Secret Castles and Chateaux IV.

The fourth Prague expedition by Otomar Dvořák and Josef Pepson Snětivý will take you to stately homes built from the Romanesque period to the beginning of the 20th century. A wealth of discoveries and beauty awaits you in places you might never have thought to look, as you delve into the depths of time. This is the sequel to the successful book series ‘Hidden Castles and Chateaux’, published as part of the ‘Hidden Beauty of Our Land’ edition.

The authors say this about their tenth book together:

“In the introduction, we looked at Hradčany and Pohořelec. We present to you the ‘miniature Prague Castle’, then the almost lost summer palace where Tycho Brahe worked and died, followed by Richter’s Villa as a Classicist gem with the St. Wenceslas Vineyard, and via the former Theatine monastery below the Castle, we arrive at Kajetánka…

…and also to return visits, which is one of the key elements of this volume. We’re adding new information and photographs, for example, about Kajetánka, where something is always happening. Another return visit concerns Malešice, a district that seems inconspicuous but retains the charm of bygone times, where we debunk a stubbornly repeated myth about the chateau. We also return to Kunratice, to a chateau that has been severely tested but is filled with magnificent decoration inside and, hopefully, has prospects for restoration. And neighbouring Libuš is a location where perhaps the most questions in all of Prague pop up in a small area; thanks to continued interest, we are managing to answer quite a few of them.

Mainly, however, we bring you a diverse range of buildings that didn't make it into the previous three volumes. We find ourselves once again near Prague Castle and then on the border of Pohořelec and Nový Svět, searching for other Slawata summer palaces. A journey to the Baroque ‘lusthauses’ is completed by the one that belonged to the genius of Baroque sculpture, Matthias Bernard Braun.

Next, you can look forward to a Romanesque gem, almost forever hidden under a layer of Classicist paint. That is, the palace (if not directly a castle) of the Lords of Kunštát and Poděbrady. From here, we will set out to find connections on Střelecký Island and among the Knights of St. John in Malá Strana.

From the aforementioned Libuš, it’s just a short distance to Lhotka, where one defunct and one preserved manor farm await us. In Hodkovičky, we can only imagine the pond with a fortress on an island.

…before the end of our journey of discovery, we will introduce two neo-Gothic chateaux in different locations and with very different fates: Bělka and Miramare…

…and for the very end, we will head to Žižkov. You don’t associate this bohemian district with a chateau or a fortress? Don’t worry, the same was true for us for a long time… until we discovered that both once stood here. We will then conclude our journey in Karlín, where we have discovered a sweet pink summer palace for you as a ‘sweet finishing touch’.”

The text is supplemented by a large number of historical illustrations and current photographs. The latter will often take you to completely inaccessible and perfectly “hidden” places.