The tourist path to Prague has long been trodden by our travelers. People go to the capital of the Czech Republic for the New Year and summer holidays, as well as in the off-season. This romantic city is also considered a good place for marriage and honeymoon. In the capital of the Czech Republic, two castles, towering in front of each other on opposite banks of the Vltava, attract the attention of tourists. Prague Castle was founded in the ninth century. The complex of this Kremlin includes several castles of different eras. And on the right bank of the Vltava, on a rocky hill, is the Vysehrad fortress. From this place went Prague. The first rulers of the region and Princess Libusha lived here. But few tourists know that the Czech Republic is a country of castles. There are more than two and a half thousand of them in the state. Seeing them all is not enough for life. Therefore, in this article we will highlight the most popular and interesting castles in the Czech Republic.
Classification
First of all, I need to say a few words about how these structures are subdivided. The Czech language has two words for a castle: "Grad" and "Zamek". Hrad is a medieval citadel, usually surrounded by a moat ortowering on an impregnable rock, with walls with loopholes and other defensive structures. Previously, settlements were located in the cities (hence the name). But later the feudal lords separated themselves from the people. Thus, we can say that "Hrad" corresponds to our concept of "Kremlin". In small settlements there are "gradtsy" and "gradeks". But zamek is a radically different type of structure. Yes, and they were built later, in an era when it was not necessary to constantly defend. The feudal lords who lived in them equipped their family nests, giving them chic by the standards of their era. Palaces-castles of the Czech Republic on the map of the country are scattered throughout the territory, but their maximum concentration is observed near the capital. After all, the nobles wanted to live near the royal residence.
Czech Castles Tours
Since castles and palaces are scattered throughout the country, it is very difficult to visit all of them on your own. You have to choose the most worthy and popular. If you are interested in Gothic defensive urban planning or Renaissance palaces, it makes sense to book a special tour. Its program includes visits to all significant castles in the Czech Republic. Tourists stay in hotels in small towns, from where they make trips to two or even three interesting places per day. These are, of course, Cesky Krumlov and Gluboka nad Vltava in South Bohemia; Konopiste and Karlstejn in Central. In the Olomouc region, tourists will visit the famous Sternbek and Bouzov. In Pardubice - Litice nad Orlice, Kutnecka Gora and Svojanov. And in South Moravia, tourists will see Špilberk, Lednice andPerstein.
Wedding in the Czech Republic in a castle
Someone is organizing a symbolic marriage ceremony in the Fiji Islands, someone is getting married according to the traditions of Thailand… And others are going to arrange relations in the Czech Republic. Moreover, a wedding tour can include both a real marriage, with the execution of all necessary documents, and a symbolic one. In the second case, such a package of services will cost three hundred euros cheaper. You can register your relationship both at the Nuselska Town Hall in Prague and at the romantic castle. For example, you can exchange gold rings not just anywhere, but at the summer residence of the Czech President. Troy Castle is a very elegant palace that will surprise guests with the luxury of interiors. Romantic Chervena Lhota or snow-white, like a bride's dress, Rožmberk will be an excellent backdrop for photo shoots. A wedding in the Czech Republic in a castle will be an unforgettable event in your life. By the way, some palaces work as hotels. Thus, in the castle you can not only celebrate the wedding, but also spend the wedding night.
The best
If you are running out of time, but you still want to get an impression of the fortresses and palaces of the country, you have to choose. But which castle to visit? Which of them is considered the best, fabulous, beautiful? The Czech Ministry of Tourism has asked the same question. In order to clarify the matter, it conducted a survey of the local population. People had to answer which, in their opinion, are the most beautiful and romantic castles in the Czech Republic. Photo with titlesThe ministry has announced the winners. The top three in terms of beauty included Telch, Pernstein and Chervena Lhota. Even without involving the population, the ministry found out which Czech castles are the most visited. Of course, two Prague castles were in the lead. And of those in the provinces, Karlštejn and Český Krumlov won. The most beautiful and majestic examples of Gothic architecture are Loket, Křivoklát and Karlštejn, already mentioned here. Nelahozeves and Telč won in the Renaissance nomination, and V altice and Mnelnik won in the Baroque nomination.
Sounds
Let's now look at the most popular castles in the Czech Republic. Photos with the names of these most beautiful places are placed in tourist guides around the country, they are replicated on countless postcards, T-shirts, and magnets. If you ask yourself which castle fits perfectly into the surrounding landscape, then the answer is: Zvikov. It stands proudly on the rock where the Vltava and Otava merge together. For the first time Zvikov is mentioned in the chronicle of 1234 as the property of Přemysl Otokar the First. The castle was repeatedly rebuilt and fortified. But still preserved frescoes of the fifteenth century, medieval furniture. And the castle chapel of St. Wenceslas has come down to us in its original form. Now Zvikov hosts a museum exposition that takes us back to the distant medieval times. To hold a wedding ceremony in the castle, you need to contact the administration of the town of Zvikovské Pograde.
Karlstein
Some ancient castlesThe Czech Republic is still in ruins and waiting for restorers. But not Karlstein. Since this castle is located only thirty kilometers from Prague, the tourist trail does not overgrow to it. You can even say this: all the well-being of the inhabitants of the town of Karlstejn is somehow connected with the castle. This citadel was founded by King Charles the Fourth. The monarch had a penchant for collecting various relics. Thus, modern tourists are invited to inspect not only the chambers and fortifications, but also the royal treasury. You can walk around the territory of the castle absolutely freely, but the entrance to the inside is paid and only as part of excursions. There are two of them: an overview (treasury and main objects) and a more detailed one (a collection of easel paintings and the palace chapel of the Holy Cross). In the town of Karlštejn (since you have come here) it is worth visiting museums: clocks, wax figures and nativity scenes.
Konopiste
The most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic are located near the capital. One of them is Konopiste, forty-eight kilometers east of Prague and 2 kilometers from the small town of Benešov. This castle was founded at the end of the thirteenth century. Multiple reconstructions did not disfigure, but, on the contrary, embellished the once gloomy and impregnable citadel. A charming palace rises on a medieval foundation, and an equally charming park adjoins it with a rose garden and artificial ponds, along which peacocks proudly pace. The entire museum exposition of the Konopiste castle is dedicated to its last owner, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. You can walk in the park for free. You need to buy a ticketto get into the chambers. There are three tours of the huge castle-palace. The first is the southern wing with the Hunter's Corridor. The second tour covers the northern part of the castle with a library and armory. And as part of the third, tourists visit the private chambers of the Archduke's family. All tours last about an hour.
Rožmberk over the Vltava
Without a doubt, this is the most mysterious castle in the Czech Republic. And it was built in the middle of the thirteenth century by a representative of the noble Rozhemberg family. Its representatives were distinguished sometimes by heavy, and sometimes simply eccentric character. They then lost their family nest in cards, then they redeemed it again by hook or by crook. Why does Rozmberk enjoy the fame of the most mysterious castle? In it, the visitor will not find glamorous boudoirs and luxuriously furnished halls. But here there is an abundance of secret passages, narrow corridors, manholes and stairs inside the walls and the like. A ghost also lives here. Perchta, whose portrait can be seen in the castle, was born in Český Krumlov. But she married (against her will) Jan Liechtenstein, who at that time owned Rožmberk. For twenty years of married life, this nobleman harassed the poor thing. Her soul does not know rest even after death. Perhta was last seen in 1996.
Sternberk
Usually castles in the Czech Republic, photos of which show ancient interiors untouched by time, non-residential. But in Sternberk you can not only walk through the private chambers of the owners, but also talk with them. The distant descendants of the counts live in the castle. Interestingly, he leads the tour himselfthe owner is Zdenek Sternberk. So what to do? You have to live somehow. And maintaining a huge castle is very expensive. Therefore, the owner not only kindly shows visitors all the corners of his residence, but also takes orders for organizing wedding ceremonies. Zdeněk Sternberk has an excellent library, a rich collection of weapons, pipes and old engravings.
Bečov nad Teploy
The best castles in the Czech Republic are also available for those who come to the country for treatment. Twenty-five kilometers from the he alth resort of Karlovy Vary is the town of Becov nad Teplou. Its only attraction is the castle complex, which consists of an ancient fortress and a beautiful palace. It is not known exactly when the first buildings appeared here. The donjon (a residential tower in which the feudal lord lived with his family and his garrison) appeared in the first half of the fourteenth century. Then a chapel was added to it. It is interesting that the altar part in it is not oriented according to the canon: not to the east, but to the north. The most significant treasure of the castle is the reliquary of St. Maurus. This unique jewelry work of the sarcophagus was opened for inspection in 2002. In the oldest part of the donjon, you can see ancient frescoes. In the sixteenth century, the owners began to reconstruct and re-equip the medieval fortress in the fashion of the High Renaissance. In the eighteenth century, baroque elements of decor were added to it, and in the nineteenth they were given features of romanticism. Alfred Beaufort-Spontini, the owner of Bechov in 1838, bought the relics of St. Maurus from the local monastery and placedthem in the palace chapel of St. Petra.
Deep-over-Vltava
The best castles in the Czech Republic are located in South Bohemia. These are Krumlov and Gluboka nad Vltavou. A distance of one hundred and forty kilometers from Prague is not an obstacle for those who are eager to see the beautiful and ancient citadels. The first mention of Glubokaya nad Vltava dates back to the thirteenth century. True, then it was called Frauenberg (Women's Castle), and outwardly it was very different from the modern one. The fortress changed owners several times until it became the property of the Schwarzenberg family in the seventeenth century. And two hundred years later, a representative of the family, Eleanor, visited England. This trip to Foggy Albion was of great importance for the castle in the Czech Republic. Because Eleanor Schwarzenberg decided to remake her residence as a copy of Windsor Castle. And you know, the lady made her dream come true! The Schwarzenbergs lived in the "Czech Windsor" until 1945. After that, the complex was nationalized and turned into a museum.
Detenice
According to legend, in the eleventh century, the Czech prince Ulrich, hunting in the forest, found orphans abandoned to the mercy of fate and took them up. And at the meeting place of the children he ordered to build a village. Later there was also a castle. It, like the settlement, is called Detenice. This castle of the Czech Republic, like many of its collection, has repeatedly changed owners. After the nationalization of the fortress by socialist Czechoslovakia, the castle stood in ruins. The Ondrachkovs recently rented it, reconstructed it and now receive visitors. It is noteworthy that the castle attracts tourists not only with its medieval interiors,park and defensive walls, but also a tavern. Yes, here you will be fed with real medieval dishes and in the appropriate surroundings!
When to visit castles
Tourists should be aware that many of the country's outdoor attractions are closed from November to early April. But there are exceptions. Which castles in the Czech Republic receive visitors in winter? Naturally, these are two capital cities. But there are many castles in the province open for winter tourists. These are Sychrov (where the film about Goldilocks was filmed), Dobrish near Prague, Gluboka nad Vltavou, Klášterec nad Ogru, Loket, Kšivokrat, Lednice, Sternberg, Nelahozeves, Zvirzhetenice and others.
