Čertousy Castle

Čertousy Castle sits on the eastern edge of Prague's Horní Počernice district, part of Prague 9, and although it rarely appears on tourist itineraries, its story reaches back to the Middle Ages and ties into one of Prague's oldest university colleges.

Where exactly is Čertousy located?

The site lies at the far eastern edge of Horní Počernice, close to Prague's administrative boundary, in a quiet, semi-rural setting roughly at coordinates 50.1197°N, 14.6322°E. The surroundings are dominated by detached houses and farmland rather than dense urban fabric, a noticeable contrast to Prague's historic centre a dozen or so kilometres away.

How do you get there?

Horní Počernice is well connected to central Prague by public transport, with bus lines and suburban trains linking the district to the rest of the city; the Horní Počernice railway station sits within reasonable walking distance of the estate. Drivers can reach the area easily from Prague's eastern approach roads. It's worth knowing upfront, though, that the castle itself is not set up to receive visitors — there's no information point, no ticket office, and no marked visiting route.

What's the history behind it?

The earliest records of the settlement date to 1322, when it appeared under the name Trčúsy and belonged to Seiboth of Benešov. His son Henslin sold the estate in 1357 to Archbishop Ernest of Pardubice, who passed it on to the newly founded Charles College, one of the earliest institutions linked to Prague's Charles University. A fortified manor here is documented in 1400, when it was held as collateral for a debt owed by Ješek Vrabec, a brewer from Prague's Old Town. That early stronghold was most likely abandoned during the Hussite Wars and had disappeared entirely by the end of the 15th century — what happened to the property in the following decades is poorly documented.

The name Čertousy emerged around the turn of the 16th century as a variant of the older form, and by roughly 1652 a Germanised version, Karthaus, was also in use. The current single-storey Baroque building, notable for its garden façade and mansard roof topped with a small tower, was constructed in the 18th century, though the exact builder and circumstances remain unclear due to gaps in the surviving ownership records.

What condition is the castle in today?

This is the key thing to know before planning a visit: Čertousy Castle is currently closed to the public. After 1989 the estate returned to private hands, and from 1994 onward parts of the complex were gradually restored — the western wing was converted into a three-star hotel, which opened in 1999. The main Baroque building fared far worse: on 19 August 2022, a fire destroyed the roof and interior of the unused section and partially damaged the outer walls. Since then the structure has stood as a ruin, with no visitor access and no tourist infrastructure whatsoever.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

Even though the castle itself can't be toured, the Chapel of St Wenceslas, about half a kilometre away, is a modest local landmark tied to the settlement's history and worth a short detour. Part of the historic estate now operates as a hotel and event venue, known locally as Dvůr Čertousy, hosting weddings and corporate gatherings — a practical way to experience the site, at least from the outside, if the ruin itself is off-limits.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit Čertousy Castle? No. The site is officially marked as inaccessible to visitors, and since the 2022 fire it has been in ruinous condition with no marked route or facilities for tourists.

Where does the name Čertousy come from? The settlement's original name, Trčúsy, is documented from 1322. The form Čertousy developed around the turn of the 16th century, and a Germanised variant, Karthaus, was also used in the 17th century.

What happened to the castle in 2022? On 19 August 2022, a fire broke out in the unused part of the building, destroying the roof and interior and partially damaging the exterior walls.

Can you stay overnight near Čertousy? Yes — not in the Baroque castle itself, but the western wing of the historic estate has operated as a hotel since 1999, and part of the complex today functions as a hotel and events venue.