Roudnice nad Labem Castle

Roudnice nad Labem Chateau is one of the largest palace complexes in the Czech Republic and, for four centuries, the ancestral seat of the Lobkowicz family. It stands on a rocky spur above the Elbe river in the town of Roudnice nad Labem, in the Ústí nad Labem Region. From the outside it reads as a single, unified Baroque building, but beneath the plaster its walls go back to the Middle Ages.

How did the chateau end up in Lobkowicz hands?

The first stronghold on this site was built in the second half of the 12th century as a Romanesque fortress — a seat of the Prague bishops, who for centuries counted Roudnice among their most important properties outside Prague itself. At the start of the 17th century the estate passed to the House of Lobkowicz, one of the oldest and most influential aristocratic families in the Czech lands. It was the Lobkowiczes who gave the building the form visitors see today: between 1652 and 1684 the medieval stronghold was rebuilt into a grand Baroque residence, with the earlier Romanesque foundations retained as the base of the new structure.

Why is it counted among the country's largest residences?

Roudnice Chateau is often ranked as the fourth-largest chateau complex in the Czech Republic, with more than 200 rooms. For generations it served as the main princely and ducal seat of the Lobkowicz family, which explains both the scale of the building and its formal, representative Baroque character. This was never a secondary or summer residence — it was the political and family center of one of Bohemia's most powerful noble houses.

What happened to the chateau in the 20th century?

The building's fate mirrors the turbulence of 20th-century Czech history. During the Second World War it was occupied and used as barracks by the German army, and after the war it continued to serve as barracks, this time for the Czechoslovak army — for decades its Baroque interiors were given over entirely to military, utilitarian use. Only in the 1990s, as part of post-war property restitutions, was the chateau returned to the Lobkowicz family. Since 2009 the family has been carrying out ongoing restoration work, gradually bringing the complex back from decades of military occupation.

What should visitors know before coming?

The chateau sits directly above the Elbe on a high rocky spur, which makes it a natural viewpoint over the river and surrounding countryside as well as a historic building in its own right. Its sheer scale — more than 200 rooms within a single complex — makes it a destination worth a proper visit rather than a quick stop. It's also worth knowing that the residence still belongs to the Lobkowicz family and remains part of the family's living history, not simply a museum piece.

Frequently asked questions

Has Roudnice nad Labem Chateau always belonged to the Lobkowicz family? No. The original 12th-century stronghold was a seat of the Prague bishops. The Lobkowicz family acquired the estate only at the start of the 17th century, and it was they who gave it its present Baroque form.

How many rooms does the chateau have? More than 200, making it one of the largest chateau complexes in the Czech Republic — commonly cited as the fourth-largest in the country.

What happened to the chateau during and after the Second World War? It served as barracks — first for the German army, then, after the war, for the Czechoslovak army. It was only returned to the Lobkowicz family in the 1990s, as part of post-war restitution.

Is the chateau still being restored? Yes. The Lobkowicz family has been carrying out restoration work continuously since 2009, undoing decades of wear from its military use.

Where exactly is the chateau located? In the town of Roudnice nad Labem, in the Ústí nad Labem Region, on a rocky spur directly above the Elbe river.