5 Czech castle trips to welcome the spring season

A number of Czech castles and chateaus remain open to visitors during the winter season. But the first weeks of spring see a new wave of landmarks open their gates and ramparts to visitors.

The majority of castles officially open on Good Friday, an ideal long weekend for exploring some of the country’s 2,000 castles, chateaus, and stately homes, many of which offer Easter markets and accompanying programs.

However, the National Heritage institute has announced the opening of several important castles this spring – a couple of them a bit earlier than planned. (The institute recommends bundling up before visiting an unheated castle during the colder month.) In addition, the previously inaccessible spaces of Prague Castle and Lány chateau will open to the public for the first time in March.

This majestic 13th-century Gothic stone castle is located near Benešov and overlooks the meanders of the Sázava river. The castle grounds have recently undergone a sensitive reconstruction and the interiors are beautifully preserved and full of items to please history enthusiasts.

At the beginning of March, the gates of Šternberk Castle will open again and the 2023 visitor season will begin. The first tours will commence on Saturdays throughout March 2023 (March 11, 18, and 25).

Jindřichův Hradec Castle, a vast Renaissance chateau in the country’s South Bohemia region, is the third largest historical castle complex after Prague Castle and Český Krumlov. While it usually opens its doors to visitors at the beginning of April, this year the castle is opening over the last two weekends of March (March 18 and 19 and March 25 and 26).

An 18th-century fire destroyed a significant part of its interiors and the castle languished for years until its importance was recognized in the 20th century. That's when it underwent a reconstruction, which lasted for nearly twenty years, and finally restored it to its original glory.

See the castle’s beautifully preserved Renaissance rooms and the Mannerist Rondel music pavilion, a true Renaissance gem.

Not far from Jindřichův Hradec, Landštejn is a Romanesque fortress embedded in the surrounding wilderness of Czech Canada opens. Following three years of repairs, it is possible to see Landštejn Castle again without scaffolding as part of a new castle and chapel circuit. The castle opens April 15-16 and exceptionally on Tuesday, April 18 for International Monuments Day.

The first written record of the castle is from 1231, at which time it was the largest Romanesque castle in the Czech lands. It is one of the oldest and best-preserved structures of its kind in Europe. You can also see a wonderful 3D tour here.

For the first time in history, regular guided tours for the public will be introduced at Lány Castle from March 1, 2023. Visitors will get to know the representative floor of the castle and its history. The guides pay special attention to the monument to Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and the Lány castle as the seat of the head of state. The tours are intended primarily for visitors who are Czech citizens and will be conducted in Czech. Translated information, however, will be available to foreign visitors. 

The Baroque chateau in the village of Lány in the Křivoklát woods, not far from Prague, is the official summer residence of the presidents of the Czech Republic.

Prague Castle has long been Czechia’s top tourist attraction, but for those who think they've explored every opulent corner of the world's largest castle complex, there's more in store this year. In an effort to offer something new, several guided tours of previously inaccessible areas will start on March 1.

Newly accessible areas include parts of the St. Vitus cathedral that have special heritage protection, including the St. Wenceslas Chapel, the Royal Tombs, and additional spaces on the ground floor. More recent history can be glimpsed along a new route that allows visitors into the south wing of Prague Castle’s New Royal Palace. Tours of the Royal Garden and several of its buildings give the history of the Stag Moat and show the view from the terrace of the Riding School.