# Konopiště The castle of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, with its trophies, the great armoury, the rose garden and a bear in the moat, an hour from Prague by train to Benešov. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/konopiste · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Konopiště is a thirteenth-century castle remodelled in the late nineteenth century by its most famous owner: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este, heir to the Habsburg throne, who lived here with his wife and children until he was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914. He turned it into a modern hunting lodge, with a lift and bathrooms, filled it with trophies, weapons and images of St George, and planted a large park with a rose garden around it. It stands about 50 km south-east of Prague, next to Benešov. ## How do you get there from Prague? By train, from Prague's main station to Benešov u Prahy, 45 minutes to an hour. From the station it is about 2–2.5 km: half an hour on foot, the last part through the park. There are taxis at the station and an infrequent local bus. By car, about 50 km along the D1 motorway towards Brno, Benešov exit, in about 50 minutes. You park in the paid car parks at the park entrance and walk up. ## What to see The castle can only be visited with a guide, on tours of about 50 minutes in Czech, with an audio guide in English or German. Tour 1 covers the rooms of the south wing; tour 2, the oldest part, with the chapel and the armoury, the richest in the Czech lands; tour 3, for eight people and by reservation, enters the family's private apartments. If you only do one, make it number 2. In the courtyard, the archduke's shooting gallery, with mechanical targets, can be seen without a reservation. Outside, the park: a long pond, woodland, sculptures and the rose garden with its greenhouses, from April to October. In the moat at the entrance lives a Himalayan bear, a castle tradition since the Lobkowicz. ## When to go From April to October all the tours and the greenhouses are open. In November the castle opens only on Saturdays and Sundays, from 10:00 to 15:00, and tour 3 has no days. The park is free and lovely all year, in autumn too. ## Is it worth staying overnight? Konopiště can be seen in half a day. Stay if you are with children and want an unhurried day of park, scooters and castle, or if you are continuing south into Bohemia. The two places to stay in the grounds are designed for families. ## How much does it cost? Tours 1 and 2 cost 300 CZK per adult and 90 CZK for ages 6 to 17; tour 3, 460 CZK. The greenhouses, 100 CZK, and the shooting gallery, 80 CZK. The train is cheap. A game meal at Stará Myslivna comes to around 500–800 CZK per person. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Karlštejn (a 38.0 km), Prague (a 38.1 km), Tábor (a 40.6 km), Kutná Hora (a 47.7 km) ## Qué hacer - **Konopiště Castle tour 1, the rooms of the south wing** (50 min · All ages; ages 6 to 17, 90 CZK · 300 CZK adults; 240 CZK ages 18 to 24 and over-65s; 90 CZK ages 6 to 17; free up to age 5): Konopiště was the residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este, the heir to the throne whose assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 set off the First World War. He bought it in 1887 and turned it into a hunting lodge with all the comforts of the era: a lift, bathrooms, electric light. The first tour covers the rooms of the south wing, with their collection of furniture, porcelain and portraits of the family. It is 50 minutes, in groups of 25 people at most. Tours are in Czech; tours 1 to 3 have an audio guide in English and German (also in Russian). Buy your ticket on the castle website to choose a time. What stands out most, throughout the castle, are the hunting trophies: the archduke was an obsessive hunter and his trophies cover whole corridors. - **Konopiště Castle tour 2, the north wing and the armoury** (55 min · All ages; very popular with children and teenagers · 300 CZK adults; 240 CZK reduced; 90 CZK ages 6 to 17): The north wing is the oldest part of the castle and holds the armoury, the richest in the Czech lands: armour, swords, shields and firearms from several centuries, which the archduke collected. The tour also passes the chapel and the lift installed for him. It lasts 55 minutes and has an audio guide in English or German. If you are only doing one tour with children, this is the one. - **Tour 3, the private apartments of the archduke's family** (1 h 10 · Adults and teenagers · 460 CZK adults; 370 CZK reduced; 140 CZK ages 6 to 17): The rooms where Franz Ferdinand, his wife Sophie Chotek and their three children lived, with the hunting corridor full of trophies. It is the most intimate tour of the castle, in groups of only eight people, and so requires booking. It lasts 70 minutes and costs 460 CZK. In November it has no scheduled days: look for it from spring to autumn. - **The Konopiště rose garden and greenhouses** (45 min · All ages; with a pushchair through the park · 100 CZK the greenhouses; the park and rose garden, free): Around 1900 Franz Ferdinand founded a rose garden at the foot of the castle, with greenhouses of subtropical plants, a cork pavilion and sculptures. The greenhouses are visited from April to October for 100 CZK; the rose garden and the great English park around the castle, with its pond and its paths, are free. It is the best part of the day with small children: space, shade and ducks. - **The archduke's shooting gallery and the bears in the moat** (45 min · Families; the bears can be seen free from outside · 80 CZK the shooting gallery; the bears, free): In the former stables of the courtyard, the archduke had a covered shooting gallery built for practice: targets that move and make sounds, a billiards table and trophies. It can be seen in 30 minutes without booking, for 80 CZK. At the castle entrance, in the moat, Konopiště keeps up the tradition of having bears, begun by the Lobkowicz and continued by Franz Ferdinand: today a Himalayan bear lives there, which children look for from the bridge. Nearby, in the former orangery, the St George Museum brings together the archduke's collection on the saint (80 CZK). - **A walk through Konopiště park and its pond** (1 h · All ages; with a pushchair): The castle stands in the middle of a large landscaped park of woodland, meadows and a long pond, which can be walked for free. From Benešov station you walk through it in about 30 minutes. Follow the path along the pond, climb to the rose garden and return through the woods: it is a quiet hour, good for before or after the visit, and an alternative if the castle is full. ## Dónde comer - **Restaurace Stará Myslivna** (Restaurant, Konopiště, €€€). Qué pedir: the game goulash or the venison with rosehip sauce, and the Czech pancakes for dessert. ## By plane: Fly to Prague and an hour by train to Benešov Konopiště is about 50 km south-east of Prague. You fly to Prague, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and continue by train from the main station to Benešov u Prahy, 45 minutes to an hour. From the station, a half-hour walk through the park. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Konopiště Nová Myslivna** (Hotel): The house A hotel in the forest next to the park of Konopiště Castle, between the woods and a stream. It is a house designed for families and for those who want the castle a stroll away: guests have free scooters and pedal quadricycles for getting round the park, and the historic motorbike museum at the neighbouring guesthouse can be visited without charge. The rooms Twenty-seven rooms, with two to four beds, nine of them in the attic, and an apartment with two bedrooms. All have a bathroom, television and wifi. Buffet breakfast and parking in front of the building are included. Outside there is a playground, table tennis, badminton, garden chess, disc golf, croquet and pétanque. The hotel describes itself as pet friendly: ask about the conditions for your dog when booking. Getting there and parking By car, about 50 km from Prague on the D1 motorway to Benešov. Without a car, the train from Prague to Benešov u Prahy takes 45 minutes to an hour, and from the station you walk through the park. The castle is a few minutes' walk away. - **Penzion Konopiště** (Small hotel): The house The sister guesthouse of the Hotel Nová Myslivna, on the same site next to the castle park, rated four stars and with only six apartments. The owners have small children and say so plainly: in this house children are the most important guests. In the same building there is a historic motorbike museum that guests visit free. The apartments Six stylish apartments, each with its own name. For children they lend a high chair, potty, bath and toys free of charge. Outside, a large playground with slides, a carousel, swings, a sandpit and a safety trampoline, garden games and a fire pit for roasting sausages. Nearby there is an enclosure with mouflon, fallow deer and red deer. Getting there By car on the D1 to Benešov; without a car, train to Benešov u Prahy and a walk through the park. The castle and the Stará Myslivna restaurant are a few minutes' walk away. The website does not publish prices: ask for a quote. ### Servicios - **Benešov u Prahy station**: Trains from Prague's main station in about 45–60 minutes; to the castle, about 2–2.5 km on foot through the park or by taxi. ## Car-free: Train to Benešov and a walk through the park Without a car, Konopiště is easy: train from Prague's main station to Benešov u Prahy and half an hour's walk, the last part through the castle park. Everything else, castle, rose garden, bears and restaurant, is within walking distance. Presupuesto orientativo: 50–110 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Konopiště Nová Myslivna** (Hotel): The house A hotel in the forest next to the park of Konopiště Castle, between the woods and a stream. It is a house designed for families and for those who want the castle a stroll away: guests have free scooters and pedal quadricycles for getting round the park, and the historic motorbike museum at the neighbouring guesthouse can be visited without charge. The rooms Twenty-seven rooms, with two to four beds, nine of them in the attic, and an apartment with two bedrooms. All have a bathroom, television and wifi. Buffet breakfast and parking in front of the building are included. Outside there is a playground, table tennis, badminton, garden chess, disc golf, croquet and pétanque. The hotel describes itself as pet friendly: ask about the conditions for your dog when booking. Getting there and parking By car, about 50 km from Prague on the D1 motorway to Benešov. Without a car, the train from Prague to Benešov u Prahy takes 45 minutes to an hour, and from the station you walk through the park. The castle is a few minutes' walk away. - **Penzion Konopiště** (Small hotel): The house The sister guesthouse of the Hotel Nová Myslivna, on the same site next to the castle park, rated four stars and with only six apartments. The owners have small children and say so plainly: in this house children are the most important guests. In the same building there is a historic motorbike museum that guests visit free. The apartments Six stylish apartments, each with its own name. For children they lend a high chair, potty, bath and toys free of charge. Outside, a large playground with slides, a carousel, swings, a sandpit and a safety trampoline, garden games and a fire pit for roasting sausages. Nearby there is an enclosure with mouflon, fallow deer and red deer. Getting there By car on the D1 to Benešov; without a car, train to Benešov u Prahy and a walk through the park. The castle and the Stará Myslivna restaurant are a few minutes' walk away. The website does not publish prices: ask for a quote. ### Servicios - **Benešov u Prahy station**: Trains from Prague's main station in about 45–60 minutes; to the castle, about 2–2.5 km on foot through the park or by taxi. ## By car: By car on the D1, 50 minutes from Prague By car it is about 50 km along the D1 motorway towards Brno and the Benešov exit, about 50 minutes. You park in the paid car parks at the park entrance. With a car you can combine Konopiště and Karlštejn in one day, or continue towards South Bohemia. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–130 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Konopiště Nová Myslivna** (Hotel): The house A hotel in the forest next to the park of Konopiště Castle, between the woods and a stream. It is a house designed for families and for those who want the castle a stroll away: guests have free scooters and pedal quadricycles for getting round the park, and the historic motorbike museum at the neighbouring guesthouse can be visited without charge. The rooms Twenty-seven rooms, with two to four beds, nine of them in the attic, and an apartment with two bedrooms. All have a bathroom, television and wifi. Buffet breakfast and parking in front of the building are included. Outside there is a playground, table tennis, badminton, garden chess, disc golf, croquet and pétanque. The hotel describes itself as pet friendly: ask about the conditions for your dog when booking. Getting there and parking By car, about 50 km from Prague on the D1 motorway to Benešov. Without a car, the train from Prague to Benešov u Prahy takes 45 minutes to an hour, and from the station you walk through the park. The castle is a few minutes' walk away. - **Penzion Konopiště** (Small hotel): The house The sister guesthouse of the Hotel Nová Myslivna, on the same site next to the castle park, rated four stars and with only six apartments. The owners have small children and say so plainly: in this house children are the most important guests. In the same building there is a historic motorbike museum that guests visit free. The apartments Six stylish apartments, each with its own name. For children they lend a high chair, potty, bath and toys free of charge. Outside, a large playground with slides, a carousel, swings, a sandpit and a safety trampoline, garden games and a fire pit for roasting sausages. Nearby there is an enclosure with mouflon, fallow deer and red deer. Getting there By car on the D1 to Benešov; without a car, train to Benešov u Prahy and a walk through the park. The castle and the Stará Myslivna restaurant are a few minutes' walk away. The website does not publish prices: ask for a quote. ## As a family: Armour, a bear in the moat and a park to run in Konopiště is one of the castles that works best with children: the bear in the moat, the armoury on tour 2 and the shooting gallery with moving targets. The park is huge and can be toured with a pushchair, and both places to stay on the site are designed for families. ### What works best The Himalayan bear in the moat, free from the bridge Tour 2, with the armoury, 90 CZK for ages 6 to 17 The archduke's shooting gallery, 80 CZK Rose garden and park, with the pond ### Where to sleep Penzion Konopiště, with a loan of high chair, bath and toys Hotel Nová Myslivna, with four-bed rooms and free scooters ### Where to eat Stará Myslivna, with Czech pancakes for dessert ### Keep in mind The tours last about 50 minutes and are in Czech, with an audio guide Tour 3 is for eight people: it is not for small children In autumn and winter, the castle opens only at weekends ### Qué hacer as a family - Konopiště Castle tour 1, the rooms of the south wing - Konopiště Castle tour 2, the north wing and the armoury - The Konopiště rose garden and greenhouses - The archduke's shooting gallery and the bears in the moat - A walk through Konopiště park and its pond ## Consejos ### Buy your time slot beforehand Groups are of 25 and fill up at weekends. ### Choose tour 2 It is the one with the armoury and the one people like most. ### Ask for the audio guide The tours are in Czech. ### Walk from the train The stroll through the park is part of the day. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take to get from Prague to Konopiště? From 45 minutes to an hour by train to Benešov and half an hour on foot; about 50 minutes by car. ### Which tour should I choose? Number 2, with the armoury, if you only do one; number 3 if you are interested in the life of the archduke's family. ### Are there tours in Spanish? No; there is an audio guide in English and German on tours 1 to 3. ### Is it open in winter? On reduced days: in November, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 15:00. ### Are the bears still there? Yes, a Himalayan bear lives in the moat. ### Can you combine it with Kutná Hora or Karlštejn? By car, yes, with Karlštejn; by train, better on separate days.