The Czech lands boast an extraordinarily high number of cultural monuments. Over 2,000 preserved castles and chateaux (more per square mile than any other country in the world!) represent an important part of the national cultural heritage, both in terms of their number and in terms of their historical and artistic value; their significance transcends national borders, and more than a few of these structures are important even in the global cultural context.
The Cathedral of St. Vitus, the Old Royal Palace, the Basilica of St. George, the Monastery of St. George. Gardens under the castle: the Ledeburg Garden, the Small and Big Pálffy Garden etc.
In the mid-13th century the lords of Krumlov, who belonged to the important noble family of Vítkovce, founded the castle Krumlov on a steep rocky bulge above the stream of the river Vltava. In 1302 the Rosenberg family took over the castle and made it their main residential place. During the era of Vilem of Rosenberg the huge Gothic castle was rebuilt under the guidance of Italian masters into a...
The romantic chateau Lednice is situated in the extent natural area on the embankment of the river Dyje. Originally there was a Gothic fortified settlement, mentioned already in 1222, which Prince Přemysl donated to the Lichtenstein family. Lednice had been their residential place till the end of World War II with one short break. In the 16th century the settlement was rebuilt into a Renaissance...
Karlštejn is the most remarkable Czech castle and is one of the symbols of the Czech Kingdom. Charles IV, the Czech King and the Roman Emperor founded the castle in 1348 on three floor levels. On the lowest floor there were situated secular residential rooms housed by the emperor, his wife and his company. On the second floor the Church of Our Lady was built and together with it the private chapel...
A monumental Romantic chateau; originally a Gothic castle, remodeled in the Baroque style suting the first half of the 18th century. It underwent a significant transformation in the 19th century when it was remodeled in the English Windsor-style Gothic into the official seat of the Schwarzenberg dynasty. The complex includes a glassed-in winter garden, a riding hall, an English park...
Originally an early-Gothic castle of the French type, remodeled in the Renaissance style a then rebuilt into a Baroque chateau. At the end of the 19th century it was refurbished in the Romantic style for Franz Ferdinand d´Este, successor to the Habsburg throne. A rose garden a an extensive English park. Staterooms, chateau collections (armory, library, chapel, etc.) Provate rooms belonging to F. F....
Extensive Gothic royal castle from the 13th century, originally a hunting castle of the Přemyslid dynasty, rebuilt at the end of the 15th century for Wladislaw Jagiello. Used as a prison in the 16th century. Burned down in 1643, restored at the turn of the 19th a 20th centuries (J. Mocker, K. Hilbert). Historical interiors - chapel, Knights’ Hall, Royall Hall, the Fürstenberg library, jail, the...
In 1110 the Bishops of Olomouc were donated Kroměříž. In the 13th century one of them, Bruno of Schauenburg had a Gothic castle built at the place of a Slavic settlement. At the turn of 15th and 16th centuries the castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance residence with a four-wing building and a big tower. At the end of the Thirty Years War in 1643 the Swedish military forces devastated the chateau. On...
A large romantic chateau of the Rohan family from the late 17th century, originally a Baroque chateau built on the place of a Gothic fortress, adjusted in Classicism, in the 19th century rebuilt in the Pseudo-Gothic style. Authentic Neo-Gothic interiors with rich woodcarvings (P.Bušek) and valuable art collections (paintings, pewter, china, glass, glass paintings). The portrait gallery of the Rohan...
A Gothic castle from the mid-13th century with Baroque modifications; owned with few interruptions by the Šternberk dynasty. The historical interiors modified in the Baroque style feature rich stucco and painted decorations, valuable furnishings and family collections (the Knights’ Hall, the dining room, St. Sebastian’s Chapel, the Hunters’ Salon, the bedroom, the room belonging to Kašpar...
Pražský hrad (Prague Castle)
Český Krumlov
Lednice
Karlštejn
Hluboká nad Vltavou
Konopiště
Křivoklát
Kroměříž
Sychrov
Český Šternberk
