17 Best Castles in Czechia, With 2026 Ticket Prices

Czechia has more than 2,000 castles and chateaux, and the 17 below are the ones worth planning a route around. Five of them carry UNESCO World Heritage status: Prague Castle inside the Prague historic centre, Český Krumlov, the Lednice-Valtice landscape, Kroměříž and Litomyšl, with the modernist Villa Tugendhat in Brno making a sixth listed building that people put on castle lists. Almost all of them are state-run, which means interiors are seen on a timed guided tour rather than wandered through, and it means the price is published in Czech koruna. Czechia uses the koruna, not the euro, so every ticket below is given in koruna first, converted at the rate of 10 September 2026.

Two rules cover most Czech castles. State castles close on Mondays and shut their interiors for the winter, usually reopening at weekends in April and going daily from May. And the route you buy matters more than the castle you pick, because a single castle can sell six differently priced tours and the cheap one often misses the room you came for.

The best castles in Czechia

The 17 castles in Czechia are listed below, starting with the three that most visitors have time for.

1. Prague Castle. Prague Castle is recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest ancient castle complex in the world, and it has been the seat of Bohemian princes, kings, Holy Roman emperors and Czech presidents since Prince Bořivoj fortified the hill in the late 9th century. The main circuit ticket costs CZK 450 (about €18.55, $21.55, £15.95) for adults, CZK 300 reduced for children aged 6 to 16, students up to 26 and over-65s, and CZK 950 for a family of two adults and up to five children, and it covers St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, the Basilica of St George and Golden Lane with the Daliborka Tower. The ticket is valid on two consecutive days, which almost nobody uses. The buildings open 9am to 5pm from April to October and 9am to 4pm from November to March, and Golden Lane is free to walk once the buildings close.
2. Český Krumlov Castle. Český Krumlov is the second largest castle complex in the country after Prague, spanning 7 hectares (17 acres) with over 40 buildings, five courtyards and a painted round tower above a bend in the Vltava, 175 km (108.7 mi) south of Prague. The routes are priced separately: Renaissance and Baroque apartments CZK 300 (about €12.35, $14.35, £10.60), 19th-century apartments CZK 260, the castle museum and tower CZK 280, the stables CZK 80, the Belvedere pavilion CZK 200 and the castle garden free. The Baroque Theatre at CZK 400 is the one to prioritise: it is among the most completely preserved 18th-century theatres anywhere, with its original machinery, sets and costumes, and it opens from 1 April in the 2026 season. The town centre went onto the UNESCO list in 1992, not 1963, which is the year it became a Czech urban heritage reserve.
3. Karlštejn Castle. Karlštejn is the Gothic fortress Charles IV built between 1348 and 1355, 30 km (18.6 mi) south-west of Prague, to hold the imperial crown jewels and his collection of relics. Route I, the Emperor’s Residence, costs CZK 300 (about €12.35, $14.35, £10.60) for adults, CZK 240 for students and seniors and CZK 90 for children. Route II, which reaches the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the Great Tower, costs CZK 640 (about €26.40, $30.65, £22.65), CZK 510 reduced and CZK 190 for children aged 6 to 17, and it must be reserved in advance because capacity is capped to protect the chapel’s microclimate. The walk up from the village takes about 25 minutes and is steep.
4. Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle. Hluboká is the white Neo-Gothic chateau the Schwarzenbergs rebuilt between 1840 and 1871 on an English model, 10 km (6.2 mi) north of České Budějovice. Interiors are guided-tour only and each route is ticketed separately: the Representational Rooms CZK 300, the Hospitality Rooms CZK 320, the Private Apartments CZK 220, the Kitchen CZK 180, the self-guided tower CZK 180 and the winter route CZK 200. It closes on Mondays. The park is free and the view back over the Vltava is the picture everyone takes.
5. Lednice Castle. Lednice is the Neo-Gothic centrepiece of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape, on the UNESCO list since 1996 and often called the largest man-made landscape in Europe, an hour south of Brno. Admission is CZK 300 (about €12.35, $14.35, £10.60) for adults, CZK 240 for students and seniors and CZK 90 for children. It opens daily 9am to 5pm from May to August, Tuesday to Sunday in September, weekends and holidays 9am to 4pm in April and October, and closes in January and over Christmas. Interiors are guided only and summer slots book up, so reserve online.
6. Valtice Chateau. Valtice is the other half of the same UNESCO landscape, a Baroque residence of the Liechtenstein family with a chapel, a theatre and the National Wine Centre in its cellars. It is 8 km (5 mi) from Lednice, and the two are joined by an avenue of follies, temples and a minaret that you can cycle between in an afternoon. The wine cellar tasting is a separate ticket and is the reason a lot of Czechs come.
7. Kroměříž Castle. The Archbishop’s Palace at Kroměříž went onto the UNESCO list in 1998 for the combination of its Baroque interiors and its two gardens, and it was the residence of the Bishops and Archbishops of Olomouc. Prince-Bishop Karl von Liechtenstein-Kastelkorn had the Italian architect Filiberto Lucchese rebuild it in the 1660s after the Thirty Years War. The Throne Room, the Assembly Hall and the picture gallery are the interiors to see, and the Baroque Pleasure Garden across town is a separate site and a separate ticket.
8. Litomyšl Castle. Litomyšl is a Renaissance arcaded chateau in eastern Bohemia, UNESCO-listed in 1999 for its sgraffito facade of some 8,000 individually drawn panels, and it holds a small 18th-century theatre with its original scenery. Bedřich Smetana was born in the brewery in the castle grounds, and the town runs an opera festival in his name each summer.
9. Červená Lhota. Červená Lhota is the small red chateau on an island in South Bohemia that appears on every Czech calendar reflected in its lake. The lake has been drained for several seasons for dam repairs and remains empty through 2026, so the reflection every photograph shows is not there at the moment. The main tour costs about CZK 220 for adults and CZK 180 reduced, with cheaper attic and cellar routes, and the castle opens April to October with weekend-only hours in April and October.
10. Bouzov Castle. Bouzov in Moravia is a medieval castle the Teutonic Order rebuilt in Romantic Neo-Gothic style at the turn of the 20th century, and the result looks so much like a storybook castle that it has been used for fairy-tale films for decades. It is about 40 km (24.9 mi) north of Olomouc and it is one of the most-visited castles in Moravia, so book a summer slot.
11. Křivoklát Castle. Křivoklát is one of the oldest and best-preserved royal castles in Bohemia, a hunting seat of the Přemyslid kings deep in the Křivoklát forests about 45 km (28 mi) west of Prague. Its Gothic great hall and chapel are the interiors, and it can be reached from Prague by train, which very few Czech castles can.
12. Bezděz Castle. Bezděz is a 13th-century royal castle sitting on a volcanic cone in northern Bohemia, and it is a ruin rather than a furnished chateau, which is exactly why it is on this list. The climb from the car park is steep and takes about 30 minutes; there is no road to the top and no lift. Go for the walls, the chapel and the view over the Máchovo jezero lake.
13. Pernštejn Castle. Pernštejn in Moravia is the castle Czech historians point to when they want an example that was never taken and never rebuilt beyond recognition, a Gothic fortress with Renaissance additions that has kept its silhouette since the 16th century. It is about 40 km (24.9 mi) north-west of Brno and its interiors are among the least altered in the country.
14. Helfštýn Castle. Helfštýn is one of the largest castle complexes in Central Europe, a ruined fortress above the Moravian Gate, and its palace was given a contemporary roof and walkways in a restoration that won international architecture prizes. It hosts Hefaiston, an international blacksmiths’ meeting, each summer, which is unlike anything else on this list.
15. Sychrov Castle. Sychrov in northern Bohemia is a Neo-Gothic chateau that belonged to the French Rohan family, who filled it with a portrait gallery of French nobility and an English park. Antonín Dvořák stayed and composed here, and the castle runs concerts in his name.
16. Wallenstein Palace. The Valdštejnský palác in Prague’s Malá Strana is the Baroque palace Albrecht von Wallenstein built in the 1620s, and it is now the seat of the Czech Senate. Its garden, with the great sala terrena, a dripstone wall and free-roaming peacocks, is open to the public without charge, and the state rooms open at weekends. It is the least-known free thing to do in central Prague.
17. Villa Tugendhat. Villa Tugendhat in Brno is not a castle at all but a 1930 house by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and it appears on Czech castle lists because it is the country’s other great domestic UNESCO site, inscribed in 2001. Interiors are guided-tour only and tickets sell out within minutes of release: the 60-minute basic tour is CZK 450 and the 90-minute extended tour CZK 500 in 2026.

Which castles in Czechia have the best views?

The best views from a Czech castle are from Bezděz, because it stands alone on a volcanic cone with nothing between it and the horizon. The four below are ordered by how much of the reward is the view rather than the building.

1. Bezděz. A 30-minute climb to a ruin on a cone, with the Máchovo jezero lake and the Bohemian Paradise sandstone country laid out below.
2. Karlštejn. The Great Tower looks over forest and the Berounka valley, and the approach walk up from the village is half the view.
3. Český Krumlov Castle tower. The painted tower looks straight down on the red roofs inside the Vltava’s bend, which is the single most photographed view in the country.
4. Hluboká nad Vltavou. The terrace looks over the Vltava floodplain and the park, and it costs nothing because the grounds are free.

Which Czech castles host festivals?

Czech castles run summer programmes rather than one-off events, and four of them are worth timing a trip around. They are listed below with what each is known for.

• Helfštýn, Hefaiston. An international meeting of blacksmiths held in the castle ruins, with forges working in the courtyards.
• Litomyšl, Smetana’s Litomyšl. An opera festival in the castle courtyard each summer, in the town where Bedřich Smetana was born.
• Český Krumlov, the Five-Petalled Rose Festival. A Renaissance costume festival that takes over the whole town, with the castle at its centre.
• Sychrov, Dvořák’s Sychrov. Concerts in the chateau where Antonín Dvořák stayed as a guest of the Rohans.

Confirm the dates on the castle’s own site before booking travel, because Czech festival dates move by a week or two from year to year and older listings are common.

How to get to Czech castles

A car is the practical way to see more than two Czech castles, because the state chateaux sit in villages that public transport reaches slowly if at all. Prague Castle, Karlštejn, Křivoklát and Villa Tugendhat are the exceptions and are all reachable by train or tram; Lednice, Valtice, Bouzov, Pernštejn, Helfštýn, Červená Lhota and Bezděz are much easier with your own wheels. Compare car hire rates for a Prague or Brno pick-up, and note that a motorway vignette is required on Czech motorways and that the drink-drive limit is zero.

For the castles you can reach by rail, Karlštejn is about 40 minutes from Prague hlavní nádraží and Český Krumlov is reachable by train and bus from České Budějovice in half an hour. Compare trains and buses across operators rather than checking each one, since the cheapest departure changes through the day. If you are travelling from outside the EU and would otherwise pay roaming for maps and ticket apps, an Airalo eSIM installs on one phone before you fly and the code HARRY5578 takes €3 off.

Which regions of Czechia have the most castles?

South Bohemia has the highest concentration of visitable castles in the country, with Český Krumlov, Hluboká, Červená Lhota and Vyšší Brod monastery all within an hour of each other. The four regions below cover the rest.

1. South Bohemia. Český Krumlov, Hluboká nad Vltavou and Červená Lhota, based out of České Budějovice or Český Krumlov itself.
2. Central Bohemia. Karlštejn, Křivoklát and Konopiště, all day trips from Prague.
3. South Moravia. Lednice, Valtice, Pernštejn and Villa Tugendhat, based out of Brno, with the country’s wine region attached.
4. Central and North Moravia. Bouzov, Helfštýn and Kroměříž, based out of Olomouc.

Stay in the regional city rather than the castle village, because rooms are cheaper, restaurants stay open later and you are within an hour of three or four castles instead of one. Compare accommodation in Czechia once your route is set. For the rest of the country, see our guide to places to visit in Czechia.

What to eat near Czech castles

Czech castle villages serve pub food, and the dishes to order are svíčková na smetaně, marinated beef sirloin in cream sauce with bread dumplings and cranberries, guláš with dumplings, and smažený sýr, fried breaded cheese. In South Moravia around Lednice and Valtice, order Moravian white wine instead of beer, because the vineyards start at the edge of the park. Our guide to typical foods in Czechia covers what else appears on a Czech menu and what it is made of.

Czech castles FAQ

How many castles are there in Czechia?

Czechia has more than 2,000 castles, chateaux and castle ruins, which is among the highest densities in the world for a country of its size. Around 100 of them are managed by the National Heritage Institute and open to visitors on guided tours, and the rest range from privately owned chateaux to ruins you can walk into for nothing.

Which is the biggest castle in Czechia?

Prague Castle is the biggest castle in Czechia and, according to Guinness World Records, the largest ancient castle complex in the world. Český Krumlov is the second largest in the country at 7 hectares (17 acres) with more than 40 buildings.

Do Czech castles close in winter?

Most Czech castles close their interiors from November to March, and the ones that stay open run a shorter winter route instead of the full tour. Prague Castle, Český Krumlov’s tower and museum, and Hluboká’s winter route are the reliable cold-weather options. State castles also close on Mondays for most of the year, with Lednice an exception in the May to August peak.

Do you need to book Czech castle tickets in advance?

You need to book in advance for Karlštejn’s Chapel of the Holy Cross, which caps numbers to protect the chapel, and for Villa Tugendhat, which sells out within minutes. Everywhere else on this list, walking up and buying at the ticket office works outside July and August, and groups of more than about ten always need to reserve.

Can you photograph inside Czech castles?

Photography rules vary by castle and by room. Prague Castle allows photography in most interiors including the cathedral; several state chateaux, Hluboká among them, do not permit photographs on the interior tour at all. Ask at the ticket desk rather than assuming, because guides do enforce it.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 5 tips below come from re-checking the 2026 ticket prices and opening rules for these castles in September 2026, and each one changes what you should buy or when you should go.

1. The lake at Červená Lhota is empty and will stay empty through 2026. The pond has been drained for several seasons while the dam is repaired, so the mirror-image photograph that made this castle famous cannot be taken at the moment. Every guide and calendar still shows it. Go for the interiors, or wait.
2. At Karlštejn, the chapel is a different ticket and a different day. Route I at CZK 300 does not include the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Route II at CZK 640 does, it must be reserved in advance, and its capacity is capped to protect the chapel’s microclimate, so turning up hoping for a slot does not work in summer.
3. Your Prague Castle ticket is valid for two days. The main circuit at CZK 450 for adults, CZK 300 reduced and CZK 950 for a family covers St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, the Basilica of St George and Golden Lane, and it can be split across two consecutive days rather than crammed into one afternoon. Golden Lane is free to walk after the buildings close, at 5pm in summer and 4pm in winter.
4. Book Český Krumlov’s Baroque Theatre before anything else there. At CZK 400 it is the most expensive route in the castle and the only one that is genuinely rare: original 18th-century machinery, sets and costumes, in working order. It runs from 1 April in the 2026 season and its capacity is small.
5. Check which Monday rule applies. Most Czech state castles close on Mondays, but Lednice opens seven days a week from May to August and then reverts to Tuesday to Sunday in September. If your itinerary has a Monday in it, put Lednice, Prague Castle or a ruin like Bezděz on that day.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the team covers Czechia for independent travellers, including the castle tickets, guided tours, hotels and car hire worth booking across Bohemia and Moravia. We check the admission prices, opening days and koruna conversions on this page against each castle’s own site and update it when they change.