691 42 Valtice



VelharticeWhy visit:

The romantic atmosphere o the ancient castletogether with its unusual deence system isamplied by the orested hillsides o one o the most beautiul Šumava valleys.

From history:

One o the rst owners and builders o the castleBušek o Velhartice and his son were avourite

and aithul chamberlains o the King and Em-peror Charles IV. The strong bonds o riendshipamong them became an inspiration or greatmany poets, writers and lm-makers.

Do not miss a tour o the poetic castlepremises with a beautiul view and visit alsothe open-air museum o vernacular architecture inthe settlement around the castle.


www.hradvelhartice.czHrad Velhartice, 341 42 Kolinec



Velké BřeznoWhy visit:

The Count Chotek had the one o the newestand smallest Czech chateaux built in the middleo the 19th century, where he wished to spendthe autumn o his lie. As a youth he touredthe whole o Europe and became amiliar withthe social lie in capital cities; ater retirement heretreated to the Czech countryside.

From history:From outside the building is rather reminiscento a railway station building, but it was equippedwith all amenities available in those days orthe comort o the reshly retired. This ormerleading politician and his charming wie hadnumerous guests, among them or exampleFranz Liszt.

In the interior, you can look into the secrets

o aristocratic living, including ladies and man’sbedrooms. The amount o paraphernalia oreveryday hygiene gives evidence that neatpersonal appearance was important or men asmuch as or women.


ends and holidays

www.zamek-vbrezno.cz403 23 Velké Březno



Velké LosinyWhy visit:

One o the most splendid Renaissance arcadechateaux to the North o the Alps was ill-amedor witch trials at the end o the 17th century.The cruel inquisition tribunal ordered, throughinvented accusations, the torturing and burningto death on the stake o over a hundred innocentpeople, women and men, mostly a uent

burghers, whose property was the real reasonor pursuit.

From history:

Over three centuries the residence was owned byone o the richest Moravian amilies – Žerotíns.The original small water ortress was unable to

meet their high demands and thereore it wasrebuilt generously in the 16th century.

Though the Court Hall afords the greatestinterest to visitors as the tragic scene o the inter-rogations o the alleged witches, the austereKnight’s Hall is the most precious interior o the chateau with leather decorated walls andequipped with a three meters high Renaissancecolour-tiled Dutch stove. The chateau also hosts

a large collection o art, armoury and a beautiulcollection o tapestries, the second largest inMoravia.


Recommendation: At the end o the 19th century,the Žerotíns ounded a handmade paper mill inVelké Losiny. The actory having been producinguninterruptedly rom those days the highest qual-ity and exceptionally resistant handmade paper

sought or by artists rom all over the world, is

accessible the whole year round.

www.zamek-losiny.cz788 15 Velké Losiny 268



VizoviceWhy visit:

A late Baroque chateau, one o the most beauti-ul ones in Moravia, is situated in the town centreat the oothill o Vizovice Heights. It containsan exceptional collection o paintings created bythe master builder o the Vizovice chateau andcompleted by the Stillried amily. The chateaupremises include also a garden with a pond builtconcurrently with the chateau.

From history:

The chateau in Vizovice was built in the middleo the 18th century by Hermann Hannibal vonBlümegen, the priest o Olomouc and uture

bishop o Hradec Kralové. Franz Anton Grimm(1710-1784), a prominent Brno architect, wascharged with the construction o the chateauand conceived it in the then modern French style.

In the second hal o the 18th century underthe Blümegens not only were the construction o the chateau and its garden completed, but alsoexceedingly valuable interior urnishings wereacquired.

Two guided tours introduce representative

rooms o the nobility including the chateauchapel and chambers o amily members, guestsand servants.


www.zamek-vizovice.czNáměstí Palackého 376, 763 12 Vizovice



Vranov nad Dyjí Why visit:

The luxurious chateau on a promontory abovethe picturesque valley o the river Dyje belongedto the most amous aristocratic residences in

Baroque times. The major credit in its ameshould be paid to its charming owner, MariaAnna, Marquise Pignatelli, who was brought toa amily residence by Count Althann, the avour-ite o the Emperor Charles VI, rom Spain. It wasa public secret that the real reason or the Mon-arch’s visits rom nearby Vienna was just that,the energetic and intelligent lady o the chateau.

From history:

The current appearance is to be credited tothe Counts o Althann at the end o the 17th cen-tury ater a disastrous re in 1665. They invitedthe most renowned personality o the CentralEuropean Baroque – the Vienna court architect,

Fischer von Erlach. Through the 19th centurythe chateau was owned by Polish Mniszekswho brought the well-known Vranov actory orthe production o crockery into prosperity.

Richly urnished interiors acquaint us with

the exquisite culture o the aristocratic livingin the chateau. The monumental round hall o the predecessors o the Atlhann amily romthe end o the 17th century belongs to the treas-ure house o European architecture. The chateauchapel was built by the same architect.


ends and holidays

In the carriage house in ront o the maingate o the chateau, every year, seasonal exhibi-tions o exhibits rom closed depositories o South Moravian castles and chateaux take place.

www.zamekvranov.czZámecká 93, 671 03 Vranov nad Dyjí



ZákupyWhy visit:

The last crowned King o Bohemia – Ferdinand I,Dobrotivý (the Gracious), rom the Habsburgdynasty liked to stay in the chateau ollowing hisvoluntary abdication as the Austrian Emperor in1848. He virtually never reigned himsel, he wasconsidered a nice, however, somewhat degener-ated descendent o close blood relations o the European nobility who was in Vienna mock-ingly called “der arme Trottel Nandel”. Contraryto all expectations he lived to a ripe old age andlooked well ater his summer residence, whichwas expensively rebuilt or him.

From history:In 1815 ater the all o Napoleon the Zákupychateau was set as asylum or the general’s soncalled Orlik (small eagle) rom the marriage

with Marie Louise, the daughter o the AustrianEmperor Franz I. However, the young duke diedo tuberculosis without seeing his new residence.

The interiors o the chateau were splendidlyconverted or the retired Emperor in the thenmodern style o the second Rococo. For hismaximum comort also the Baroque lit wasrenovated and its technical background is parto the tour.

V–IX Tuesday - Sunday, IV and X at week-ends and holidays

www.zamek-zakupy.czBorská 1, 471 23 Zákupy



ZvíkovWhy visit:

The huge residential tower o very unusualconstruction is the centre o the ortication o the royal castle. Its three meters thick walls o black square stones were even more reinorcedby spiked blades on which the projectiles cata-

pulted by trebuchets and re arms under a sharpangle slid down without doing serious harm.The castle had been seized neither in the earlyMiddle Ages nor during the Thirty Years’ War.The lovers o mysteries allege that it is due tothe mysterious protective symbols carved inthe low 11 rows o the tower stones. Althoughthey really look like runic letters, the historiansonly see the marks o the stone cutters whoworked on royal constructions in them. But whoknows?

From history:

The seat o the rst Czech kings on the strategictrade route at the conuence o Vltava and

Otava rivers had changed its owners quite oten,but it reached its greatest ame in the 14thcentury under the reign o the beloved Czechsovereign Charles IV. He commissioned thorough

reconstruction, he loved to stay there and untilthe construction o Karlštejn the Czech crown jewels were kept there. Its ancient history wasrounded of in the 20th century by constructiono a dam which swallowed up the high rockbelow the castle and the ortied settlement

around the castle.

A ree tour o the courtyards, cellars and o the royal palace allows or the due relishing o the romantic atmosphere. The chapel is the mostbeautiul part o the castle built in the 13thcentury to celebrate the greatness and powero the Přemysl Otakar II, called the Iron andGolden King.

I–XII daily, Royal Palace: V–IX Tuesday-

Sunday, IV and X at weekends and holidays

www.hrad-zvikov.eu398 18 Záhoří



Žďár nad SázavouWhy visit:

One o the most stunning ecclesiastical residences

o the early 18th century was a project by the en-

lightened and art-loving Abbot Václav Vejmluva

together with the architectural genius Jan

Santini-Aichel. The monastery with its perectly

operating economy where the stables are justas magnicent as the prelacy halls; the mystical

pilgrimage church o the St. John o Nepomuk at

Zelená Hora (Green Hill), and the cemetery with

the layout o a skull, are the gems o the original

artistic style called Baroque Gothic.

From history:

In the beginning a group o Cistercian monksbuilt a log cabin in the wild orest o the Sázavariver in the 13th century and step by stepwith their bare hands they built their humblemonastery. Five centuries later, the magnicentBaroque reconstruction o the monastery rankedamong the most expensive projects o those

days. The triumph o the thirty year constructionefort was celebrated in 1735, and only two yearslater the monastery burned down and Vejmluvahimsel died in a year. At the end o the century

the monastery was abolished by the EmperorJoseph II and it was changed into an economiccentre and a chateau.

The energetic owners o the chateau,

the old aristocratic amily o Kinsky, makethe premises o the ormer monastery and itseconomy background accessible to the generalpublic or tours o the most beautiul interiorsnowadays hosting a number o permanentexhibitions: exposition on the evolution o books,typography and book culture, Baroque works o art rom the collections o the National Gallery,Kinsky gallery, historical pianos, an exposition onthe lie o the architect Santini, and the museumo local re brigades.

V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV and X at week-ends and holidays, XI–III at business days

www.zamekzdar.czZámek 11, 591 02 Žďár nad Sázavou 2



ŽlebyWhy visit:

In the 19th century, romantic, even a littlebit weird Vincent Karel Auersperg inspired bythe traditions o Old England transormed hischateau into a medieval manor o knights similarto those in the novels by W. Scott.

From history:

The Count designed his Neo-Gothic reconstruc-tion exactly according to the saying “My house– my castle”. He gathered antiquities romthe whole o Europe, rom urniture, paintings,rugs and carpets, dishes, glass and historicalarmoury to the subtlest details. But he did nothesitate to use the most advanced equipment o the day or the everyday operation o his “Medi-

eval” household where he loved to change intoknightly armour.

Two guided tours present not only the luxu-

rious chambers, the chateau theatre, the lookouttower and chateau armoury with one o the larg-est collection o arms in Europe, includinga knight on a horse wearing ull armour, but alsoofer interesting insights in the kitchen equippedwith advanced technology and ingeniouslysolved hygienic background and the under-ground labyrinth o the old castle cellars.


Recommendation: A game preserve with a unique

herd o white deer ollowing the chateau park.

www.zamek-zleby.czZámecká 1, 285 61 Žleby

94



Let us invite you to experience real culinary

pleasure at the restaurants certified within

the Czech Specials project and have a taste

of the Czech Republic!

www.czechspecials.com

T ast e t he Cz ec h

Republ i c !



Index

Bečov nad Teplou . . . . . . . . . 4Bezděz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Bítov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Blatná . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Boskovice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Bouzov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Buchlov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Buchlovice. . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Častolovice . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Červená Lhota. . . . . . . . . . .13

Český Krumlov . . . . . . . . . .14Český Šternberk . . . . . . . . .16Cheb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Dětenice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Dobříš . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Duchcov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Frýdlant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Hluboká nad Vltavou . . . . .22

Horšovský Týn . . . . . . . . . . .23Hořovice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Hradec nad Moravicí . . . . .25Hrádek u Nechanic . . . . . . .26Hukvaldy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou 28Javorník – Jánský Vrch. . . .29Jindřichův Hradec. . . . . . . .30

Kačina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Kámen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Karlova Koruna. . . . . . . . . . 33Karlštejn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Kašperk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Klášterec nad Ohří . . . . . . .36Kokořín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Konopiště . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Kost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Krásný Dvůr. . . . . . . . . . . . .40Kratochvíle . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Kroměříž . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Křivoklát . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Kuks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Kunětická hora . . . . . . . . . .45Kunín . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Kynžvart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Landštejn . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Lednice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Lipnice nad Sázavou . . . . .50Litomyšl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Loket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Manětín. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Mělník . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Mikulov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Milotice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Mnichovo Hradiště. . . . . . .57Náchod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58Náměšť na Hané . . . . . . . .59Náměšť nad Oslavou . . . . .60

Nelahozeves . . . . . . . . . . . .61Nové Město nad Metují . . .62Olomouc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63Opočno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Orlík. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Pernštejn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66Ploskovice . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67Praha – Pražský hrad. . . . .68Praha – Trojský zámek. . . .70Praha – Vyšehrad. . . . . . . .71Rabí . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Ratibořice . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Rožmberk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Slavkov (Austerlitz) . . . . . .75

Sychrov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Špilberk (Brno). . . . . . . . . . 77Šternberk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Švihov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Telč . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Točník and Žebrák . . . . . . .82Trosky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83Třeboň . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Valtice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Velhartice . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Velké Březno. . . . . . . . . . . .87Velké Losiny . . . . . . . . . . . .88Vizovice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89Vranov nad Dyjí . . . . . . . . .90Zákupy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91Zvíkov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Žďár nad Sázavou. . . . . . . .93Žleby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94











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Czech Republic - Castles and Chateux