Castle of Konopiste

The state castle of Konopiste ranks among the sites most favoured by visitors. The castle cannot deny the Romantic structural composition given to it at the turn of the 19th - 20th century by its last aristocratic owner, Archduke Frantisek Ferdinand d' Este. The history of the castle began in the 13th century - at that time, it was established by the Prague Bishop Tobias from Benesov as a Gothic fortress indicating French influences. The first architectural improvements on the way of changing the fortress into the comfortable Renaissance seat date from the period of the Hodejovsky Family. Konopiste lost a character of a fortress in the 18th century, when the members of the Vrbta Family turned it into a Baroque residence. In 1887, the Lobkowitz Family sold the castle to Frantisek Ferdinand d' Este, who began changing the castle into the Emperor's seat -to-be. On the place of a former Baroque garden, the so called "Pink garden" with many greenhouses was created.

The castle routes show the representative and guest rooms, the Hunting Corridor, hunting trophies, the Armory, the Chapel and private chambers of Frantisek Ferdinand d' Este. Also the St. Georgian collection and the Archduke Shooting Gallery are worthy of mention.