A visit to Rychnov nad Kněžnou, home of the beautiful Santini-designed Kolowrat chateau: 3 km

• Rychnov nad Kněžnou, nestled in the foothills of the Orlické hory in east Bohemia, is a historic town dating back to the 13th century. Rychnov is also home to one of the largest and most important Baroque complexes in Bohemia. The chateau at Rychnov owes its current form primarily to the work of legendary Czech-Italian Baroque architect, Jan Blažej Santini. It is believed that Santini was commissioned by the Lords of Kolowrat (who acquired the Rychnov estate in 1640) to remodel the chateau after a major fire in 1704.
• Since that time, the chateau and grounds have remained in the hands of the noble Kolowrat family. The chateau was restituted back to the family in 1992, after the period of Communist rule. The Kolowrats first came to prominence under Charles IV in the 14th century. They were primarily associated with the anti-Hussite, Catholic faction throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, and under the Habsburgs, the family held many significant positions in Bohemia, Moravia and abroad. The family became noted supporters of the Czech National Revival in the 19th century. Most significant family members (including the Rychnov branch) declared their loyalty to Czechoslovakia (rather than Germany) in 1939 – a key factor in the later restitutions.
• Despite being privately owned, the chateau and much of the estate is open to the public, financed by the family’s forestry and fishery enterprises. There are two tours of the chateau and church complex, offered from May to October. It is worth spending time walking around the extensive estate and historic town center. A suggested (stroller-friendly) 3 km route is shown in the map below. It starts and finishes at the regional train station. For refreshments, try the well regarded café in the chateau courtyard or one of several good cafés on Panská street and on the main square.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• Starting at the train station, follow the RED trail into the town square and then onto the chateau complex
• Return back via the park area and then Panská street to the main square