Konopiště Château

So they killed Ferdinand! This could have carried through the corridors of Konopiště Château, whose last owner was none other than the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand d’Este. He gave the château its current appearance, placed his extensive collections in it and turned the surroundings into a romantic landscape park that has lost none of its charm to this day.

Konopiště is famous for its interior furnishings, with rare art collections comparable to those of European importance. Explore them through the four guided tours prepared for visitors. In the armoury you will see melee weapons as well as firearms, powder flasks, cannons and a Renaissance shield stolen by the Nazis, which made it all the way to Philadelphia, where it was accidentally discovered by a Czech historian and returned to Konopiště.

• Fun fact: In the château’s moat lives an Asian black bear named Jiří. There is a very long tradition of bear breeding here: the first fluffy cubs were acquired by the Lobkowicz family in the middle of the 19th century. Archduke Franz Ferdinand d’Este then continued the breeding.

But the tour of the château does not have to end there: take a look at the Archduke’s shooting range with moving and acoustic targets, the St. George Museum and the ALAMODE exhibition on the south terrace of the château, which focuses on 18th century fashion, rococo costumes and masks.  You will also be delighted by the greenhouses in the Rose Garden with rare tropical and subtropical vegetation, ponds and a cork pavilion.

• Tip for you: The charm of the château is embellished by the surrounding park, which has several nature trails and is accessible all year round. It also includes a small game preserve called Stará Myslivna, where you can see fallow deer, sika deer and mouflon. Even Franz Ferdinand d’Este himself liked the château because of the abundant herds of wild animals in the surrounding forests. A stylish hunting restaurant of the same name was also built here.

Fancy stretching your body a little more than with just a stroll in the park? Follow the marked trail up to the Chvojen fortress. Motorcycle enthusiasts should not skip the Motorcycle Museum – Jawa Factory Museum in Konopiště, and for art head to the Museum of Art and Design in Benešov. And what to wash the trip down with? Ferdinand – beer from the Benešov brewery, around which there is a nature trail. Another stop is the captivating Jemniště Château with its flowering park.