# Mělník A Lobkowicz castle with a winery since the fourteenth century, tastings, an ossuary and a tower above the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe, 40 minutes from Prague. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/melnik · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Mělník is a small town on a promontory about 30 km north of Prague, just above the spot where the Vltava, coming from the capital, joins the Elbe. It is the wine capital of Bohemia: vineyards run down the slope beneath the Lobkowicz castle, which has had a winery since the fourteenth century, and pinot noir has been grown here since the time of Charles IV. In half a day you see the castle, do a tasting, climb the tower and go down to the ossuary. ## How do you get there from Prague? By bus, from Nádraží Holešovice or from Ládví, both on metro line C, in about 40 minutes. Mělník bus station is 1.5 km from the castle: 15 minutes at a brisk pace. The train also gets there, in an hour, to a station 1.6 km away. By car, about 30 km along the D8 (E55) motorway towards Dresden, leaving at Nová Ves and following the road for 14 km. You park on Míru Square, next to the castle. ## What to see in half a day Everything is at the top of the old town, a few steps apart. Start with the castle, on your own or with a guide, and step out onto the terrace to see the confluence and, in the distance, Mount Říp. Go down to the vaulted cellars and, if you have booked, do the sommelier-led tasting in the St Wenceslas cellar. Next door, in the Church of St Peter and St Paul, climb to the tower gallery, at 37 metres, and go down to the ossuary crypt, with the bones of about 15,000 people arranged in the early twentieth century. Have lunch at Dobrý Kanec, five minutes away, and finish with a cake at the castle's pastry shop. ## When to go In spring and autumn. In September the town celebrates the grape harvest with a wine festival. The castle, the winery and the pastry shop are open all year Wednesday to Sunday; Monday and Tuesday, closed. The castle restaurant, with its terrace above the rivers, is closed for now. ## Is it worth staying overnight? For most people, Mělník is half a day, or a day combined with Litoměřice, half an hour further north along the Elbe. Stay if you want to do the afternoon tasting without a car or if you are continuing along the Elbe cycle route. You can do so inside the castle, in its apartments. ## How much does it cost? The castle costs 230 CZK per adult, with a family ticket of 590 CZK; the cellar visit, 70 CZK, and the tasting, priced separately. The bus is cheap. A meal in a tavern comes to around 300–450 CZK. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Kokořín and its valley (a 12.3 km), Terezín (a 29.0 km), Prague (a 29.5 km), Lidice (a 30.2 km) ## Qué hacer - **Mělník Castle above the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe** (45 min · All ages; ages 3 to 15, 110 CZK · 230 CZK adults; 180 CZK over-65s; 140 CZK students; 110 CZK children aged 3 to 15; family 590 CZK): The Lobkowicz castle looks out over the plain where the Vltava, coming from Prague, joins the Elbe. Inside, rooms with furniture, portraits and collections of the family; outside, a terrace with one of the widest views in central Bohemia, as far as Mount Říp. You can visit on your own or with a guide: Wednesday to Friday there are tours at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00, and at weekends and public holidays every hour from 10:00. Monday and Tuesday, closed. - **The cellars of Mělník Castle and a sommelier-led tasting** (1 h · Adults · Cellar visit 70 CZK; tastings priced separately): Mělník is the wine capital of Bohemia, and the castle has had a winery since the fourteenth century. Beneath the courtyard open vaulted cellars that can be visited for 70 CZK. The experience is in the sommelier-led tasting in the St Wenceslas cellar, the oldest, among century-old barrels: the light white Ludmila, varietals from the house's own vineyards, a sparkling wine and the pinot noir, the grape of Mělník since the time of Charles IV, from the organic St Ludmila vineyard. Tastings are booked by phone or email. Afterwards, the castle shop sells the bottles. - **The ossuary of the Church of St Peter and St Paul** (20 min · Adults and teenagers; it makes an impression on small children): Beneath the chancel of the Church of St Peter and St Paul, next to the castle, a crypt holds the remains of between 10,000 and 15,000 people from the old cemetery that surrounded the church, where bones were deposited from the 1530s until 1775. Between 1915 and 1919 the anthropologist Jindřich Matiegka arranged them: a wall of skulls called the Calvary, an anchor and a heart made of skulls and the inscription Ecce mors. It is smaller and more sober than the one at Kutná Hora, and much quieter. - **The St Peter and St Paul tower, a viewpoint at 37 metres** (30 min · All ages who can climb stairs): The late Gothic tower of the church was built between 1480 and 1488, with the architect Hans Spiess of Frankfurt, and has had a Baroque onion dome since the fire of 1681. It was restored from 2006 to open it to visitors: from the gallery, at 37 metres, you see the town, the confluence and, with good visibility, Kralupy, Kladno, the mountains of North Bohemia and Mount Říp, where according to legend Father Čech arrived. - **The confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe from the castle terrace** (20 min · All ages; with a pushchair): From the edge of the promontory, next to the castle and the church, you see the place that explains Mělník: the Vltava arrives from Prague and joins the Elbe here, which flows on towards Dresden and the North Sea. Below, the town's hillside vineyards. It is a one-minute walk from Míru Square, free, and the best photo of the day at sunset. ## Dónde comer - **Hostinec Dobrý Kanec** (Restaurant, Mělník, €€). Qué pedir: a roast meat "od kosti", on the bone, and a tank Pilsner poured at the low bar. - **Mělník Castle patisserie** (Café, Mělník, €€). Qué pedir: a house cake with a coffee or with a glass of Lobkowicz wine. ## By plane: Fly to Prague and 40 minutes by bus to Mělník Mělník is about 30 km north of Prague. You fly to Prague, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and continue by bus from Holešovice or Ládví, on metro C, in about 40 minutes. You do not need a car. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Jaro** (Hotel, desde 1890 € / night): The house A three-star family hotel that has been running since 1995 on a quiet street in Mělník, five minutes' walk from the centre, the square and the castle. It is next to the Elbe cycle route (Dresden–Prague), and they notice: they store bikes for free and receive many cycle tourists. The rooms Twelve rooms and apartments, all with a bathroom. The double costs 1,890 CZK a night with breakfast; there are singles, triples and apartments, and extra beds for 550 CZK. Prices already include the municipal tax. Dogs pay 200 CZK a night. Getting there and parking Parking is free. By car, Mělník is about 30 km from Prague on the E55 to Nová Ves. By bus, the centre is about 40 minutes from Prague (from Holešovice or Ládví) and the bus station is a walk from the hotel. - **Hostinec Dobrý Kanec rooms** (Small hotel): The house Rooms above the Dobrý Kanec tavern, right in the centre of Mělník, and two apartments in the building next door. It is the option for those who come to taste wine and beer and want to walk back to bed: the square, the castle and the church are five minutes away. The rooms Attic rooms, bright, with a bathroom; the apartments have a living area and dining area, useful for families or long stays. The website does not publish prices: ask for a quote by phone (from 8:00 to 18:00) or by email. Getting there Without a car is most convenient: from Mělník bus station you walk in about 15 minutes. Downstairs, the tavern opens every day from 11:00. - **Mělník Castle apartments** (Apartment): The house Sleeping inside the Lobkowicz castle, above the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe. The castle lets two holiday apartments: one for two people and another, large, for eight. When the tours close, the courtyard and the terrace fall silent. The apartments High-ceilinged rooms, with period-style furniture and chandeliers. The large one suits families or two couples. The website does not publish prices or details of the equipment: ask for a quote by email or phone. Getting there and parking The castle is at the top of the old town, a step from Míru Square, where you park. From the bus station it is about 15 minutes' walk. ### Servicios - **Buses from Prague to Mělník**: Buses from Prague (Nádraží Holešovice and Ládví, on metro C) in about 40 minutes; the station is 1.5 km from the castle. ## Car-free: Bus from the Prague metro and everything on foot Mělník is small and is walked: the bus drops you 15 minutes from the castle and, up top, the church, the tower, the ossuary, the square and the viewpoint are a few steps from one another. Without a car, you can also do the tasting without thinking about driving. Presupuesto orientativo: 50–110 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hostinec Dobrý Kanec rooms** (Small hotel): The house Rooms above the Dobrý Kanec tavern, right in the centre of Mělník, and two apartments in the building next door. It is the option for those who come to taste wine and beer and want to walk back to bed: the square, the castle and the church are five minutes away. The rooms Attic rooms, bright, with a bathroom; the apartments have a living area and dining area, useful for families or long stays. The website does not publish prices: ask for a quote by phone (from 8:00 to 18:00) or by email. Getting there Without a car is most convenient: from Mělník bus station you walk in about 15 minutes. Downstairs, the tavern opens every day from 11:00. - **Mělník Castle apartments** (Apartment): The house Sleeping inside the Lobkowicz castle, above the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe. The castle lets two holiday apartments: one for two people and another, large, for eight. When the tours close, the courtyard and the terrace fall silent. The apartments High-ceilinged rooms, with period-style furniture and chandeliers. The large one suits families or two couples. The website does not publish prices or details of the equipment: ask for a quote by email or phone. Getting there and parking The castle is at the top of the old town, a step from Míru Square, where you park. From the bus station it is about 15 minutes' walk. ### Servicios - **Buses from Prague to Mělník**: Buses from Prague (Nádraží Holešovice and Ládví, on metro C) in about 40 minutes; the station is 1.5 km from the castle. ## By car: By car on the D8, 40 minutes from Prague By car it is about 30 km along the D8 (E55) towards Dresden, leaving at Nová Ves. With a car you can link Mělník with Litoměřice and Terezín, half an hour further north along the Elbe, or with the Kokořín valley. If you do the tasting, let someone else drive. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–130 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Jaro** (Hotel, desde 1890 € / night): The house A three-star family hotel that has been running since 1995 on a quiet street in Mělník, five minutes' walk from the centre, the square and the castle. It is next to the Elbe cycle route (Dresden–Prague), and they notice: they store bikes for free and receive many cycle tourists. The rooms Twelve rooms and apartments, all with a bathroom. The double costs 1,890 CZK a night with breakfast; there are singles, triples and apartments, and extra beds for 550 CZK. Prices already include the municipal tax. Dogs pay 200 CZK a night. Getting there and parking Parking is free. By car, Mělník is about 30 km from Prague on the E55 to Nová Ves. By bus, the centre is about 40 minutes from Prague (from Holešovice or Ládví) and the bus station is a walk from the hotel. - **Mělník Castle apartments** (Apartment): The house Sleeping inside the Lobkowicz castle, above the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe. The castle lets two holiday apartments: one for two people and another, large, for eight. When the tours close, the courtyard and the terrace fall silent. The apartments High-ceilinged rooms, with period-style furniture and chandeliers. The large one suits families or two couples. The website does not publish prices or details of the equipment: ask for a quote by email or phone. Getting there and parking The castle is at the top of the old town, a step from Míru Square, where you park. From the bus station it is about 15 minutes' walk. ### Servicios - **Parking on Mělník square**: You park on Míru Square, at the top of the old town, a step from the castle and the church. ## As a family: A tower with views, two rivers that meet and cakes in a castle Mělník can be done with children in half a day: the tower climb, the confluence viewpoint and the castle cakes. The ossuary is small and sober; explain it beforehand or leave it for the older ones. The castle has a family ticket. ### What works best St Peter and St Paul tower, with the gallery at 37 metres Confluence viewpoint, free Castle, family ticket of 590 CZK Castle patisserie, with a pianist on Sundays ### Where to sleep Castle apartments, the large one for eight Hotel Jaro, with triples and extra beds ### Where to eat Hostinec Dobrý Kanec, with a terrace in summer Castle patisserie ### Keep in mind The castle is closed on Monday and Tuesday The wine tasting is for adults The tower has narrow stairs ### Qué hacer as a family - Mělník Castle above the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe - The St Peter and St Paul tower, a viewpoint at 37 metres - The confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe from the castle terrace ## Consejos ### Book the tasting By phone or email with the castle, before you go. ### Do not go on Monday or Tuesday The castle and the winery are closed. ### Climb the tower The view explains where you are. ### Better by bus If you are going to drink wine, leave the car in Prague. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take to get from Prague to Mělník? About 40 minutes by bus from Holešovice or Ládví; about 40 minutes by car. ### Do I need to book the wine tasting? Yes, by phone or email with the castle. ### Which days is the castle open? Wednesday to Sunday. On weekdays, guided tours at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00; at weekends, every hour from 10:00. ### What is the ossuary like? A crypt beneath the Church of St Peter and St Paul with the remains of between 10,000 and 15,000 people, arranged between 1915 and 1919. ### Can you combine it with Litoměřice? Yes, by car or by bus: Litoměřice is half an hour to the north, next to Terezín. ### Where can you see the confluence? From the castle terrace and the edge of the promontory, next to the church.