Muzeum Špýchar

Muzeum Špýchar in Prostřední Lhota is a small but surprisingly rich regional museum tucked inside a baroque granary above the middle Vltava river. Prostřední Lhota belongs to the Chotilsko municipality in the Příbram district of the Central Bohemian Region, roughly 5 km southwest of Nový Knín. The museum operates as a branch of the Mining Museum in Příbram and focuses on local history and everyday life in this stretch of central Bohemia.

What is the building itself?

The granary is a monument in its own right. It was built in 1770 as part of an estate belonging to the Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, one of the few knightly orders founded on Czech soil. The building has a rectangular floor plan with rounded corners, a banded cornice running around it, and distinctive volute gables on its shorter walls. Small rectangular windows complete the modest but elegant silhouette typical of agricultural architecture from that era. The structure is protected as a cultural heritage monument.

What will you see inside?

The exhibition documents the life of rural inhabitants of the middle Vltava region from the second half of the 19th century through the first third of the 20th century. On display are period agricultural machinery and tools, household and craft equipment, and reconstructed furnishings from traditional folk dwellings. It's an unvarnished picture of village daily life from a century and a half ago, presented in a way that lets you imagine what farm work and home life actually looked like back then.

The museum also hosts two smaller thematic exhibitions. One is an archaeological display dedicated to the Celtic oppidum of Hrazany, one of the more significant archaeological sites in this part of Bohemia, where traces of Celtic settlement more than two thousand years old have been uncovered. The other exhibition covers the activities of the Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star in central Bohemia — the very order that originally owned the estate where the granary stands.

How do you get there?

Prostřední Lhota sits in a scenic stretch of the middle Vltava valley, close to Nový Knín, a small town known for its gold-panning traditions. Getting there is easiest by car, since the area has no direct rail connection and local roads wind through the quiet countryside of central Bohemia. It makes a good stop for anyone touring the wider Nový Knín and Vltava valley area, for instance on the way to the Slapy reservoir.

When should you visit?

Being a small regional museum, Špýchar typically operates seasonally, with reduced hours outside the summer months — it's worth checking the current opening schedule before you go, since it can vary from year to year. The best time to visit is spring through summer, when the Vltava valley landscape looks its best and a museum stop can easily be combined with a walk through the surrounding villages.

Frequently asked questions

What does "špýchar" mean? It's the Czech word for a granary — a farm building traditionally used to store grain and other crops, common on old landed estates.

Is the museum large? No, it's a compact regional institution housed in a single historic building, ideal for a short, content-rich stop while exploring the area around Nový Knín.

Who runs the museum? It's a branch of the Mining Museum in Příbram (Hornické muzeum Příbram), which manages several sites across the region.

What's the main highlight? The building itself — a 1770 baroque granary from the former estate of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star — along with the exhibition on the Celtic oppidum of Hrazany.