Fairy tale experiences at Czech castles and chateaux
March 2009 - Castle tours filled with boring lectures full of dates and names are a thing of the past. Caste-keepers at Czech castles and chateaux have put their heads together and come up with interesting programmes for this year, for children as well as adults. The season start with Easter fairs, continues with musical events in the summer, wine festivals in autumn, and closes with Christmas fairs. Moreover, some historic sights are open throughout the year.
Hořovice (photo: CzechTourism)
This year, Křivoklát Castle in Central Bohemia celebrates an unbelievable 900 years since its foundation. To mark the anniversary, Křivoklát, one of the oldest royal castles in the Czech Republic, is opening a new sightseeing tour of the castle called “A Journey through Royal History”. The tour will show visitors parts of this Gothic building that were previously inaccessible.
Seven hundred years ago, the city of Český Krumlov was established, and the local castle will certainly play a part in this year’s spectacular celebrations. Music and entertainment have always been a part of castle life, and the numerous interesting events include an Early Music Festival (9–16 July 2009), which will fill the magnificent castle premises with the works of medieval, Renaissance and baroque composers.
The Czech Castles festival has become an unforgettable celebration of the castle in modern times. Over the course of five weekends in the summer (from 10 July to 8 August), the festival will visit five castles (Točník, Kunětická Hora, Švihov, Bezděz, and Rožmberk). These stone monuments, each of which is several hundred years old, will come to life with contemporary music.
Our predecessors certainly did not trouble themselves with diets, and thus an invitation to gastronomic festivities at castles and chateaux promises an interesting experience. On 23 and 24 May, you can experience first-hand gastronomic habits from the Middle Ages up to the present day at romantic Velhartice castle in the Šumava Mountains.
Once again, baroque-era Nebílovy chateau near Pilsen lures visitors with an asparagus festival (16-17 May) and a wine festival (12-13 September).
Have you ever been to a honey festival? No? Then don’t miss this year’s festival at medieval Rabí castle on 27 June. In addition to various kinds of honey, you can also taste other products made from honey, such as gingerbread or mead. If your darling has a secret desire for a wedding, satisfy her yearning with a tour of the chateau in Kroměříž on 1 May. May first is a day for lovers in the Czech Republic, and on this day the interiors of the Kroměříž chateau will be decorated with wedding gowns and flowers. The baroque chateau, famous for its valuable collection of fine arts, is a UNESCO heritage site, and the wedding gowns will certainly fit the bill.
A visit to Sychrov Castle offers a small excursion through the history of living. This sightseeing tour, which shows the development of noble interiors from the Renaissance up to the neo-classical era, will be presented in a new form. Sychrov is interesting not only inside but also outside. A visit on the last weekend in August (29-30 August) will make you feel as if you were in Scotland, when Scottish games and dances, competitions, and, of course, Scottish bagpipers all will be featured!
This is but a small preview. Every season in the Czech Republic, nearly 200 castles and chateaux open their gates to visitors.
