Discover Bezděz and Houska Castles This October

Explore some of the most enchanting castles found in our nation. The Macha Region shines beautifully throughout every season of the year. This enchanting area, full of various natural landscapes, historic castles, and rocky valleys , has long drawn in visionaries and romantics. Many popular spots, visited during holidays and relaxing vacations, hold enthralling stories from the past.

A notable figure in Czech literary Romanticism, the poet Karel Hynek Mácha (1810-1836) cherished this region so deeply that he chose it as the backdrop for his most renowned work, the poem Bezděz, Berštejn and Ralsko, which is set in Doksy and features the castles of May. The local community honored their poet by renaming The Great Pond to Lake Macha. Since 1961, the entire area has been collectively called Macha’s Land, in tribute to him.

Bezděz and Houska will be open on weekends and holidays

At Bezděz Castle, you can enjoy a free guided tour using a printed brochure. This tour covers the castle chapel, the royal palace, the grand tower, the purgatory palace, and the manorial palaces in the second courtyard. You’ll also get to see a stunning early Gothic chapel that features a double gallery and two vaulted sections. The gallery on the Great Tower offers breathtaking views, and there are telescopes available for use. One is positioned to the north towards Doksy, allowing you to clearly spot Máchovo Jezero, Berštejn Castle, and Houska Castle.

If you want to combine a visit to Bezděz with Houska Castle, it’s certainly possible. However, Houska Castle will only be open during the final weekend of October, specifically from October 25 to 26, 2025, marking the castle’s last days of operation this season. Tours begin every hour, and are offered only with a tour guide. The first tour departs from the outer courtyard at 10:00 am, with the afternoon tour starting at 3:00 pm.