Vlašim Castle

Vlašim Castle is a neoclassical chateau in the town of Vlašim in central Bohemia, best known today for the sprawling English-style park that surrounds it. The building itself looks more like a stately manor than a fortified stronghold, but the site has a medieval past, and together with its park it now ranks among the most visited landmarks of the Podblanicko region.

How did the castle change hands over the centuries?

A fortified residence already stood on this spot in the 14th century, held first by the lords of Vlašim and later by the Jenštejn family. Over the following centuries the site gradually shifted from a defensive stronghold into an aristocratic residence. From the late 18th century until 1945 the estate belonged to the Auersperg family, who gave the chateau its present neoclassical form during the 19th century. It was under their ownership that the property underwent its biggest transformation, turning from a plain fortified seat into a representative residence set within carefully designed grounds.

What makes the English park worth seeing?

The real draw in Vlašim isn't the chateau building itself but the park that unfolds around it. It was founded in 1775 by Karel Josef Auersperg and his wife Maria Josefina von Trautson, laid out on the site of a former pheasantry and the older castle gardens. The park began in a geometric style and was steadily expanded afterward with additional landscaped features. Today it covers roughly 70 hectares along the Blanice river valley and is considered one of the most beautiful parks of its kind in Europe — and the oldest continuously public English-style park in the Czech Republic.

Walking its paths, visitors pass flower meadows, rock outcrops, and shaded stands of old trees. Two unusual historic structures have survived within the grounds: the Old Castle and the Chinese Pavilion, both reflecting the 18th- and 19th-century taste for exotic, romantic elements in landscape design.

How do you get into the park and chateau grounds?

Three historic gates, all built before the mid-19th century, lead into the park: Znojemská, Domašínská, and Vlašimská. Each one serves as an entrance from a different side of town, so which one you use depends on where you're arriving from. Vlašim itself sits in central Bohemia and works well as a base for exploring the wider Podblanicko region, including the nearby hills tied to local knight legends.

When is the best time to visit?

The park looks its best in spring and summer, when the meadows are in bloom, and again in autumn, when the old trees turn color. Given its size — about 70 hectares — it's worth setting aside at least two to three hours if you want to reach both the Old Castle and the Chinese Pavilion near one of the entrance gates.

Frequently asked questions

Was Vlašim Castle originally a real fortress? Yes — in the 14th century a defensive residence stood here, held by the lords of Vlašim and the Jenštejn family. Its current neoclassical appearance dates from 19th-century rebuilding carried out by the Auersperg family.

Who created the English park next to the chateau? The park was founded in 1775 by Karel Josef Auersperg and his wife Maria Josefina von Trautson, on the grounds of a former pheasantry and earlier castle gardens.

What else is there to see in the park besides the chateau? Look out for the Old Castle and the Chinese Pavilion, two surviving structures in the landscaped part of the park, and walk through one of the three historic gates — Znojemská, Domašínská, or Vlašimská.

How big is the chateau park in Vlašim? It spans roughly 70 hectares in the Blanice river valley and is regarded as the oldest continuously publicly accessible English-style park in the Czech Republic.