Čechy pod Kosířem Chateau

This picturesque Neo-Classicist chateau surrounded by a vast English-style park is associated with the noble Silva-Tarouca family and with influential Czech painter Josef Mánes, a frequent guest at the chateau.

A Gothic water fort surrounded by two ponds stood at the site of the chateau in the 14th century. In early 18th century, the fort was bought by the House of Liechtenstein, who had it rebuilt into a Baroque four-wing chateau. In 1768, the entire domain was transferred to Emanuel Teles da Silva, Count Silva-Tarouca, a prominent politician of the Habsburg monarchy and counsellor to Empress Maria Theresa. His successors from the House of Silva-Tarouca rebuilt the chateau in the Neo-Classicist style and remodelled the park into the contemporary landscape form in the English style. In 1949, the chateau, with all its Silva-Tarouca assets, was expropriated by the Czechoslovakian state. The chateau then served as a children’s home between 1953 and 2005, and the whole site has been owned by the Olomouc Region since 2008. The chateau passes through an extensive restoration and has been open to the public since 2016.

There are five guided tours available. The basic one is the classic tour of the chateau interiors from the era of the last owners, which also includes a collection of paintings by Josef Mánes, unparalleled in the Czech Republic. It is also possible to visit the Film Exhibition dedicated to the films of Zdeněk & Jan Svěrák, and the Exhibit of Vintage Bicycles.

During the summer season, a guide will show you the surrounding park with the Gothic-Revival Red Tower that serves as an observation tower, the Neo-Classicist Mánes Pavilion with and exhibition of the painter’s works, the Orangery, and the artificial Dragon Cave.

Throughout the year, the chateau and the park host various cultural events. The site includes the Chateau Café which offers traditional snacks and beverages, but you can also order a picnic basket and enjoy its contents in the shade of the mighty trees.