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As spring approaches, over 150 historic castles, chateaux, and monuments across Czechia are preparing to welcome visitors for the 2025 season. The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) has announced that the season to visit the historic institutions will officially begin on April 5 and extend until Nov. 2 this year, featuring new tours, exhibitions, and special events.
This year’s theme highlights the role of the Italian nobility in Bohemia while also paying homage to the significance of the Vltava River. One good piece of news is that admission fees, with the exception of one chateau, will remain the same as last year. Here’s everything to expect for the 2025 season.
Exploring Italian influence
NPÚ’s 2025 project, In the Footsteps of Noble Families, will highlight the legacy of Italian nobility in the Czech lands, focusing on the Collalto, Colloredo, and Piccolomini families. The state chateaux of Uherčice (South Moravia), Opočno, and Náchod (both Hradec Králové) will be the main sites for exhibitions, concerts, and thematic tours.
The initiative will commence on April 3 in the Flower Garden in Kroměříž (Zlín), celebrating the 350th anniversary of its Italian-led construction.
Learning about the Vltava
A major NPÚ initiative for 2025, Vltava: Famous & Navigable, will celebrate the cultural and historical significance of the Vltava River. The project will include lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and performances throughout the year.
A key event will be an exhibition at the Prague Castle Riding Hall from September, featuring artifacts showcasing the river’s role as a national and European cultural route.
The project will also feature a water relay starting on June 1 at the Teplá Vltava spring, carrying water to Prague for the exhibition’s opening.
EASY-TO-ACCESS MONUMENTS FROM PRAGUE
- Karlštejn Castle: A majestic Gothic fortress just 30 km southwest of Prague, known for housing the imperial crown jewels.
- Konopiště Castle: Located about 50 km southeast of Prague, this chateau was the final residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
- Křivoklát Castle: A medieval stronghold west of Prague, famous for its Gothic architecture and history of royal imprisonment.
- Žleby Castle: A fairytale Neo-Gothic castle about 80 km east of Prague, featuring aristocratic interiors and a game preserve.
- Veltrusy Chateau: Just 25 km north of Prague, this Baroque chateau is set in a vast English-style park and offers scenic walks.
New tours and unexplored rooms
Tens of castles and chateaux will also make previously inaccessible areas open to the public. The Janovice State Chateau near Rýmařov (Moravian-Silesia) will introduce a new tour circuit in late May, detailing the life of Count František of Harrach, including his role in the 1914 Sarajevo riots.
In the summer, the Telč State Chateau (Vysočina) will debut a permanent exhibition featuring approximately 35 paintings by renowned artist Jan Zrzavý from the National Gallery Prague’s collection.
At the Třeboň State Castle (South Bohemia), the Garden Wing will house an exhibition showcasing 1,400 Czech historical puppets from 1912 to 1945. Meanwhile, the Rožmberk State Castle (South Bohemia) will reveal restored historical paintings along its reinstalled main tour route.
The Frýdlant State Castle and Chateau (Liberec) will open new tour spaces in the summer, including the old archives, kitchen, guardhouse, and pantry, where a historic treasure was discovered in the castle pond. From September, the castle will also feature rare busts of Habsburg Dukes Margaret and Filibert.
Save the date: Castle Night
The season’s highlight event, Castle Night, will take place on Aug. 23, featuring 150 participating monuments. The main venue, Uherčice State Chateau (South Moravia), will open a restored Baroque apartment in its west wing for the first time.
