Kroměříž Iconic Chateau

www.zamek-kromeriz.cz Accessibility: 274 km from Prague

by train from Prague 3 h 15 min by bus from Prague 3 h 35 min by car from Prague 2 h 50 min

Target group: Pleasure seekers: without children, families with children

The early Baroque Archbishop’s Chateau, dominating the heritage conservation area of Kroměříž, and the Chateau garden are UNESCO-listed landmarks, and are among the biggest tourist magnets of Moravia. The Chateau interior is one of the most valuable in Central Europe. Its picture gallery is the second most important in the country and Titian’s painting Apollo and Marsyas is considered the most valuable work of art in the Czech Republic. Representative Residence of the Archbishops of Olomouc A monumental Chateau rises from the northern corner of Kroměříž square. It was once a fortified settlement with a Gothic and Renaissance castle, but after the total destruction brought by the Thirty Years’ War, a representative palace was built in the early Baroque period. The settlement’s entire history was connected with the Bishops of Olomouc from the year 1100 and, since 1777, with its Archbishops. Bishop Karl II von Liechtenstein-Castelcorno contributed to the Chateau’s current appearance. He also founded its historical painting collection. In the picture gallery today, you can admire 538 works by such global maestros as Veronese, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans von Aachen, Anthonis van Dyck, Annibale Carracci, Jan Brueghel the Elder and Titian, whose work Apollo and Marsyas is the jewel in the gallery’s crown. The interior is breath-taking. The Assembly Hall is among the most beautiful Rococo style interiors in Central Europe. As you walk through it, take a look at the ceiling painting, which is actually on a canvas. The Throne Hall with its rich stucco decorations, the Counselling Hall with a gallery of Bishops and Archbishops, or the most valuable artistic hall of all, the Liege Hall, with gilded Rococo carvings in artificial marble and fresco decorations all inspire awe.

only preserved mint in Moravia. Another feature of the complex is the Archbishop’s Wine Cellars founded in 1266. Wine is matured in historical barrels, the largest of which holds over 19,000 litres of the intoxicating drink. A walk through cellars and, of course, tasting the altar wine is an unforgettable experience. The adjacent Chateau Garden conceived as an English landscape garden, Baroque Flower Garden (originally called Libosad), unique in the world, with a rotunda, greenhouses and arcade, are gems which must also be perceived as part of the Chateau. Only with these is the value of the UNESCO-protected landmark complete. Kroměříž Chateau will also appeal to children. They will enjoy a mirror maze, observatory, Secrets of Old Kroměříž – a fun tour in period costumes with short scenes from the time of the Archbishop of Kroměříž, Bishop Karl’s Dream – a tour with a borrowed tablet, Titian Art Studio, a workshop for parents with children, or a guided tour of the town and gardens in an open-topped vehicle. Persons with hearing impairment can use the tablets with text and video guides; tactile tours are provided for persons with visual impairment.

City nearby: Zlín – The phenomenon of Bata Zlín is a town where one of the last century’s greatest business brains made his dream a reality, a social visionary whose shoes conquered the world – Tomáš Baťa. His modernist utopia, which amazed Le Corbusier, was designed, for example by Jan Kotěra. Visit Baťa’s Skyscraper, the Grand Cinema, shopping centre and marketplace, House of Art, the Letná villa district, etc. A number of mobile apps will guide you through the town, or you can order a guided tour.

Music, Wine and a Unique Garden The Chateau garden contains 90,000 rare volumes, while the musical archive with over 6,000 compositions, including Mozart’s (Miloš Forman filmed Amadeus here) is also astounding. The Archdiocesan Museum offers two exhibitions – garden art and the musical cabinet. In the National Centre of Garden Culture, you can see a unique exhibition of European garden art with attractive models of gardens. The Chateau also includes the Bishop’s Mint, the

20 Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism

www.zamek-kromeriz.cz Olomouc Archdiocesan Museum: www.muo.cz/en/kromeriz-archdiocesan-museum Waterworks: www.kromeriz.eu/trasy/detail/236-Arcibiskupskavodarna.html; www.galerie-orlovna.cz Archbishop wine cellars: www.arcibiskupskevino.cz/ Zlin: www.ic-zlin.cz East Moravia region: www.vychodni-morava.cz