It also happens to you sometimes that you don't have much time, but would you still like to put your worries behind your head and go somewhere? If so, you're just like me. Well, when that happens, I try to come up with at least a short trip. If something (and not always terribly ingenious) comes to mind, then the most important thing remains. To persuade my husband to come with me.
After one of my ideas, we decided to go on Konopiste. We parked in the central parking lot and then we only had to walk a little over half a kilometer to the castle. It's uphill, but it's a very pleasant walk that everyone can take. Just enter through the impressive gate and you have the whole castle in front of you.
First of all, however, you can not miss the castle bear enclosure in the castle moat, which was founded in the first half of the 19th century. It is now inhabited by the eared bear (Himalayan) George.
Interestingly, a little about the history of the castle, its origin dates back to the end of the 13th century, when it was probably founded by the Prague bishop Tobiáš of Benešov. After that, it was owned by the Sternberg family for almost three centuries. After that, several aristocratic families took turns in his possession during the next three centuries. In 1887 the chateau was bought by František Ferdinand d'Este. During its ownership, the chateau underwent extensive reconstruction and a large Rose Garden was created. A few years after the end of the First World War, the chateau was taken over by the Czechoslovak state and was partially opened to the public. With a break during the Second World War, when the castle housed the main staff of SS units, the castle and the garden are still accessible.
Visitors can choose from five sightseeing tours or additional exhibits. The collection of hunting trophies is very rich. Eight hundred of them are located in one of the chateau corridors, which is part of the Hunting Route tour. In fact, I was very surprised that there was so much game in the local forests a hundred or more years ago, when nowadays one sees a few deer in the wild and perhaps even fewer hares or pheasants. That's probably the progress…
Also worth seeing is the aforementioned Rose Garden with greenhouses, a pond, obelisks and statues, which are unmistakably dominated by a statue of Lucretia, which, as I later read, is nine meters high. Because the garden has an area of about five hectares, we did not have time for a thorough inspection. However, we did not miss a tour of the greenhouse where exotic plants are grown. But even what we managed to see from the vast garden was really worth it. An educational trail also leads through the castle park.
On the way from the chateau, we still walked around the Stará myslivna for forest game, where three species of animals are bred, namely spotted deer, Dybowski's sika deer and mouflon. It is located in the former castle park between the castle and the Stará myslivna restaurant.
And for those who don't find it strange, after looking at the rather domesticated animals for a game delicacy, you can visit the adjacent restaurant Stará myslivna. We couldn't do it. I still couldn't get the idea out of my head how the animals would actually end up in the enclosure…
Tips for accommodation in the area
If you would like to stay in the area for a longer period of time, I would like to give you some tips for accommodation, which is located a stone's throw from the castle :).
- Pension Konopiště - 0,4 km from Konopiště Castle
- Hotel Nová myslivna - 0,5 km from Konopiště Castle
- Pulse Fitness Suites - 1,5 km from Konopiště Castle
Comments
add comment