Klecany Castle

Klecany Castle stands on the right bank of the Vltava River in Klecany, roughly 5 km north of Prague in the Prague-East district. Built over the remains of a medieval fortress, it grew into a baroque and later empire-style manor whose ownership, appearance and purpose kept shifting across more than six centuries — a rare case of a single site absorbing that much change while keeping its four-wing layout around a central courtyard intact.

How far back does the settlement's history go?

Klecany itself is documented as early as 1309, when a certain Lobek of Klecany appears as a witness in a land-purchase deed. In 1332, a Prague burgher named Bohuslav Olbramovic bought the Klecany estate together with its church. The first written mention of an actual fortified stronghold on the site dates to 1380, when it belonged to the Olbramovic family, patricians of Prague's Old Town, who held it until the late 1380s.

Who controlled the fortress before it became a castle?

Ownership changed hands repeatedly around 1400. By 1418 the stronghold belonged to Mikuláš Meixner of Jevíčko, an Old Town burgher and opponent of the Hussites, who was forced to flee; as a result, Klecany passed to the Old Town of Prague in 1429. In 1616, Elizabeth Lobkowicz purchased the property and attached it to her Chvatěruby estate, keeping it under Lobkowicz control for decades.

When did the stronghold turn into a baroque residence?

The conversion from a medieval fortress into a stately residence took place at the end of the 17th century, producing a three-wing baroque castle. Václav Vojtěch of Šternberk bought the estate in 1691, and from 1727 to 1803 it belonged to the counts of Gallas and later Clam-Gallas. During this period, Empress Maria Theresa visited Klecany twice, in 1754 and 1757.

How did fire and the 20th century reshape the castle?

The building burned down three times — in 1827, 1857 and 1924. After the first fire, reconstruction was completed by a new owner, Antonín Balle, who took over the estate in 1847; the rebuilding gave the castle its empire-style appearance, which survived the second fire in 1857 as well. During the second half of the 20th century, the army made use of the castle and its grounds. A private company bought the property in the 1990s, but between 1990 and 2003 the building fell into near-total disrepair through owner neglect.

What is the state of the castle today?

In 2003 ownership passed to the current owner, the company BECK Group, a.s., which carried out a complete reconstruction of the castle and its surrounding grounds after 2004. The building is now usable again and consists of four wings arranged around a courtyard, with a projecting central section on the front facade. For years the property was marketed for sale, at times described by local media as one of the most expensive buildings on the Czech real estate market. The castle remains privately owned and is not open to visitors.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit Klecany Castle? No. Since 2003 the castle has belonged to the private company BECK Group, a.s., which fully reconstructed it after 2004 for its own use. It is not open to tourists and offers no public visiting arrangements.

How old is Klecany Castle? The settlement of Klecany is recorded from 1309, and the first mention of a fortified stronghold on the site dates to 1380. The building took on its current, palace-like form at the end of the 17th century.

Who owned the castle throughout its history? Owners included the Olbramovic patrician family, Mikuláš Meixner of Jevíčko, Elizabeth Lobkowicz, Václav Vojtěch of Šternberk, and the counts of Gallas and Clam-Gallas during the 18th century.

Why did the castle change appearance several times? Fires in 1827, 1857 and 1924 forced repeated rebuilding. Each reconstruction reshaped the building, ultimately giving it the empire-style look it kept after the most recent restoration, completed after 2004.