Best Castles in Czech Republic: Complete Ranking 2026

The Czech Republic has more castles and châteaux per square kilometre than any country in Europe. The official count exceeds 2,000, ranging from Gothic hilltop ruins to Baroque palaces surrounded by formal gardens. You could visit one a day for five years and still not see them all.

Most visitors to Prague manage one castle day trip, maybe two. This ranking helps you choose. We've ordered these by a combination of historical significance, visual impact, accessibility from Prague and the quality of the visitor experience. Every castle on this list is worth the journey.

1. Karlštejn Castle

Distance from Prague: 30 km southwest (40 minutes by car, 45 by train)

Karlštejn is the Czech Republic's most visited castle, and for good reason. Built by Emperor Charles IV starting in 1348, it was designed as a fortress to protect the Bohemian Crown Jewels and holy relics. The castle rises dramatically from a forested limestone valley, its Great Tower dominating the skyline.

The interiors include the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the Great Tower — lined with over 2,000 semi-precious stones and 129 panel paintings by Master Theodoric. Access to this chapel requires a separate, advance-booked tour. The standard tour covers the Imperial Palace, Great Hall and the Church of Our Lady.

Historical note: Karlštejn withstood a seven-month Hussite siege in 1422 but was captured by Swedish forces in 1648 during the Thirty Years' War. The current Neo-Gothic exterior dates to a late 19th-century restoration by Josef Mocker.

Our Karlštejn Castle day trip includes private transport and a guide who brings the medieval history to life — no audio guide needed.

2. Hluboká nad Vltavou

Distance from Prague: 145 km south (1.5 hours by car)

Hluboká is the most beautiful castle in the Czech Republic by popular vote — and the claim is hard to argue. The Schwarzenberg family rebuilt their Gothic fortress in the 1840s-1870s to resemble Windsor Castle, creating a white Neo-Gothic masterpiece surrounded by an English landscape park.

The interiors are lavishly furnished — wood-panelled rooms, hunting trophies, Flemish tapestries and a library with 12,000 volumes. The Aleš South Bohemian Gallery in the castle's former riding school houses an excellent collection of Czech Gothic and Baroque art.

Insider detail: The castle park is free to enter and contains trees over 200 years old, including a massive London plane tree near the southern terrace. Locals use the park for weekend walks. The views from the terrace across the Vltava valley toward České Budějovice are worth the trip alone.

Visit Hluboká on our Hluboká Castle day trip from Prague.

3. Český Krumlov Castle

Distance from Prague: 180 km south (2.5 hours by car)

Český Krumlov Castle is the second-largest castle complex in the Czech Republic after Prague Castle. It sits on a rocky promontory above the Vltava River, overlooking the UNESCO-listed old town below. The castle's most distinctive feature is its painted tower — the round tower's exterior is covered in Renaissance-era trompe-l'oeil murals.

The complex includes a Baroque theatre (one of the best-preserved in Europe, with original stage machinery), terraced gardens, and the Cloak Bridge — a multi-story covered corridor connecting the castle to the theatre.

Český Krumlov itself is among the most photogenic small towns in Europe. The combination of castle and town makes this the strongest full-day trip from Prague.

Our Český Krumlov day trip covers both the castle and the medieval town.

4. Konopiště

Distance from Prague: 45 km southeast (50 minutes by car)

Konopiště was the final residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand — the man whose assassination in Sarajevo triggered World War I. The castle is surrounded by a deer park and rose garden, and the interiors display Ferdinand's enormous collections: weapons (over 4,000 pieces), hunting trophies (an estimated 300,000 animals killed during his lifetime) and St. George artwork.

The contrast between the peaceful setting and the violent history makes Konopiště uniquely compelling. The guided tour through the private apartments — where Ferdinand lived with his morganatic wife Sophie Chotek — humanizes a figure most people know only from a textbook paragraph.

Insider detail: The castle park contains a bear moat where brown bears still live — a tradition dating to the Schwarzenberg ownership. The bears are visible from the public path near the main entrance.

5. Křivoklát Castle

Distance from Prague: 60 km west (90 minutes by car or train)

Křivoklát is a sprawling Gothic royal hunting castle in the forests of Central Bohemia. It lacks Karlštejn's dramatic silhouette, but the interiors are deeper — the Great Hall, the Royal Chapel (with extraordinary Late Gothic stone tracery) and the round prison tower with its collection of medieval torture instruments.

The surrounding Křivoklátsko forest is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — ancient beech and oak woodland with hiking trails along the Berounka River. Křivoklát rewards visitors who combine the castle with a half-day hike through some of the most beautiful woodland in Bohemia.

6. Český Šternberk

Distance from Prague: 55 km southeast (1 hour by car)

Český Šternberk has been in the same family — the Šternberks — for over 760 years, making it one of the longest continuously family-owned castles in Europe. The Baroque interiors include a remarkable collection of 17th-century copper engravings depicting scenes from the Thirty Years' War.

The castle perches on a cliff above the Sázava River. The setting is more intimate than Karlštejn or Hluboká — you're touring what is still, in effect, a family home.

See it on our Český Šternberk day trip.

7. Lednice Château

Distance from Prague: 250 km southeast (2.5 hours by car)

Lednice is not a castle in the military sense — it's a Neo-Gothic château, rebuilt in the 1840s-50s as the summer residence of the Liechtenstein family. The grounds are UNESCO-listed as part of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape — the largest designed landscape in Central Europe.

The château's interiors include a carved wooden ceiling in the library that reportedly took a team of carpenters eight years. The palm greenhouse (one of the largest in the Czech Republic), a 60-metre minaret in the park and a network of fishponds create a landscape that feels more like English aristocratic country than Central Europe.

8. Orlík nad Vltavou

Distance from Prague: 80 km south (1.5 hours by car)

Orlík sits above the Vltava reservoir, surrounded by water on three sides since the Orlík Dam was built in the 1950s. Originally a Gothic fortress, it was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style. The castle belongs to the Schwarzenberg family and houses their collections — Napoleonic memorabilia (the family served in the anti-Napoleon coalition), hunting displays and family portraits spanning centuries.

The surrounding reservoir offers boating and swimming in summer. Orlík combines a castle visit with outdoor recreation in a way few Czech castles can match.

9. Bouzov Castle

Distance from Prague: 250 km east (3 hours by car)

Bouzov looks like it was built for a film set — a perfectly symmetrical castle with round towers, crenellations and a drawbridge. In fact, the current form dates to a turn-of-the-century reconstruction by the Teutonic Order. Several Czech fairy-tale films have been shot here, reinforcing the storybook appearance.

The interiors include a chapel, knights' hall and period-furnished rooms. Bouzov is remote — the journey from Prague is long — but for castle enthusiasts, the visual payoff is exceptional.

10. Pernštejn Castle

Distance from Prague: 200 km southeast (2.5 hours by car)

Pernštejn is a Gothic castle in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands that has never been significantly damaged or rebuilt. What you see is largely original medieval construction — massive stone walls, a maze of chambers, and defensive features that actually functioned in warfare. It's the most "authentic" castle on this list in terms of preserved medieval fabric.

Insider detail: Pernštejn's defences were tested in the Thirty Years' War when Swedish troops besieged it in 1645. The castle held. The cannonball damage is still visible in the outer walls — not restored, just left as historical evidence.

Honourable Mentions

Zvíkov — where the Vltava and Otava rivers meet, dramatically sited on a peninsular cliff. Kost — a Gothic fortress in the Bohemian Paradise region, built into a sandstone gorge. Buchlov — a massive Romanesque-Gothic fortress in Moravia with uninterrupted hilltop views.

Planning Your Castle Day Trip

Most castles are open April through October, with the fullest schedules from May to September. Winter visits are limited to special events and holiday openings. Czech castles typically require joining a guided tour (in Czech, with English text sheets available, or occasionally in English if enough visitors request it).

For a hassle-free experience, our private day trips include transport from your Prague hotel, a knowledgeable English-speaking guide and no waiting for tour groups to form. Explore our Medieval Dinner Show for an evening that pairs perfectly with a castle day trip — medieval food and entertainment in a 15th-century Prague tavern.

Browse all our day trips and Prague tours. Just your group, no strangers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Czech castle is the best to visit from Prague?

Karlštejn is the closest and most iconic — 40 minutes from Prague with dramatic architecture and deep royal history. For the most beautiful castle, Hluboká is hard to beat. For the best full-day experience combining castle and town, Český Krumlov wins.

How many castles does the Czech Republic have?

Over 2,000 castles and châteaux, making it the country with the highest density in Europe. Around 200 are regularly open to visitors. The rest range from well-maintained private properties to atmospheric ruins.

Are Czech castles open in winter?

Most close from November through March. Some offer special Advent or Christmas openings with decorated interiors and seasonal events. Karlštejn, Český Krumlov and Konopiště occasionally open for winter weekends. Check individual castle websites for off-season schedules.

Can I visit a Czech castle without speaking Czech?

Yes. Most major castles offer English-language guided tours or English text sheets. Private tours with an English-speaking guide eliminate any language barrier entirely — your guide handles all interactions and adds historical context no audio guide can match.

How far in advance should I book castle tours?

For the Chapel of the Holy Cross at Karlštejn, book weeks ahead in summer. For standard tours at other castles, arriving before 11 AM usually avoids long waits. Private day trips with us should be booked at least a few days in advance.

Best Castles in Czech Republic — A Complete Ranking