The romantic castle of Žinkovy in Plzeň offers two new tour routes

Žinkovy – Two new tour routes are offered to visitors by the Žinkovy Castle in southern Plzeň. With 142 rooms, it is reportedly the largest private castle in the Czech Republic. The romantic castle was purchased by Lázně Poděbrady last spring and reopened for tourists for the first time in years last June, said artistic director Vojtěch Odcházel to ČTK.

The first visitor route is called the Noble Floor and showcases the representative heart of the castle. It guides visitors through festive salons, social rooms, and representative spaces on the second floor, where former owners received notable guests, conducted business, and held cultural and social events. The castle has been owned in the past by families such as the Lobkowicz, Harrach, Wessel, and the Škodas, Plzeň industrialists.

The route leads through a hunting corridor with original Škoda trophies that were recently acquired, a divine salon with wall paintings of Roman gods, a luxurious apartment for special guests, a neo-Gothic chapel, and rooms where the nobility indulged in games and wine drinking. The equestrian salon features models of famous equestrian sculptures, including a model of the stallion Ardo, which was the basis for Myslbek's statue of Saint Wenceslas at Wenceslas Square, designs of the statue of Saint Wenceslas, and a model of the equestrian statue of George of Poděbrady by Bohuslav Schnirch, as well as a bronze model of the statue of Jan Žižka on Prague's Vítkov Hill by Bohumil Kafka.

A much more intimate view of the daily life of the castle's inhabitants is offered by the second route called the Noble Chambers. Visitors enter private rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces on the third floor that replicate the lives of the aristocracy, its customs, and the transformations of castle life over the centuries, Odcházel said. "We want visitors to discover not only beautiful historical interiors but also the stories of the people who lived here for centuries and shaped the character of this extraordinary place. Each tour offers a different perspective on the castle and together they create a cohesive image of its history and present," he said.

Although the monument served as a recreation center for trade union members from the 1950s for decades, many interiors have been preserved. According to Odcházel, there are also ongoing efforts to reclaim original or period-accurate furnishings and equipment. The castle complex has restored two of its three wings.

The castle acquired its current pseudo-Renaissance appearance at the end of the 19th century. According to Odcházel, it fully deserves the nickname "the romantic pearl of Bohemia," as it combines the most beautiful elements of various architectural styles. "Here we can admire magnificent Gothic windows, window frames, and Gothic stained glass, beautiful linear sgraffito known from Renaissance architecture, as well as beautiful Baroque gables. All these elements were included in the construction by the famous Viennese architects (Ferdinand) Fellner and (Hermann) Helmer to amaze us," he said. Moreover, the castle is situated in an English park on the banks of the Labuť pond and offers numerous romantic views.

Lázně Poděbrady do not disclose how much they purchased the castle for last year, nor do they provide visitor statistics. The castle is open to visitors year-round.