Sychrov Castle

Sychrov was bought in 1820 by the Rohan family, French nobility who had left during the Revolution and settled in Bohemia, and between 1847 and 1862 they rebuilt it in neo-Gothic to designs by Bernhard Grueber - battlements, pointed windows, a tower - with interiors executed largely in carved oak by the Busek workshop, which is what makes the place unusual: panelling, ceilings, furniture, doors and staircases all in dark carved wood, coherent through the state rooms. The family brought their portrait collection with them, and the gallery here holds the largest set of French aristocratic portraits outside France, several hundred paintings. Antonin Dvorak stayed repeatedly as a guest of the Rohans and composed here; a music festival is held in his name. The park runs to about twenty-five hectares in the English manner with exotic trees.

History

A fort stood on the site from the 15th century, and a small baroque castle was built here in 1690-1693. In 1820 the castle was bought by the Rohan family, French aristocrats exiled by the French Revolution who chose to stay in the Austrian Empire, and their 125 years of ownership were the most important in its history: in the second half of the 19th century they made it a leading example of neo-Gothic castle architecture, set in a large park. The castle has been open to the public since 1950, at first in part and from the 1970s much more widely, and since the early 1990s the exteriors, interiors and park have been restored to their state in the second half of the 19th century; in 1995 it was declared a national cultural heritage site (Wikipedia, Sychrov Castle).

What to look for

• Carved oak interiors - panelling, ceilings and furniture through the state rooms.
• A French portrait gallery - the largest such collection outside France.
• A neo-Gothic remodelling - Grueber's work of 1847-1862 over an older house.
• Dvorak's visits - the composer's guest rooms and an annual festival.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

What to expect

Guided tours only, seasonal, with several routes and separate tickets. Closed Mondays. Festival dates change the access. The park is free and open longer.

Nearby

Turnov and the Bohemian Paradise are ten kilometres east.

Key facts