Konopiště Castle tour 1, the rooms of the south wing

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.