Hořovice Château

The charming Hořovice Château in the Brdy region gives a glimpse into the representative rooms of the nobility and private interiors. It also introduces the public to how young aristocrats played. It is surrounded by a well-tended park with a beautiful Sun Gate.

The new Hořovice Château was built at the end of the 17th century by the Lords of Vrbno and Bruntál, because the old local château no longer met their requirements for a representative residence. Six generations of this family lived in the château thereafter. In the middle of the 19th century, the Lords of Hanau came to Hořovice and owned the area until it was nationalised in 1945. These lords expanded the production of cast iron in Hořovice, whose importance reached the European level.

• Interesting fact: In 1918 the château was used as a prison camp for Italian soldiers. After 1945, it partially served as a hospital and as an agricultural or engineering school. Not only due to inappropriate use, but also due to looting and devastation by the Soviet Army, the château building was severely damaged. Thanks to renovations that have been carried out here since 2000, the château has been restored to its original dignity as a royal residence.

Today, Hořovice Château is a frequent venue for cultural events. During the season you can choose from three guided tours that will take you through the entire ground floor and first floor of the château. The first of the tours will show you the representative areas of the château and the servants’ quarters. The next tour gives you a glimpse into the private rooms and authentically furnished living quarters of the last aristocratic owners of the château. You will see the entire first floor of the château. You will also see the servants’ quarters on the ground floor. A special tour called Games and Toys of Little Aristocrats will take you through an exhibition of toys of aristocratic children from the depositories of many castles and châteaus in Central Bohemia.

• Tip for you: Enjoy a tour of the naturally landscaped château park. It features the late Baroque Sun Gate, which is decorated with sculptures by Matthias Bernard Braun.

However, the trip to Hořovice does not end with a tour of the new château. The old château, set just across the road, houses a museum and gallery. Another interesting fact is that Hořovice has been successfully producing world-famous accordions for over a hundred years (since 1920). The new château itself was a place ruled by the muse. The violin virtuoso Josef Slavík, later a fellow traveller of Paganini, grew up here. His father worked as a music teacher in Hořovice.

Where to head next?

Only a stone’s throw from Hořovice are the castles of Točník and Žebrák, which together form the most famous Czech castle complex. The numerous castles and châteaux in the area show that the region was very popular with former rulers. See for yourself at Zbiroh Château, sometimes called the “Château of the Three Emperors”.