A short walk around the remarkable Žinkovy chateau in west Bohemia: 2 km to 5 km

• Žinkovy chateau may be the most spectacular chateau in Central Europe that no-one has ever heard of! The reason the chateau is relatively unknown is that it is in private hands and not open to the public….However, the chateau is currently (as of late 2024) for sale after a period of renovation and conversion into a conference venue. This means that (at least for a period) the grounds are somewhat accessible. It is well worth a trip, as the location – overlooking two large ponds – is very pretty. For those who enjoy the fairy-tale style of neo-Renaissance architecture this is a ‘must see’ chateau.
• The property was rebuilt in Romantic style in 1897 on the site of a former Renaissance-era chateau, little of which remains today. It was owned at various times by some of the most prominent Czechs of the last few centuries, including Prince Lobkowitz, Count Harrach and the founder of the Škoda car firm, Karel Škoda.
• The chateau overlooks a large pond probably created at the beginning of the 16th century by damming the Úslava river shortly after the original chateau’s foundation. The pond is today split into two by a dam topped with a roadway – there is a good view of the chateau from the halfway point.
• Prior to the the foundation of Žinkovy chateau in the Úslava river valley, the lords of the estate lived in a fortress on the hill behind today’s chateau. Potštejn castle, probably constructed in the early 13th century, was abandoned in the 15th century and the remains are now mostly obscured by the encroaching forest. It is a 500m walk up the hill from the main trail to the reach the old castle area.
• These hills have actually been occupied since at the least the late Bronze Age (3000 years ago). The rampart walls of the ancient hillfort built on Obrovo hradiště hill are just about visible in the forest. There are footpaths to the hillfort, which lies around 700m south of Potštejn castle, but these are unmarked.
• The simple walk from Žinkovy village to the new chateau is just over 1 km long on an asphalt road, so fine with a stroller. If planning on exploring the ancient ruins in the hills behind the chateau, the paths are not difficult but not suitable for strollers. There are no open refreshment options (yet) at the chateau or in the village.

Note: click ‘Show on map’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for online navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions

• Take the bus to Žinkovy village (connections are with Plzeň main station) or if driving there is parking in the village
• Follow the GREEN trail in the direction of Žinkovy – škola, reached after 1.1 km. The entrance drive to the chateau is here
• The ruins of Potštejn are 500m up the hill on the YELLOW trail
• Return back to Žinkovy village on the outbound route