Hluboká Castle (photo: CzechTourism)

Originally a homestead for royals and nobles, Hluboká nad Vltavou castle was bought by the Schwarzenberg family in 1661. Its present look is the result of meticulous renovation effors in the 19th century, during which the castle was redone in the style of England's Windsor Castle - the Tudor Gothic style is truly unusual in the Czech Republic.

A tour of the castle begins with a monumental staircase and a Gothic vault, and also includes the princess’s bedroom, a reading room, smoking room, dining room and a library with more than 12,000 books.  

Visitors can see only a small part of this truly enormous castle (140 rooms).

Connected to the castle by a beautiful winter garden, the Mikolaš Aleš Gallery exhibits many Czech contemporary paintings, Dutch paintings dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries, as well as sculptures from Bohemia’s Gothic period.

The castle gardens are truly expansive, and you can visit them for free. There are some 11,000 trees in the English park surrounding the castle.