Nelahozeves Chateau

Nelahozeves Chateau

Originally a fortress and later a Renaissance chateau built in an Italian style by Italian artists it changed owners constantly and no one stayed there for a long time

The Nelahozeves Chateau, with interiors richly decorated with frescoes, is among the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in the Czech Republic. It also includes a museum and gallery with the exhibition “Private Spaces: A Noble Family at Home”, which examines the lifestyle of the noble Lobkowicz family in the 19th century. This family has played a major role in the history of Central Europe for more than 600 years and also boasted the title of prince of the Holy Roman Empire. They were patrons of science and of artists such as Ludwig van Beethoven, among others.

Reason to visit

The chateau holds one of the largest Czech collections of Spanish painting from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The Lobkowicz collections contain some 1,500 paintings, including masterpieces by Brueghel, Velázquez, Rubens, Cranach, Croll and others. From early spring until autumn, a popular music festival called Dvořák’s Musical Nelahozeves runs at the chateau. The festival is a celebration of the works of Antonín Dvořák, whose birthplace and museum is located just below the chateau. The nearby Veltrusy Chateau is a Baroque building with a beautifully landscaped park, where centuriesold trees tower above sculptures and pavilions – and time seems to have stood still. The Veltrusy Chateau also offers tours and exhibitions.