This Chateau in Vrchotovy Janovice definitely ranks among the highest of our most unique outings during our internship. The National Museum has information on the history of the chateau and the history behind exchanges of ownership. It was a little complicated to me, despite us having a tour of the interior.
The trip from Prague was not too complicated, as we took a train from Praha hlavní nádraží (main railway station) to Olbramovice, and then transferred to a bus to Vrchotovy Janovice. Check out IDOS for detailed schedules and times.
The Chateau is very beautiful, with a unique and peaceful charm. In addition, there is a lovely park alongside the chateau with a small pond to walk around. Apparently, it’s great timing that we arrived here in the summer, because this Chateau has an off-season from October to April. We could get a tour of the 3 permanent collections inside, and learn more about the Baroness Sidonie Nádherná, who was apparently a beautiful art-lover who loved to entertain many popular artists of the time. Her story is pretty sad, as she was an example of the waning power of Czech nobility as she lost control of her chateau during WWII. The property was seized and occupied by Soviet and Czechoslovak forces and used as military headquarters and barracks. Sidonie was unable to keep ownership of the property, as it was expropriated at the end of the war as a textile warehouse, only to eventually become derelict and abandoned. The National Museum stepped in and saved the property from destruction in the 50’s and it was been a part of the NM network ever since.
We were unable to visit the park, simply due to time constraints, however we did enjoy visiting the Chateau itself. The building was indeed beautiful, and seeing some of the original furniture and collection of the Baroness was neat. Taking a visit outside of Prague to this Chateau in Vrchtovy Janovice was a good switch up from our typical schedule. It is always nice taking a break from the Prague life and see a bit more of the Czech countryside. While it may be difficult to work a trip out here into ones schedule, it could be quite a memorable experience.
Prague Travelers 