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Ploskovice Living History

www.zamek-ploskovice.cz Accessibility: 76 km from Prague

by train from Prague 1 h 36 min by bus from Prague 1 h 32 min by car from Prague 54 min

Target group: Pleasure seekers: families with children

A fairy-tale Chateau, one confident woman’s dream come true and the summer residence of the last King of Bohemia, a beautiful crowning Baroque garden known as the “Little Versailles”, a settlement with remarkable artificial caves and breath-taking paintings, and a shooting location for many films – meet Ploskovice. Summer Residence of Emperor Ferdinand Before the last crowned King of Bohemia, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, could pass on his sceptre to his son and retire to the magical Ploskovice Chateau, this late Baroque gem first had to be built. And the story is like a thrilling film. Anna Maria of Tuscany had a dream. To convert a medieval fortress into a beautiful Chateau according to the latest global fashions. Her marriage was a terrible failure. Although her husband was a member of the Medici family, he was a drunk, a gambler and a crook. Ploskovice was supposed to be a place where the Duchess could escape from him. According to some sources, she turned to Bohemian architect Kilian Ignatius Dientzenhofer for help her with her plans. She wanted a residence in the fashionable French style with Italian and Chinese influences, artificial caves and a park in the style of Versailles. She spared no expense, personally oversaw construction, and when the costs began to increase, she burnt all the accounts so that no-one could blame her. But her dream came true. As a result, we can now stroll through an enchanting eighthectare park with fountains, a pond and rare trees – perhaps with a guide, who will tell us about its botanical curiosities. We can also be guided through fantastically formed grottos with fanciful paintings, i.e. artificial caves with a system of finely concealed nozzles, which bring Baroque fountains to life with water, and reliefs of ancient ruins, or a sala terrena decorated with rare Baroque stuccowork by Tommaso Soldatti.

wall and ceiling paintings, there is also a permanent exhibition of his works entitled “Czech Paintings of the 19th Century”) and sculptures by Václav Levý. One tour route takes you through eleven rooms that look as if the Emperor has just left. Children will feel like they are in a fairy tale – after all, countless Czech children’s films have been shot here. But it also has a long list of global film appearances. Famous passers-through include Gérard Depardieu, Nastassja Kinski, Jacqueline Bisset, Kiefer Sutherland, Katie Holmes and Michael Keaton. Young Indiana Jones and Forman’s famous Amadeus were also filmed here. What children will really enjoy is the permanent exhibition Teddy Bears at the Castle, a charming display of teddy bears inspired by the Skagen Teddy Bear Museum in Denmark. If you visit in midJune, don’t miss the local Ceramics Markets!

City nearby: Litoměřice – A Baroque Pearl in the Central Bohemian Uplands A nearby historical town on the Elbe with a Baroque soul and very good tourist facilities. The preserved fortifications conceal interesting exhibitions (a puppet gallery or a handmade paper workshop). Monumental city walls offer tempting walks, the Dómský vrch area is the original site of the town and to this day it preserves a unique atmosphere created by the Bishop’s Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral and its monumental tower, which offers great views of the town in the embrace of a river and mountains. Take one of the numerous guided tours, such as the Sacral Monuments Tour.

Walls and Ceilings as a Gallery Over a century later, Emperor Ferdinand I had the Chateau rebuilt in his own style. He raised the building by one floor, added arcades which give the impression of crabs’ claws, and invited the era’s most prominent Czech artist to take care of the interior decorations. Thanks to this, the Chateau can boast magnificent landscape paintings by Josef Navrátil (besides

www.zamek-ploskovice.cz Elbe Cycle Route: www.labska-stezka.cz Litoměřice: www.litomerice-info.cz Ústí nad Labem region: www.gatetobohemia.com