Contents Bečov nad Teplou . .4 Kašperk . .35 Orlík . .65 Bezděz. .5 Klášterec nad Ohří . .36 Pernštejn. .66 Bítov. .6 Kokořín . .37 Ploskovice . .67 Blatná . .7 Konopiště . .38 Praha – Pražský hrad. .68 Boskovice . .8 Kost . .39 Praha – Trojský zámek. .70 Bouzov. .9 Krásný Dvůr. .40 Praha – Vyšehrad. .71 Buchlov . .10 Kratochvíle . .41 Rabí . .72 Buchlovice. .11 Kroměříž . .42 Ratibořice . .73 Častolovice . .12 Křivoklát . .43 Rožmberk . .74 Červená Lhota. .13 Kuks. .44 Slavkov (Austerlitz) . .75 Český Krumlov . .14 Kunětická hora . .45 Sychrov . .76 Český Šternberk . .16 Kunín. .46 Špilberk (Brno). .77 Cheb. .17 Kynžvart . .47 Šternberk . .78 Dětenice . .18 Landštejn . .48 Švihov . .79 Dobříš . .19 Lednice . .49 Telč . .80 Duchcov. .20 Lipnice nad Sázavou . .50 Točník and Žebrák . .82 Frýdlant. .21 Litomyšl. .51 Trosky. .83 Hluboká nad Vltavou . .22 Loket . .52 Třeboň . .84 Horšovský Týn. .23 Manětín. .53 Valtice . .85 Hořovice . .24 Mělník . .54 Velhartice . .86 Hradec nad Moravicí . .25 Mikulov . .55 Velké Březno. .87 Hrádek u Nechanic. .26 Milotice . .56 Velké Losiny . .88 Hukvaldy. .27 Mnichovo Hradiště. .57 Vizovice . .89 Jaroměřice nad Rokytnou 28 Náchod . .58 Vranov nad Dyjí . .90 Javorník – Jánský Vrch. .29 Náměšť na Hané . .59 Zákupy. .91 Jindřichův Hradec. .30 Náměšť nad Oslavou . .60 Zvíkov . .92 Kačina . .31 Nelahozeves . .61 Žďár nad Sázavou. .93 Kámen. .32 Nové Město nad Metují . .62 Žleby . .94 Karlova Koruna. .33 Olomouc . .63 Karlštejn . .34 Opočno . .64 Hotel Restaurant UNESCO Opening hours Special Off er Suitable for children Hire of premises Weddings Chateau garden for cultural and social events Tours Chateau park 2 Castles and Chateaux – heirloom of the Czech Republic The most valuable things inherited by by your imagination of fi ction stories. You will the Czechs from their ancestors are monuments. visit magnifi cent interiors, furnished with neat Anyone coming to the Czech Republic for the fi rst taste and almost unlimited fi nancial facilities of time will be surprised by their number and intact- long-time owners, you will see all manner of col- ness, impressive location, architectural magnifi - lections and works of art collected with love and cence, variety of art designs, skilled fi nish and in- pride by generations of aristocratic families, you genious operation. The visitor will be enchanted will climb towers with magnifi cent panoramas by special energy they radiate, and thus create of the area, you will be lost in the mysterious an unprecedented atmosphere when entering labyrinths of underground corridors, you will inside. And the visitor who has already seen all inhale the scent of ancient parks and lushness of this from previous visits knows that the reper- perfectly arranged historic gardens. toire of places worth visiting, photographing and later talking about with enthusiasm to friends, However, the Czech castles and chateaux is almost inexhaustible – and the experience is are not only a sleeping museum, where time always strong, surprising and prime... stood still. These also include historic festivities and markets, night-time guided tours, guides Long centuries of Czech history left about in costumes, demonstrations of birds of prey two thousand castles, chateaux, fortresses and training, presentation of old crafts and tasting of their ruins in the country. We invite you to learn traditional delicacies, theatre and opera, fencing, about the remarkable stories and secrets. In this concerts, art festivals, exhibitions and workshops book we present a selection of the most beautiful – everything is announced on relevant websites places that the current owners make accessible in time. And if this is not enough you can try to to public curious eyes. The guides will tell you live in a chateau – almost everywhere you can in detail on the spot about the interesting fates rent most attractive premises for social events of individual residences and their inhabitants in – for example for a wedding ceremony. Please the fl ow of time and leave you to be carried away come in... 3 Bečov nad Teplou Why visit: known about its existence. This complicated case The chateau shelters a unique treasure, the sec- investigated by leading Czechoslovak criminolo- ond most valuable artefact of the Czech Republic gists was resolved in 1985 and became also following the crown jewels. A magnifi cently a topic of a detective story. decorated golden casket created in the 13th century on the order of the Belgian Benedictine monastery for housing the remains of St. John the Baptist and St. Maurus, belongs, considering the art and the craft aspects, to The story of the St. Maurus reliquary the most beautiful medieval goldsmith’s work, including its demanding restoration by leading the only one of its kind in Central Europe. Czech restorers is told by a gripping exhibition in the chateau’s interior. From history: De Beauforts, the last owners of the chateau, V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV and X at week- had to leave the estate after collaboration with ends and public holidays the Nazis in 1945. They buried St. Maurus reli- quary beneath the fl oor in the chateau’s chapel hoping to come back for it. If later on a foreign buyer had not appeared to negotiate a purchase www.zamek-becov.cz of an unspecifi ed valuable item with the Czech Náměstí 5. května 13, state, most probably, nobody would have ever 364 64 Bečov nad Teplou 4 Bezděz Why visit: months. In the 17th century the castle was The majestic ruin of the medieval castle is one of changed into a fortifi ed monastery and following the most distinct dominant features of the Czech its abolition it declined into a quaint ruin. landscape. It inspired many artists, for example the composer Bedřich Smetana, who used Thanks to the fact that no extensive adjust- the local story theme of the hidden treasure ments were carried out in the castle, it preserved in his opera “The Secret”. Karel Hynek Mácha, the authentic medieval atmosphere. The most the greatest Czech romantic poet, brought fame valuable structure is the Chapel of the Royal to the castle with the tragic love story in the epic Palace, a real gem of Gothic architecture. poem “May”. The nearby Lake Mácha, bearing A monumental forty meters high Big Tower used the poet’s name in tribute, is now a centre of by inhabitants as the last refuge in the siege, water sports and recreation. feasts the eyes with distant views of “the Mácha's region”. From history: Přemysl Otakar II (Ottokar II of Bohemia), “the Iron V–IX Tuesday–Sunday, IV and X at week- and Golden King”, certainly had not anticipated ends and holidays that the sentry castle he built in the second half of the 13th century as a residence for his oc- casional stays, would become shortly after his death a prison for his seven years old son Václav www.hrad-bezdez.eu (Wenceslaus) and his widowed queen for many Státní hrad Bezděz, 472 01 Doksy 5 Bítov Why visit: In the last century the family residence was used as a place for building one of the biggest private zoological gardens of the time in Europe Four guided tours outline the intricate by the ever-so-slightly eccentric Baron Haas, history of one of the most ancient royal castles the last owner. In addition to live animals he also and the life of its inhabitants. In addition to loved his zoological collections of local and exotic the palace and the armoury with unique exhibits, animals, in particular the collection of 51 stuff ed the prison, dungeon and the torture chamber dogs of various breeds including the extinct with replicas of torture tools the visitors can try Aff enpinschers – today the collection has been out themselves, are also very attractive. entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest of its kind in the world. V–VIII Monday–Sunday, IV and X at week- ends and holidays From history: The fortifi ed castle situated on the promon- The ghostly exposition “Armorial beast” tory near the confl uence of the Želetavka and in the former castle brewery introduces mythic the Dyje rivers protected the Southern Moravia monsters, dragons, basilisks and other peculiari- Czech Kingdom borders as early as the early ties used in heraldry. Middle Ages. Its present appearance is a result of romantic adjustments from the 19th century and it picturesquely fi ts the local area of woods, waters and hillsides, where the sun and the spar- www.hradbitov.cz kling Moravian vine reign. Státní hrad Bítov, 671 07 pošta Uherčice 6 Blatná Why visit: The town’s typical white and red entrance tower of the water castle from stone was built at the end of the Middle Ages under the rule of Lords of Rožmitál (Rosental). They held high state positions, loved luxurious life styles and were inspired by advanced culture of the Western European nobility. The reconstruction of the old palace into the splendid three fl oor Gothic and Renaissance palace was assigned to Benedict Rejt, the famous master builder working in royal services. From history: The representative residence in Blatná was very often the centre of political events in the Czech Kingdom. Johanka, the sister of Jaroslav Lev of Rožmitál married Jiří (George) of Poděbrady and became the Czech queen. Jaroslav as a very edu- cated and competent diplomat headed on behalf of his brother-in-law the famous legation around the European courts. The partitioned interior mainly holds family collections of Hildprandts, who possessed the chateau from the 18th century. Of interest also is the study and the exhibition of Jan Evan- gelista Purkyně, the excellent Czech doctor and naturalist of the 18th century, who worked here as a tutor in his youth. V–September 15 Tuesday–Sunday, IV and September 16–X at weekends www.zamek-blatna.cz Na Příkopech 320, 388 01 Blatná 7 Boskovice Why visit: A grandiose dance hall housed many balls The charming chateau which belongs to the pur- and festivities, attended by the cream of society.