Loučeň Castle Labyrinthary

Loučeň Castle is an ideal place to relax for travelers looking for education, entertainment, but also romance. You will not be guided through the castle chambers by an ordinary guide, but by a costumed butler of His Serenity, or by the princess herself. You will learn not dry facts, but the story of life in the castle about a hundred years ago

In the Middle Ages and the early modern period, not very well-known and important names of owners alternated in Loučeň. A fundamental change in the history of the manor was brought about by the Thirty Years’ War. At that time, specifically in 1623, the Wallenstein family came to Loučeň. Since then, Loučeň has not been sold, which indirectly indicates its value. The fact that two other aristocratic families gradually became its owners after the Wallenstein family was due to the fact that there were no male descendants in the previous families. Every change of the coat of arms on the Loučeň estate after 1623 (the castle was subsequently ruled by the Fürstenbergs and then by the Thurn-Taxis family) was thus a consequence of the marriage policy, when a female heiress from the previous family introduced a new family to Loučeň by her marriage.

Romantics pay attention mainly to the castle park and its exotic trees, under which such a picnic tastes especially excellent. If you are one of the romantics, you may stay overnight and take advantage of the fabulous comfort of the half-timbered House of Prince Alexander, where no one will disturb you, or the period apartments right in the castle building

Vizovice Castle

The chateau in Vizovice was built in the middle of the 18th century by the Olomouc canon and later bishop of Hradec Králové, Heřman Hannibal of Blümengen. He commissioned the construction to the prominent Brno architect František Antonín Grimm (1710 – 1784), who designed the chateau in the then modern French style. Under the Blümegens in the second half of the 18th century, not only was the construction of the chateau and the chateau garden completed, but also the interior furnishings were purchased, which was extremely valuable, especially when the heirs of Heřman Hanibal moved Blümegen’s collection of paintings to Vizovice. At the same time as the chateau, a chateau garden was founded in the French style with plaques by the leading Brno sculptor Ondřej Schweigl (1736-1812). He is also the author of the decoration of the impressive interior of the chateau chapel of Our Lady Mother of Good Counsel. At the beginning of the 19th century, the manor passed through a family line to the Stillfried family, who supplemented the picture gallery according to their possibilities, but mainly its graphic collection. The Stillfrieds then owned the Vizovice estate until 1945. After World War II, the chateau passed into state administration and since 1948 it has been open to the public.

Loučeň Castle

Jemniště Castle

Not far from Benešov near Prague in the direction of Vlašim, František Trautmannsdorf had a Baroque chateau built. It was built by the famous architect F. M. Kaňka in the years 1717 – 1725 in the Baroque style and the most important representatives of the Czech Baroque such as M. B. Braun and V. V. Reiner participated in the interior decoration. The chateau is H-shaped, in the middle is the main building and it is followed by farm buildings, which today no longer serve their purpose, but are wedding apartments. In 1754, the chateau was hit by a great fire, which damaged the main building. From the original decoration, only the fresco by V.V. Reiner painted on stone, which is located in the nave of the chateau chapel, has been preserved. The castle is entered from the courtyard to the sala terrena, which on the other side continues into the garden. A staircase lined with paintings leads to the first floor, where the tour continues. The most beautiful space of the castle is the dance hall, which permeates two floors, its ceiling and walls are decorated with Rococo paintings by F. A. Scheffler and Baroque stucco reliefs by Matthias Bernard Braun. This is followed by the rooms of the manor, the dining room with perfect porcelain and cutlery, the bathroom with equipment and the library. The interiors are equipped with period furniture, paintings, porcelain, ceramics, you can even see original clothes. Everything is from the collections of the Šternberk family from the 17th-19th centuries.

Milotice Castle

Milotice Castle is called the pearl of southeastern Moravia. It is administered by the National Heritage Institute in Brno and is a National Cultural Monument. On the site of today’s chateau, there used to be a medieval fortress rebuilt in the 16th century into a Renaissance chateau. The heyday of Milotice occurred during the reign of K.A. Serenyi, who rebuilt Milotice in the Baroque style as his summer representative residence at the beginning of the 18th century. He created a unique compositional architectural ensemble from the chateau complex, which includes a French Baroque garden, pheasantry, orangery, riding school and stables, which has been preserved to this day. A tour of the stylishly furnished interiors offers a glimpse into the life of the last owners of the chateau, the Seilern Aspang family. The interiors were installed according to period photographs in cooperation with the daughter of the last owner of the estate, Marietta Norman Seilern Aspang. In the Baroque orangeries there is a permanent exhibition of Moravian Baroque sculpture. Today you can see the chateau grounds with an honorary courtyard, a riding hall, stables, two orangeries, a French park and an adjacent pheasantry with salettes. An integral part of the chateau are well-equipped interiors, especially a representative fresco hall with a fresco by F.Ř. Eckstein from 1725.

Jezeří Castle

It is undoubtedly one of the most interesting buildings in the Czech Republic. The once magnificent residence of the Lobkowicz family was an important cultural and social center. In the recent inglorious past, it was exposed to lack of interest and many years of decay. At the end of the 90s of the last century, reconstruction work began, but due to the size of the building, it is implemented quite slowly. Despite this complication, the castle was made accessible, at the cost of many provisional and non-standard conditions. For understanding and overcoming these various complications, you will be rewarded with a completely unusual experience of seeing the monument in its originality and authenticity, and during more frequent visits, you will witness the gradual restoration and revival of the former “Pearl of the Ore Mountains”. The chateau will be especially interesting for the haunted cellar and the alchemist’s room or the exhibition of animal skulls in the area of the Stříbrnice Castle, in the chateau carriage you will discover a collection of carriages, sleigh and agricultural machinery and tools. A haunted cellar and an alchemist’s room. You can also see, for example, an exhibition of animal skulls in the area of the Stříbrnice Castle and an exhibition of carriages, sledges and agricultural machinery and tools in the castle carriage house. These are mainly exhibits borrowed from the private collection of Mr. MVDr. Přemysl Rabas, several pieces were gifts from visitors.

The castle organizes, among other things, non-traditional tours with costumed scenes and competitions for children.

Mníšek pod Brdy Castle

The chateau in Mníšek pod Brdy (a fortress destroyed by the Swedes in the place) stands on a rock above the castle pond. Although it has four wings, it has only three towers – two in the façade and one central one in the back. The two-storey building lies on a ground plan of about 40 x 42 meters, around the square courtyard you will find a total of 65 rooms. Access from the square is guarded by a pair of lions at a wrought iron gate. This is followed by a slowly rising platform (“bridge”) decorated with vases, below which (as in several places under the castle) there is a space carved in the rock. The portal is richly decorated with various reliefs and masks, which are complemented by the coat of arms of the Engels of Engelfluss.

Today, various cultural events, exhibitions, weddings, conferences, etc. take place in the castle.

State Castle and Chateau Jindřichův Hradec

The monumental complex of buildings of the castle and chateau in Jindřichův Hradec, declared a national cultural monument in 1996 , is one of the largest monument complexes in the Czech Republic. It merges with the adjacent town into a harmonious whole, whose historical character and unique architectural and artistic monuments form an urban conservation area, declared as early as 1950.

Over the course of seven centuries, the possession of the manor house and the town has been occupied by generations of three leading aristocratic families. The lords of Hradec, the Slavats and the Černíns of Chudenice, with their high political and social position, participated in shaping the fate of the whole country , and the adequate cultural atmosphere was also reflected in the form of Jindřichův Hradec Castle and Chateau, with its grandeur comparable to the most advanced European architecture of the time

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Since it is a large Renaissance area, there is a choice of several guide routes, and at least Adam’s building and the ascent to the tower will probably not be missed by anyone. Centuries ago, the famous porridge (and other dishes) was also cooked annually in the Black Kitchen for the poor from the city and its wide surroundings. Among others, Ema Destinnová sang in the garden Rondel and this tradition continues today. How many times the White Lady walked here can no longer be determined, but if you are lucky, then you can sometimes see her during an evening tour.

Nelahozeves Castle

Nelahozeves Castle is a Renaissance chateau located in the village of the same name in Central Bohemia. It is located 30 km north of the capital city of Prague. Nelahozeves Chateau began to be built as his residence by the Bavarian Florián Grispek of Griesbach in 1553. Originally, it was supposed to be a four-winged chateau, but due to lack of money, only three wings were built. The third wing was completed in 1588. In 1623, the descendants of Florián Griskek had to sell the chateau. It was bought by Polyxena of Pernštejn, the wife of Zdeněk Vojtěch Popel of Lobkowicz. However, Nelahozeves Chateau served only as offices and warehouses. The chateau gradually fell into disrepair, only at the end of the 19th century was it proposed to repair it, but it was not carried out until after 1948, when the chateau was nationalized. In the 60s of the 20th century, there was an exhibition of the Central Bohemian Gallery. In 1992, the chateau was returned to the Lobkowicz family.

Klášterec nad Ohří Castle

Originally a Renaissance chateau located on the left bank of the Ohře River, romantically decorated in the style of English pseudo-Gothic, surrounded by a large English park, which is connected to the Kyselka spa area with mineral springs. The chateau is open to the public and is owned by the city as part of the conservation zone in the centre of the old Klášterec nad Ohří. In the park you will find rare trees and 220 species of trees from all over the world, and in the area you will find the Thun Tomb, the Sala Terrena and the sculptures of Jan Brokoff. In the historical interiors with stucco decoration, nothing has been preserved from the original furnishings, and today there is a rare exhibition of porcelain production from the very beginnings to the present day from the collections of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. During the season, the castle lookout tower is accessible, and you can also visit the tomb in the adjacent Church of the Holy Trinity with a porcelain plastic pedigree of the Count Thun family, which owned the monastery estate continuously since 1623.