Regional Museum in Mělník

The former Capuchin monastery, now housing the museum, is located in the heart of Mělník’s historic center. While the building may seem like a typical town house at first glance, inside you’ll find vaulted ceilings, frescoes, and thoughtfully arranged exhibits. The real gem, however, lies beneath—an underground cellar from the 14th century that offers a glimpse into the history of winemaking in Bohemia and the Mělník region.

The museum’s main exhibits are divided into three sections: regional history, nature, and winemaking. The historical section offers a look into a medieval town and a bourgeois salon from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In contrast, the ethnographic exhibit “Everyday Life of Rural Inhabitants” explores rural life.

The region’s unique nature is reflected in the nearby Kokořínsko Protected Landscape Area and the two major Czech rivers surrounded by floodplain forests. The natural history exhibit also features insect specimens and a large mammoth molar.

• Interesting fact: Winemaking in the Mělník region has been popular for over 1,000 years, so it’s no surprise that wine was once produced and stored in the space beneath the museum. In the old cellar, you’ll find tools like barrels, presses, bottle packaging, and many other artifacts related to wine production. Naturally, such a visit might make you want to taste some wine, and luckily, the museum is prepared for this, offering wine tastings in the cellars.

What’s next?

The collection of historical strollers is too large to fit in the Capuchin monastery, but it’s just a short walk away, housed in a building on Ostruhová Street, about 100 meters from the museum. To see how people once lived in the rocks, head to Lhotka u Mělníka, where the poorest villagers carved homes directly into the stone. One of these homes was inhabited by Mrs. Marie Holubová until 1982! If you’re heading to Máchův kraj, make a stop in Lobeč for a refreshing drink at the local steam-powered brewery, and visit the Museum of Eduard Štorch to see a mammoth. For music lovers, head in the opposite direction to Obříství and visit the Bedřich Smetana Memorial, then continue to Nelahozeves to see the birthplace of Antonín Dvořák.