Archive: Travel | Castles Castles

Waiting for Saint Martin at Loučeň château

16-11-2012 16:17 | Masha Volynsky

Photo: Masha Volynsky This past weekend, many people around the Czech Republic celebrated the feast of Saint Martin’s day. Some baked a goose and shared it with family, some waited to see if Saint Martin will really come on a white horse and others just enjoyed the copious amounts of young Saint Martin’s wine overflowing in wine shops and street fairs all over the country. More

National Heritage Institute seeks to attract more visitors to Czech castles and chateaus

14-07-2012 02:01 | Jan Richter

Lednice chateau, photo: CzechTourism The Czech Republic is sometimes called the land of castles and chateaus. For historic reasons, many of those monuments, including some of the most popular ones such as Lednice, Český Krumlov and Karlštejn, are owned by the state and run by the National Heritage Institute. To attract more visitors to these sits, the institute this week opened an information office in Prague. Radio Prague spoke to Tomáš Brabec from the National Heritage Institute, and asked him what information visitors can find in the new facility. More

Kozel Chateau

10-04-2012 | Ian Willoughby

Kozel Chateau For today's Spotlight we have come to the countryside of west Bohemia to visit Kozel Chateau. Kozel was originally a hunting lodge, and when it was built in the late 18th century bore the German name Waldschloss or Jadgschloss, meaning Forest or Hunting Chateau. Why is it now called Kozel (Goat in Czech)? Apparently, the ancient Slavs used to sacrifice a goat on this site at the spring equinox. Their aim: to win the favour of their pagan gods and, hopefully, a good harvest. More

Welcome to Landek Park – the largest museum of mining in the Czech Republic

07-12-2011 14:46 | Pavla Horáková

Two weeks ago in Spotlight we travelled to the centre of Ostrava, the capital of the Moravian-Silesian region, where a new industrial heritage site is going to open next year. Today we will stay in the area to visit Landek Park, the largest museum of mining in the Czech Republic. More

The Fort above the Black Forests - Kostelec nad Černými Lesy

24-09-2011 02:01 | Christian Falvey

Kostelec nad Černými lesy This week’s spotlight focuses on one of the main centres of forestry in the Czech Republic and an oft overlooked pearl of Bohemian cultural heritage. Christian Falvey gives us his impressions of the town of Kostelec nad Černými lesy. More

Nepomuk and environs - some facts and lots of fiction

13-08-2011 02:01 | Christian Falvey

If there were a capital city of legendry in the Czech Republic, the town of Nepomuk would be a hot contestant for the honour. There are said to be graves that glow when someone’s about to die, a landscape littered with the petrified cattle of a greedy pagan and the ghost of an evil musketeer who walks the earth with the still-ferocious spectre of his dog. The official population of Nepomuk may be 3,700, but that’s only if you count the living. More

Romantic Kokořín

10-08-2011 15:52 | Jan Velinger

Kokořín Castle Anyone longing to escape the Czech capital in the stifling summer months would do well to visit the nearby Kokořín region - only around 40 kilometres or so northeast of Prague. Kokořín - with deep forests, valleys, as well as characteristic sandstone cliffs and unique architecture, is remarkable. You'll feel you've travelled more than one short train or bus ride away. It's an escape back to nature, with numerous spots for swimming and excellent trails for hiking, all in quiet and peace.  More

Kozel Chateau

30-07-2011 02:01 | Jan Velinger

One of the best kept secrets among Czech castles and historic sites is the gorgeous Kozel Chateau founded in the late 18th century in western Bohemia. Founded by nobleman Jan Vojtěch Černín, a member of Emperor Joseph II’s court, the stone residence served an as exquisite hunting chateau and today is one of the best examples of Classicist architecture in Bohemia. The site is surrounded by fine lawns, a beautiful park and forests perfect for visits in the spring and summer. What’s more, Kozel is only an hour or so away from Prague and just minutes from nearby Pilsen. More

National Heritage Institute: many of the country’s gems still undiscovered by foreign tourists

28-07-2011 10:59 | Daniela Lazarová

Lednice chateau, photo: CzechTourism The National Heritage Institute which is responsible for the protection and preservation of the country’s historical monuments has over 100 palaces, castles and manor houses in its care. Over the past 20 years it has worked hard to restore many of those long-neglected buildings to their former glory and today they represent the best part of the country’s national heritage. Regrettably, many of those outside Prague remain undiscovered by foreign tourists. Tomáš Brabec of the National Heritage Institute says this is something that the institute is trying hard to change. More

Blatná Castle

22-06-2011 | Jan Velinger

Blatná Castle The summer months are here and with it tourists visiting many of the country’s most notable castles and chateaux. But one site you might want to consider visiting, somewhat off the beaten path, is Blatná Castle in southern Bohemia, some 95 kilometres south of the capital. It’s not an understatement to say Blatná Castle is something out of a fairly tale, overlooking a surrounding moat and deer park. Blatná is the location we visit in Spotlight today. More

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