Day 1: Following the Trail of Castles along the Orlice River

Častolovice Renaissance castle with an English park, a game preserve and a mini–zoo is a great attraction on the way to the Orlické Mountains. The pleasant atmosphere of the castle complex where Countess Sternberg used to live can be enjoyed most when you combine a tour of the castle exhibitions with refreshments in the H&H Castle Café in the courtyard with a fountain and exotic birds. White fallow deer and deer graze in the park’s game preserve, and wild boar are popular with visitors, as are other farm animals including ponies, alpacas, emus, ostriches and a variety of colourful chickens and pheasants. The park is divided into several sections where you can relax, admire the beauty of the roses or just watch the action around you. There are also play elements for children in the back.

TIP: Častolovice is also one of the castles where Castle Night takes place at the end of August.

TIP FOR CYCLISTS: On your way to beer and castles, take the Podorlice beer trail or the Castle bike trail. Visit the castles of Častolovice, Kostelec nad Orlicí, Doudleby and Potštejn, where you can taste beer from the Clock Brewery.

Take a short ride from Častolovice to Kostelec nad Orlicí. You can go by bike or by train from the station Častolovice stop. However, you can also do it on foot. From one castle to the other, it is only 3 kilometres. 
In Kostelec you will admire the large English park, from the lower part of which you can admire a beautiful view of the classicist façade of the castle. In addition to the castle interiors, you can visit art exhibitions and musical events. A popular stop here is Toni’s Café with its famous desserts. 

DID YOU KNOW... the owner of the New Castle in Kostelec is Count František Kinský, whom you may know as the host of the TV series Blue Blood. Maybe you will be lucky enough to meet him at the castle as a guide.

WHERE TO EAT: Lukáš Hejlík, Czech food bloger, speaks clearly – do not miss the gastronomic experience at U Hubálků Inn in Lhota u Kostelce. We also recommend the restaurant of Penzion Pod Rozhlednou Vrbice, where you can really enjoy eating, drinking, sleeping or staying up late. At the end of August you can taste the best of Czech and international cuisine right in the castle grounds during the annual FOOD festival.

Doudleby Castle, owned by the Bubna-Litic family, is famous for its Christmas artisan markets. However, from spring to autumn, it is mainly a pleasant stop with a park and a café. The Renaissance castle with its beautiful sgraffito decoration was recently renovated and opened to the public. You now have a unique opportunity to see it in all its glory. The castle also includes the Museum of Nature, Countryside and Tramping, and Grandma’s Backyard of Farm Animals. The former hunting lodge is literally immersed in greenery, offering you coolness and comfort even on the hottest days. 

INTERESTING FACT: Some scenes from the Bathory film by director Juraj Jakubisko were filmed in the castle and the park.

TIP: The castle is home to a local winery.

A tip for admirers of traditional crafts: Just 3 kilometres from Doudleby, in Vamberk, you will find the Lace Museum. 
The modern exposition offers a new view of the traditional art of ‘white beauty’, as Vamberk lace is often called. The Czech art of bobbin lace was presented at many international exhibitions, including the famous Expo 1958 in Brussels, and in 1967 in Montreal. For ‘connoisseurs’, the museum also organises the Biennial of Czech Lace.

If you manage to complete the entire 14-kilometre route on foot, you can take the train back to Častolovice.