Science and history are fascinating: Discover towns and villages full of castles, palaces and monasteries
Prague, Prague’s castles and monasteries in Hradčany and at Prague Castle
In Prague, you’ll find several royal residences. Prague Castle, which has been a symbol of Czech statehood for over a thousand years, was built at the beginning of the Přemyslid dynasty, when Vyšehrad stood on the site. The later royal residence was located in the Old Town, and two further smaller castles were founded by King Wenceslas IV.
You’ll also come across dozens of monasteries in Prague. For example, in Hradčany you can visit the Premonstratensian Strahov Monastery, which houses a historic library and offers a beautiful view of the city. The next stop is the picturesque Loreto Square, home to the Loreto, the Capuchin monastery and the Church of Our Lady of the Angels.
Passing through Nový Svět, you’ll reach the former convent of the Ursulines at the Church of St John of Nepomuk on Kanovnická Street, and, passing the convent of the Discalced Carmelites at the Church of St Benedict on Hradčanské Square, you’ll continue on to Prague Castle. There you will find the former Benedictine convent with St George’s Basilica, which houses the burial place of the princes of the Přemyslid dynasty. This convent is being transformed into a cultural and educational centre, where the St Vitus Treasury will be on permanent display.
Monastery walks through Lesser Town and the Old Town
You can also
go on similar walks in Malá Strana, where you can move from one monastery to another. From the Grand Priory of the Knights of Malta at the Church of Our Lady beneath the Chain on Maltese Square, head to the Carmelite monastery at the Church of Our Lady of Victory and St. Anthony of Padua, home to the Infant Jesus of Prague, on Karmelitská Street. Next to the Church of St Nicholas on Malostranské Square stands the former Jesuit house, now managed by Charles University. Just round the corner on Letenská Street, you’ll discover the Augustinian monastery with the Church of St Thomas, and if you walk up Malá Strana towards Petřín, almost at the end of Vlašská Street you’ll come across the Hospital of the Sisters of Mercy of St Charles Borromeo. But your exploration of the Lesser Town’s monasteries is far from over, as in the past there were also convents of the Dominican Sisters and Dominican Friars, the Sisters of St Mary Magdalene, the Discalced Carmelites, the Redemptorists, the Theatines and the English Virgins.
What awaits you in the Old Town? Among the old monasteries open to the public, you’ll find, for example, St Agnes’ Convent, where you can explore the collections of the National Gallery; the Minorite monastery at the Church of St James; and the Klementinum, a former Jesuit college which now serves as the headquarters of the National Library of the Czech Republic. The Dominican monastery next to the Church of St Giles and the Convent of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star next to the Church of St Francis of Assisi on Křižovnické Square also remain in use. Furthermore, the Old Town was once home to the commanderies of the Teutonic Knights (on the site of today’s Kotva department store), the Templars’ commandery, and the monasteries of the Cyriac Sisters, the Sisters of St Mary Magdalene, the Dominican Sisters, Benedictines, Paulines, Discalced Carmelites, Servites and many others.
Brno and Znojmo – cities of monasteries
Another significant city of monasteries is Brno: there were once several dozen monasteries here, and many of them are still in operation. Among the best known are the Capuchin monastery with its famous Capuchin Crypt, the Augustinian monastery in Old Brno, which has hosted many events linked to the scientific work of Johann Gregor Mendel, and the Convent of the Brothers of Mercy with the Church of St Leopold and the Brothers of Mercy Hospital. Also still in operation are the monasteries of the Friars Minor, the Dominican Sisters and the Sisters of Mercy of Brno. Closed monasteries that are worth visiting include the former Dominican monastery with the Church of St Michael, which now serves as the New Town Hall on Dominikánské náměstí, where the Brno City Council is based.
Znojmo also boasts many monasteries: its Dominican monastery and the monastery of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, with the Church of St Hippolytus, are still in use. You can visit the former Minorite monastery, which houses the South Moravian Museum, and Loucký Monastery, whilst the Capuchin monastery with the Church of St John the Baptist is still awaiting a new use.
Old Castles and New Castles: Kostelec nad Orlicí, Dačice, Hořovice and Jevišovice
If you’re looking for other historic sites, the names ‘Old Castle’ or ‘New Castle’ can be a useful clue: they suggest that its counterpart is likely to be nearby. For example, in Kostelec nad Orlicí, the Kinsky family built the New Castle in the first half of the 19th century, whilst the Old Castle was converted into offices and flats for the estate. Today, the Old Castle serves the town, whilst the New Castle, set in an English-style park, is a place where you can explore, have fun and relax. As well as guided tours, the Kinský Gallery hosts exhibitions, concerts and festivals, and the grounds also feature a children’s playground and the popular Toni’s Café.
You can also find an Old and New Castle in Hořovice, Central Bohemia. The Old Castle houses the Hořovice Museum, whilst the New Castle is simply known as ‘the castle’. As well as several guided tours, a stroll through the park with its magnificent Sun Gate is well worth a visit.
The same situation can be found in Jevišovice in South Moravia: in the Old Castle you can admire the exhibitions of the Moravian Regional Museum, whilst the New Castle serves as a care home for the elderly. As you walk through the castle park, you’ll be greeted by Baroque statues.
Three or four castles and châteaux
And that’s certainly not the end of the story when it comes to the number of castles and châteaux in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia! Karviná, for example, had three châteaux at the start of the 20th century. Today, only one remains: Fryštát Castle. In Boskovice, however, all three residences have been preserved: the most recent Empire-style manor house, owned by the Mensdorf-Pouilly family; the oldest Gothic castle; and another building, a Baroque residence built by the lords when the castle was no longer suitable for habitation. It now houses the Boskovice Museum.
There are also three historic aristocratic residences in Potštejn. Not only are there a Baroque chateau and a Gothic castle, but also Velešov Castle. There has always been a legend surrounding Potštejn Castle about a fairytale treasure that was once said to have been hidden there by the robber knight Mikuláš. When Count Chamaré searched for the local treasure (in vain), he also dug up Velešov Castle. Not much remains of it now, but Potštejn is one of the few villages where you’ll find two castles.
In Podhradí near Aš, there were once as many as four châteaux. Among the remains that once belonged to the Zedwitz family, you’ll come across the ruins of the Upper and Lower Castles, Neuberg Castle and the castle brewery. You can see them clearly from the viewing tower, which was built in a former castle tower.
Castle and chateau curiosities
The two châteaux in Valašské Meziříčí came into being in an interesting way. This town was founded on the left bank of the Rožnovská Bečva, whilst the small town of Krásno stood on the right bank. When the two settlements merged in 1924 under the name Valašské Meziříčí, it became the largest town in Wallachia. Today, you will find two châteaux here: the Renaissance Žerotín Château and the Empire-style Kinsky Château, both of which are open to visitors!
Panenské Břežany also has two castles: the Empire-style lower castle, which is closed to the public, and the Baroque upper castle. The latter is associated with the master of Baroque Gothic architecture, Jan Blažej Santini, as well as with two Nazi criminals, Karl Hermann Frank and Reinhard Heydrich. Today, visitors can explore the Memorial to National Oppression and Resistance, featuring the interactive exhibition ‘Crime and Punishment’.
You’ll also find an unusual pair of castles in Dolní Rožínka: children attend primary school in the Classicist castle, whilst they visit the Haunted Castle for fun.
