Zákupy Castle Entices Visitors with a Captivating New Exhibition of Historic Carriages
The brand new exhibition at Zákupy Castle has been welcoming guests since May 27th and was put together in cooperation with the National Technical Museum. Attendees can expect to see unique items such as the carriage of Emperor Ferdinand I the Good, a Victoria-style carriage owned by Chancellor Metternich’s granddaughter, along with a rare English Hansom Cab. The display showcases a variety of carriages, including those for city use, country excursions, and even two designed for sports.
This exhibition works to bring the small Baroque stables back to their original purpose, allowing visitors to admire these rare carriages in a setting that feels genuinely historic. In the 19th century, these stables were used as a carriage house. Carriages would enter through grand gates, which were installed during that period to accommodate the needs of the imperial court for Ferdinand the Good and those who traveled with him.
The new exhibit also showcases carriages that belonged to famous individuals from noble and royal backgrounds. Besides the previously mentioned carriage of Emperor Ferdinand I the Good, which he used during his extended stay in Prague after stepping down from power, there is also a Victoria-type pleasure carriage owned by the granddaughter of Austrian Chancellor Metternich, Pavlína Klementina, Princess of the House of Metternich-Sándor. She was not just well-connected with the wife of French Emperor Napoleon III but was also known as a fashion icon and a supporter of musician Bedřich Smetana.
Among the urban carriages, the English Hansom cab stands out as possibly the only one still existing in our country. Additionally, two Landauer carriages are of significant importance; they feature a unique two-part folding roof ideal for all kinds of weather. A limited number of these carriages were left in the Czech Republic, partly because they were costly at the time of purchase, and partly due to them being taken away by new owners from Western Europe after the Velvet Revolution, seeking their functionality.
The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday, running from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. It is included as part of the self-guided tour of the Baroque Stables. The entry fee is a flat rate of 60 CZK.
Zákupy Castle provides numerous tour options
At Zákupy Castle, visitors can explore various tour routes, such as The castle under Ferdinandthe Great, The castle under Franz Joseph I , and The Interiors of the first floor of the farmyard.
The tour route Interiors of the first floor of the farmyard takes guests through ten rooms located on the first floor of the southern wing of the farmyard. Four of these rooms have been turned into a suite for Anna Marie Františka, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, featuring a study, dining room, bedroom, and salon. The other six rooms are filled with furniture, paintings, portraits, and porcelain from aristocratic homes that have remained closed to the public since the Second World War.
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Rohlídka The castle under Franz Joseph I offers a glimpse into the rooms on the north and west sides of the second floor, which still boast their original decoration from the latter half of the 19th century, richly adorned with furniture, art pieces, and porcelain. The guide provides insights into the time when Zákupy Castle was owned by Emperor Franz Joseph I, who not only visited the castle himself but also lent it to his close relatives for their summer vacations.
Tour The Castle under Ferdinand theBenevolent guides you through the rooms in the south and east wings of the second floor, retaining their original style from the second half of the 19th century, and filled with lovely furniture, paintings, porcelain, and more. The guide focuses on when Zákupy Castle was owned by Emperor Ferdinand the Good, who, along with his wife Empress Maria Anna Caroline, used it as their summer getaway. Visitors are treated to sights like the castle dining room, the suite of the Emperor and Empress, and even the imperial lift dating back to 1870. The tour also highlights a three-room guest suite dedicated to another important figure in the castle’s history – Napoleon’s son Orlík, Duke of Zákupy.
During the summer holidays, a self-guided tour is available, allowing you to explore six elegantly furnished rooms from the mid-19th century on the castle’s first floor, alongside a historic kitchen located on the ground level.
An exciting new tour route will be introduced in 2027 – The Franz Ferdinand d’Este Suite.
