My favourite place to visit. The last home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand d’Este before he was killed in Sarajevo in 1914.
Czech Republic is so fortunate to have many castles that are considered to be the most romantic and beautiful. One of them is also Konopiště, situated one hour of driving from Prague. According to the historians, the majestic castle was named after the fields on which the hemp was grown (hemp means in Czech konopí – Konopiště).
This Gothic French-inspired fortress was chosen by Franz Ferdinand d’Este (nephew of the emperor Franz Joseph I and throne successor) as his seat. He really enjoyed the life here, specially hunting in local forests. The archduke killed almost 300 000 animals during his life! Unfortunately, his visit to Sarajevo did nor end up very good, and his assassination was a pretext for the start of World War One.
Tip: Make sure to visit the private chamber of Franz Ferdinand, his wife and children. Among the displayed artifact, you can also find a dress in which his wife was killed in Sarajevo, with the blood still visible.
Did you know that Konopiště is the place where the first electric lift and electricity was installed? 🙂
Note: You need to purchase tickets to visit Konopiště Castle – guided tour only. There is a Castle guide. I can accompany you during the tour, but you get the explanation from the local guide. Once the interior tour is over, I will take you for a walk around the castle, and we talk more about its history.
There are three tour routes to choose from. I would recommend taking a 3rd route that takes to the private apartments of the d’Este family. The starting time of the tours we find out once we get to the Castle.
Total price for a private driving tour: from 520USD
A deposit of 50% (not refundable) is to be paid in advance (via PayPal or bank transfer) to secure your date and to pay for a car and driver. The rest you can pay the same way or in cash during the tour. The price varies according to how big a car is needed. I use professional company, not my personal car.
Included:
- Duration: approx.5 hours
- Guiding service – personal licensed guide (me)
- Comfortable car with A/C and professional driver
- Water
Not included:
- Entrance fees to be purchase during the tour
- Personal expanses
Transportation:
- Walking (in Konopiště) – you will need to go up the Castle hill, so there is one steep part of the walk. Unfortunately, it is not allowed to drive up the Castle. Our driver will wait for us at the main parking spot.
- Private car with driver
What to bring:
- Comfortable shoes (walking on cobblestones)
- Umbrella (in case of rain, or to protect from sun)
- Camera (to take photos)
