Written by Denisa Urbanová
Mnichovo Hradiste
The first important owner of Mnichovo Hradiste was Vaclav Budovec from Budov. He had rebuilt an uninspiring settlement into an impressive Renaissance chateau. After the defeat of the estate opposition in 1621 Vaclav Budovec from Budov was executed and his property was confiscated and later bought by Albrecht von Wallenstein.
The Wallensteins rebuilt the chateau in the Baroque style in 1622 and used it as their headquarters all the way until 1946. The most recent major renovation happened in the 17th century, lead by architect M. A. Canevalle and engraver M. Raimondi. In 1709-1710, the chateau was expanded to include stables, a riding school, a carriage house, and a sala terrana. Today, the chateau is state-owned and managed by the National Monuments Institute.
There are three tours you can take. The first tour takes 50 minutes and offers you a view of the interiors. You can expect to see rooms such as the italian room, music room, hunting room, reception, ladies’ salon, dining room, a library, and a chateau chapel.
The second tour is 45 minutes long and takes you to the theater and the salons, which are furnished as they were on the occasion of the meeting of the Emperors of the Holy Alliance in 1833. Besides the theater, you can also see the cloakroom, empire salon, armory, and hunting salon.
The third tour is the shortest one at around 35 minutes long. It offers a view of the church and chapel. You can also see the tomb of Albrecht von Wallenstein.
For more information about the tours, including prices, be sure to check out their website. For more information about the Central Bohemia Region, from whitch this chateau comes, click here and here.
