Teplice nad Metují Castle

Teplice nad Metují Castle — known locally as the Lower Chateau (Dolní zámek) — is one of two historic manor buildings in the small town of Teplice nad Metují, tucked into the northeastern corner of the Czech Republic right at the entrance to the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks nature reserve. Centuries of ownership changes and shifting uses have left it a quiet witness to the region's turbulent past.

How do you get to the castle?

Teplice nad Metují lies in the Hradec Králové Region, close to the Polish border and roughly 15 km from the spa town of Kudowa-Zdrój. Driving is the most practical option, with decent road connections from Nové Město nad Metují and Broumov. Travelers relying on public transport can catch local buses from Náchod or Broumov. The chateau itself sits right in the town center, near the main square, so it's an easy walk from any parking spot or bus stop. Many visitors combine a stop here with a longer excursion into the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, whose entrance is only a short drive away.

What will you see on site?

The Lower Chateau was built in 1664 by Baron Zikmund Schmiedelm ze Schmieden and his wife in an early Baroque style. The most distinctive feature of the rectangular, multi-story building is a pair of portals on its southern façade, each carved with the coats of arms of the founder and his wife — details that help historians pin down exactly who commissioned the building and when. Next to the chateau, a garden survives that holds a small collection of Rococo sculptures attributed to the circle of Matyáš Bernard Braun, one of the most important sculptors of Czech Baroque art. Today the building serves as a retirement home, so interior visits aren't possible, and access to the garden depends on getting permission from the facility's administration — it's worth checking ahead of time rather than assuming entry. The town's second chateau, the Upper Chateau, stands nearby and now houses the local town hall, a good illustration of how closely both buildings remain woven into everyday town life.

What is the history behind it?

The Lower Chateau's history hasn't always been peaceful. In January 1775, the estate's administrator informed the local peasants that Empress Maria Theresa had issued a patent abolishing serfdom — news that ignited unrest among the subject population. Rebelling peasants stormed the chateau, ransacked its interior, destroyed the estate archives, and took the count from nearby Vlkanov hostage. The episode illustrates just how sharp social tensions had grown in the final decades of the feudal system within the Habsburg monarchy. In the years that followed, the estate changed hands repeatedly among various noble families, eventually being converted in modern times into a social care facility.

When should you visit?

Given its current role as a care home, the chateau works best as a brief stop paired with a longer day out in the surrounding countryside — ideally in spring or summer, when the hiking trails through the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks are in full swing and the garden has the best chance of being open. Autumn also has scenic appeal, though shorter days and cooler weather in the rock labyrinth are worth planning around.

Frequently asked questions

Can you tour the inside of the castle? Not in the usual sense — the building now functions as a retirement home, so its interior isn't open to the public.

Is the castle garden accessible to visitors? Access to the garden and its Rococo sculptures depends on permission from the care facility's management, so it's best to check before you arrive.

How does the Lower Chateau differ from the town's other castle? The Upper Chateau in Teplice nad Metují now serves as the town hall, while the Lower Chateau is a separate Baroque building used as a care facility.

What else is worth seeing near the castle? The region's main draw is the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, an extensive sandstone rock reserve with numerous hiking trails just a short distance from the town center.