Zleby Chateau

Zleby was a medieval castle rebuilt into a Renaissance and then baroque house, and finally, between 1849 and 1868, remodelled for the Auersperg family into a romantic neo-Gothic chateau in the English manner - turrets, battlements, pointed windows and a courtyard, with interiors furnished to match. The strength of the place is that those interiors survived nearly intact: painted and panelled rooms, a chapel, coffered ceilings, a library, and an armoury holding one of the larger collections of arms in a Czech chateau, with pieces assembled by the family from across Europe. There is a collection of Delft and other ceramics and a good deal of stained glass. In the park alongside is an enclosure of white fallow deer, kept here since the nineteenth century, along with mouflon and other animals, which is what most families come for.

What you actually see

• A neo-Gothic remodelling - turrets and battlements over a medieval core, 1849-1868.
• Interiors nearly intact - panelled and painted rooms with their furnishing.
• A large armoury - arms assembled across Europe by the Auerspergs.
• White fallow deer - kept in the park enclosure since the nineteenth century.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Guided tours only, on set routes, and seasonal - closed in winter. The deer park is a separate ticket. The village is small with limited food.

Nearby

Kacina chateau is west; Kutna Hora is beyond it.