Are you visiting Prague? Have you fallen in love with southern and central Bohemia? Do you want to explore more of the Czech Republic? You should make a trip to Konopiste Chatou then. Only one hour away from Prague by car. Beautiful Chateau used in the past for hunting, and the surrounding gardens are beautiful as well. You will be amazed by the collections this Castle has on display. It is always interesting to travel in time to past years and see how people had lived in the different century as this Chateau is preserved and stays the way František Ferdinand renovated in the 1800s to this day.
In this blog post I will cover all the important things:
The history of Konopiste
Sternbergs became the first owners and founders in the thirteenth century. French fortresses inspired the construction of the castle. The original medieval castle had seven cylindrical towers. The massive fortress had a deep moat up to twenty meters wide in front of the castle. The only way for you to enter the castle was through a drawbridge.
In 1887, František Ferdinand d´Este, a successor to the Habsburg throne, bought the chateau and the entire estate from the Lobkovices. The Archduke rebuilt the castle in the historicist style and turned all surroundings into a landscape park. He started the Rose Garden with greenhouses where the former Baroque garden was. He decorated the interior with his extensive collections, which he acquired both as a legacy from his Italian ancestors and through his own collecting activities.
The Czechoslovakian government took over Konopiště in 1921. The government opened the chateau and park to the public, but SS took over the Chateau Konopiště during World War II and used it for themself. The castle reopened to the public after liberation again.
Where is the name Konopiste came from?
The name Konopiste came from a plant called “konopi” in the Czech language, which is cannabis in English. Hemp has incredible healing power and was used in the Middle Ages to make ropes, clothing, paper, or weapons. This plant grew all over the hill.
Where to find Konopiste Chateau
This beautiful chateau is in Central Bohemia, and you should add it to one of your day trips. Located close to Benesov and not too far from Prague at all. There is also a Konopiste Golf club nearby if you love to play golf. The castle sits in the middle of woods on top of a hill. The Czech Republic has beautiful deep woods and nature.
You can easily plan a day trip, where you can visit Konopiste and Cesky Sternberk in one day. Those two castles are only 30 minutes away from each other by car.
Please put on your good walking shoes, and let’s explore the surrounding areas. The gardens and surrounding park offer a nice walk under big trees and just exploring the nature around the castle will make you happy. It is so peaceful and does not get overcrowded by tourists.
The Chateau
Konopiště has been open to the public since 1971. You can see the residential rooms of Franz Ferdinand, who was also an enthusiastic hunter. The Chateau has a large collection of antlers on display, the “Obizzi-Este collection” You can also see the third-largest European collection of armory and medieval weapons from Castello del Catajo, Padua, Italy, and a shooting hall with moving targets.
Rose Garden and Greenhouse
František Ferdinand started the Rose Garden between 1906-1913. He planted over 200 species of roses. As time flew by, nobody took care of the garden, and weeds took over the entire garden, especially during and after WW II.
Bohumil Kavka and Milada Opatrna took the big task and started reconstruction of the garden in the sixties. The greenhouses got reconstruction thirty years later as well.
The Garden is about 5 acres, divided into two parts. Part near by Greenhouse and Parter.
The Greenhouse
In the upper part of the garden, above the Parter, there is a greenhouse with an area of 1200 m2. You can find many exotic plants in the greenhouse, including orchids. There is also a small pond with fish and is open to the public for a fee. If you wonder what is growing next to the greenhouse? It is a Chinese wisteria, flowering purple several times a year.
Parter
Parter is a flat area of the garden, and the inspiration was a French garden style. The dominant part of the local plants is roses, but you can find other plants here. The park’s dominant feature is a statue of Lucretia, 9 meters high, located approximately in the middle of the park.
How to get to Konopiste
The site is well-accessible from Prague. I would recommend booking a couple of nights in Hotel in the area and make it a multiple-day trip or weekend getaway. You can visit a couple of towns in the area, like Lesany, Cesky Sternberk, Loket, or Ledec nad Sazavou and finish with Kutna Hora, and return to Prague from there. I have posted a couple of articles about Kutna Hora you read about.
Rent a car
The easiest way how to get to Konopiste is by rental car. Renting a car in Prague or anywhere in the Czech Republic is very easy, and thanks to the competition in the capital city, rates are quite low, even if you decide to rent a car only for the day. I have rented a car before for a whole month and still have not broken my bank account.
This is a company I do recommend for renting a car as I used this Mr. Milan in the past and always successfully. Check the website here.
Konopiste is 45 minutes drive from Prague. Make sure your car has a highway sticker. From 2021 the system changes into an electronic one, so ask the rental agency whether the car is allowed to drive on highways.
by Bus
You will have to take two busses to get there. I have never traveled by bus, but this is what I have found. It is recommended to book tickets ahead of time especially during the high tourist season. I looked at IDOS website and it was easy to find which bus to take, pick a time and book online. You can also get their app.
The bus station is called “Praha, Roztyly” and is by metro line C; the station is called Roztyly. (Redline), it looks like you will go to station Benešov, Terminál, which is about 1 hour away from Prague ( 3 stations – Bus 103401). Within 5 minutes, another bus will leave towards Konopiste Castle, (3 stations – Bus 200755) “Benesov, Konopiste. “
The cost is about 80 CZK which right now is about $5 one way.
Make sure you know the time for going back to Prague, as you do not want to miss your last bus.
by train
Another alternative is to travel by train. Again, I have not traveled to Konopiste by train. Instead, I take a train from Prague to my parent’s town. I always enjoyed traveling by train in the Czech Republic. It is more comfortable traveling by train than the bus for sure. After you arrive by train at Benesov, the walk to the bus station is about 3 minutes, and there you have to switch to a bus.
Most trains leave from Prague’s main train station, and you need to change trains to a bus in Benesov; check out this IDOS app and search for the most convenient route.
The train ticket price is very similar to the bus; you will pay around 80 CZK.
Note: Be aware of train travel on Friday evening from Prague or Sunday evening to Prague. Those times can be busy as university students use the train.
What you need to know before you get to Konopiste
Visit the official website for updates and information here.
There are four tours available to book. Usually, they last for 1 hour, and you will get a guide who tells you all about the castle, and you also can choose from a different language. When I go to the Czech, usually the travel season has not started yet, so I do not have to push through crowds, but once the season is in full swing, you can have sold-out tours or wait for a couple of hours the next one. I would recommend checking the website and, if possible buy tickets online.
Tour # 1 – Apartments of the south wing of the castle
The rooms in the castle’s south wing were furnished in Baroque style; this route includes the hunting corridor and a preserved bathroom.
Tour #2 – Apartments of the north wing of the castle
The North Wing of the castle includes the famous armory (the richest in the Czech lands), chapel, and a lift.
Tour #3 – Private apartments of Franz Ferdinand d’Este family
The private apartment of the family of Franz Ferdinand d’Este, including the hunting corridor.
Tour #4 – Hunting route
A cross-section of tours, focusing on the theme of hunting.
What else to visit near by?
Lešany
Lesany Castle, about 20 min away, is a good place to visit and relax. If you feel like sleeping in the castle, book a room here and enjoy a night in this small countryside village. If you into the military, make sure to visit Military Museum Lešany as well.
Český Šternberk
Cesky Sternberk castle is also only 25 minutes away, and the town is cute to visit. Český Šternberk Castle is a residence that bears a long historical and architectural heritage and represents an attractive tourist destination open to the public. It is considered one of the best-preserved Gothic Bohemian castles.
Vlašim
Vlasim Castle is the dominant feature of the town of Vlašim near Benešov. Vlašim was promoted to a town in 1580. Legend has it that the town was named Vlašim after one of the Czech knights, who got to southern Europe during medieval military expeditions and became acquainted with the culture of the Italians – Vlach. After returning to Bohemia, he built a seat above the river Blanica, and since the lovely surrounding landscape reminded him of the sunny Italian landscape, he gave himself the name Vlašim, which has remained in the town to this day.
Ledeč nad Sázavou
Ledec nad Sázavou, a former Gothic castle from the latter half of the 13th century, was subjected to Renaissance alterations in the latter half of the 16th century. It was greatly damaged by fire in 1879. The Municipal Museum is installed in its interiors.
Světlá nad Sázavou
Svetla nad Sazavou is situated on the left bank of the Sázava River, adjacent to the center of the ancient town, in the breathtaking landscape of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. A two-story four-wing building with Renaissance, Baroque, Empire, and Neo-Renaissance elements, under two wings basements, is surrounded by a rectangular courtyard with a fountain and an orangery. Together with the chateau park, it forms a beautiful and outstanding landmark.
Castle Lesany 
Cesky Sternberk 
Vlasim 
Ledec nad Sazavou 
Svetla nad Sazavou
There you have it!
Konopiste is an incredible place to visit. There are many more places in the Czech Republic, and it is impossible to fit all in one day. Hopefully, you will pick the best places for you and enjoy it the same way we do when we travel home to the Czech republic.
Enjoy the city and whole country!!!!
Easy day trips in Czech Republic
Are you planning a trip to the Czech Republic? Are you a bit overwhelmed about what place to visit and see? I know there is so much to see and not just in Prague! The whole country is full of beautiful Gems. So here are a couple of my blog posts to help you plan some day trips.
- The perfect day trip – Prague – In this blog post, you can plan an entire day trip to visit Prague Castle and Lesser Town. I put places together to help you stay in one area and not lose time traveling from place to place.
- Romantic day trip to Prague – On this Day Trip, I follow the previous post but move to the Old town square and areas around.
- Lovely day trip – Kutna Hora – Kutna Hora is a favorite place for tourists to visit. You should definitely put it on your bucket list.
- Hluboka nad Vltavou – If you would like to travel in time into a beautiful chateau and Castles, you definitely, should visit Hluboka and Vltavou.
Until next time…!
DOBROU CHUT!
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