Křivoklátsko

I wrote about my visit to Křivoklát Castle in October, but what I neglected to mention is that the castle is at the heart of an eponymous protected landscape area nestled between the D5 and the D6 highways, which lead from Prague to Pilsen and Karlovy Vary, respectively.

This Saturday, we made a trip through this area, stopping at the most interesting places on the way. Our first stop was Nižbor, where we took pictures of Nižbor Chateau, a sight whose history stretches back to the reign of Ottokar II, who originally built the structure as a castle. Nižbor passed through many illustrious hands, including those of the Schwarzenberg and Valdštejn families, who are perhaps better known for their palaces in Prague.

Only a few kilometres later, we made a stop at Křivoklát, where we saw not only the castle, but also a few more remote sights, like the Chapel of Saint Eustace above the castle, and a gloriette overlooking the river Berounka.

Our final stop was in Lány, the chateau which has served as the Czech President’s summer residence since the days of the First Republic. Besides the chateau, which is closed in the winter, the town’s attractions include a museum dedicated to the first president of Czechoslovakia Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, and the Garrigue Masaryk family tomb. 

Nižbor Chateau
Nižbor Chateau
Nižbor Chateau from the side
Nižbor Chateau from the side, further away
The Church of Saint Peter in the town of Křivoklát
The same church
Křivoklát Castle
The same
The Chapel of Saint Eustace above Křivoklát
A wooden gloriette near Křivoklát
The river Berounka as seen from above the gloriette
The gate to the Lány game reserve 
A deer mount on the gate to the Lány game reserve
The main entrance to Lány Chateau
Lány Chateau as seen through the gate
A pretty tree
A statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk outside the TGM Museum in Lány
The same
A cross at Lány cemetery 
The Masaryk family tomb
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk's tombstone
The Church of Saint Martin in Zbečno

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