Dobříš

The Dobříš Chateau with its radiating beauty is definitely one of the main reasons why you should visit this town near to Prague. The Late Baroque, or more precisely Rococo style, reached the absolute peak of perfection in its architecture and gardens and is more than worth seeing. Nonetheless, that is not the end of the Dobříš attractions, as it is surrounded by deep woods which entice hikers and cyclists. In addition you will be able to follow in the footsteps of Karel Čapek, the famous writer, who gave the world the word robot.

A trip with French charm

The biggest tourist attraction is the lovely rococo château with a mansard roof. It features a French garden terrace, which thanks to carefully boxed-tree snipping and floral ornamentation is among the most beautiful château gardens in the country. In addition to gardens and historic interiors, you can also visit an art gallery, exhibition at the City Museum and a large English park. The château is open for accommodations, and guests can avail themselves of a fitness center or borrow mountain bikes.

Visit Čapek’s Strž near Dobříš

Not far from Dobříš, below the pond dam in Staré Strž, you will discover an Empire villa and a memorial inside it to writer, playwright and journalist Karel Čapek. He received the house as an unusual wedding gift in 1935, when he married Olga Scheinpflugová. The couple transformed the house into a summer residence, where friends and acquaintances visited them. Although they only spent three years in Strž, Čapek wrote here War with the Newts, White Disease, First Party, The Way North and other works. Here he savored the countryside, mushrooming and the picturesque landscapes, and he helped modify the vast gardens. In addition to the house, you can also see a number of pleasant relaxing retreats and the surroundings and walk to the places where the writer liked to go with his friends. These include the Jewish Cemetery on the northern outskirts of the city on top of Větrník.