Ctěnice Chateau

In Ctěnice, on the north-eastern edge of Prague, you will find romantic chateau grounds that are the perfect destination for cyclists and families with children. And if you find that you like it there, you can stay at the local hotel, which is right on the chateau grounds, in the reconstructed granary.

Chateau history

A gothic fortress once stood in the current location of the chateau, having been reconstructed in the 16^th century into a renaissance chateau. In the 18^th century, it was given a new classicist appearance, which is what we see today. After World War II, the chateau began to deteriorate, however, it is now under the ownership of the capital city of Prague, and is beginning to come alive once again. The grounds include a chateau park, agricultural buildings, and an equestrian arena.
 

Learn about guilds and craftsmen's associations

The chateau is currently under the ownership of the City of Prague Museum, which creates its expositions to suit visitors of all ages. The chateau hosts a highly interesting exposition titled Crafts in Guilds, which is a special collection introducing the history and manners of presentation of craftsmen's associations—also called guilds for short, or "pořádky" ("orders"), as they were once called in Czech. The term pořádek expressed the security that associations provided craftsmen, while also making it clear that everything was governed in accordance with certain rules.

The exposition presents internationally unique exhibit items, such as a fragment of the celebratory banner of the Prague butchers' guild, which towers to a height of almost three metres and spans a width of two metres. The surviving section captures a portrait of Emperor Charles VI, painted by his court painter, with the figure of a lion on the reverse side, dated 1730.
 
Additionally, you can also look forward to a number of intricately decorated coffers, some of which are displayed opened, giving visitors the opportunity to discover the mysteries of the secret drawers that these chests and coffers often concealed.
 

Other places to go

The chateau lies just outside of Prague, which simply beckons for a visit to the capital city. If you set out for the opposite direction, however, you will soon find yourself at the conurbation of Brandýs nad Labem and Stará Boleslav. In Brandýs, do not miss out on a visit to the chateau by the Elbe River, which was owned by the last Austro-Hungarian Emperor and Bohemian King Charles I until 1918. In Stará Boleslav, on the other hand, you should visit the monumental Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was exactly on this spot that St Wenceslas, patron saint of the Czech lands, was murdered.