Czech Republic Troy Castle. Troja Castle in Prague. Ancient winery and museum

Troja Castle is located on the northern outskirts of Prague, in the area of the same name, near the Prague Zoo. Until the second half of the 17th century. this area was called Ovenets.

Information for tourists

In addition to the palace building itself and the adjacent garden with a labyrinth, you can explore the vineyards with the chapel of St. Clare, the Troy Botanical Garden, and the tropical Fata Morgana greenhouse with a collection of exotic butterflies. Directly opposite Troya Castle is the famous Prague Zoo.

Inspection of the interior of the palace is only possible as part of an organized tour conducted in Czech, English and French. Particularly noteworthy are the main hall with its beautiful wall paintings, as well as the Chinese rooms with thematic paintings and a rich collection of ceramics.

In addition, the castle houses a wine museum, and in the nearby winery you can not only taste drinks, but also admire the view of Prague and the Vltava while listening to classical music performed by a live orchestra.

Troy Castle is open to visitors from April to October. Opening hours: from 10.00 to 18.00 (Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday-Sunday) and from 13.00 to 18.00 (Friday). Day off is Monday.

Trojsky zamek

About the castle

Troja Castle is located on the northern outskirts of Prague, in the area of the same name, near the Prague Zoo. This is an excellent example of a Czech summer palace in the high baroque style, which was created by a number of talented architects, artists and sculptors.

History of the castle

Until the second half of the 17th century. this area was called Ovenets. In 1669, Princess Elzbieta Dembinska sold her estate Zadni Owiec, as well as the village with a mill, brewery, vineyard and fisheries to Countess Ludmila Sternberg. In 1678, the countess's son, Vaclav Vojtěch, Count Sternberg, began large-scale construction of a country residence in Ovenec.

The original design of the palace belonged to D.D. Orsi, then J.-B. took over the leadership of the work. Mate, who significantly changed the original concept and introduced into it many elements of Italian and French Baroque. Mate also developed a type of castle with three wings, which became traditional in Czech Baroque architecture of the late 17th century. (Troy Castle is a classic example of such a building).

The gardens of the Troy complex, which previously united vineyards, an orchard and the castle park itself, were designed by J. Zeeman. The park deserves special attention: it is a real labyrinth of narrowing rings of hedges, artificial ponds, bridges, fountains and sculptures, combining the characteristic features of English and French parks. The descent from the first tier to the second is provided by a baroque staircase richly decorated with busts and vases; on the wall enclosing the garden you can see traces of the former relief plaster finish. Even today, the Troya Castle complex is considered a masterpiece of landscape art.

By 1685, construction of the palace was completed. After this, for almost another twenty years (until 1703), work continued on the creation of the main attraction of Troy - a two-flight staircase connecting the building with the garden and representing a real work of art. The flights of stairs, shaped like a horseshoe from above, are decorated with sculptural compositions by the brothers I.G. and P. Germanov from Dresden, and in 1705 they were supplemented by the plastic arts of J. Brokoff. Because of the scenes embodied by the masters (Greek ancient deities, the battle of gods and giants, etc.), the castle got its name - Troy. Later the surrounding area also began to be called.

Antique motifs are ubiquitous in the interiors of the palace. Thus, the famous ceiling of the main hall, above which in 1691-1697. the brothers A. and I. Godin from Antwerp worked, in allegorical form it depicts the apotheosis of the Habsburg monarchy. Here you can see the “divine Rudolf” (the Austrian emperor at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, under whom Prague experienced the heyday of science, arts and crafts) and the “triumphant Leopold” (who defeated the Turks near Vienna in 1683). Italian masters, father and son Marchetti, worked on decorating the adjacent halls. As a result, the total area of painting in Troya Castle is 4000 m2. Thanks to the techniques used, the halls of the palace, and especially the main one, seem larger and higher than they actually are.

In 1703, by order of the Sternbergs, a bridge was built from Troy to the Imperial Mill, essentially connecting the palace complex with Prague. However, already in 1763, the heir of a noble family, Count Jan Sternberg, sold the castle to Empress Maria Theresa. In 1776, an institute for noble maidens was established here, then - during the wars with Prussia - the Troy complex was badly damaged and was looted. In the following decades, the castle changed several owners, the last of whom, Alois Svoboda, donated the complex to the Czechoslovak Republic in 1922 with the condition of creating zoological and botanical gardens on the lands of Troy. This condition was met.

Troja Castle is one of the most beautiful 17th century Baroque castles in the Czech Republic, which is definitely worth a visit. The huge castle park and the nearby Botanical Garden and Prague Zoo are attracting more and more tourists. I suggest you look at photographs of Troy Castle and learn interesting facts from its history.

History of Troy Castle

Troja Castle was built in 1679–1685 by order of Count Vaclav Vojtěch of the Sternberk family as his summer residence. The Sternberk family is one of the most influential and wealthy families in Czech history. Today, the Sternberks own several Czech castles, the most famous of which is Cesky Sternberk Castle.

Leading European craftsmen were involved in the construction of Troy Castle. The Troy Castle was designed by the French architect Jean Baptiste Matei. He was inspired to build the castle by a trip to Italy, where he really liked the buildings of Roman suburban villas. The artistic painting of the castle was mostly done by the artist of Italian-Swiss origin Carpoforo Tencalla.

The castle houses a permanent exhibition of works by leading Czech modernist, expressionist and neoclassical artists. The works of Czech illustrator Maximillian Pirner, Antonin Slavichek, Vaclav Spala and others are exhibited here. The main hall of Troy Castle is decorated with a fresco dedicated to the Habsburg victory over the Turks in Vienna (Battle of Vienna). Artists from Holland and Italy worked on the frescoes in the castle. In total, the artistic painting in Troy Castle occupies an area of 4000 m2, 1400 m2 of which is located in the main hall. By the way, concerts are held in the main hall of the castle, weddings, banquets and receptions are organized.

A grand staircase leads from the majestic main hall to the park, reminiscent of the horseshoe staircase in the Fontainebleau Palace in the suburbs of Paris. The staircase is framed by sculptures of ancient gods and goddesses and illustrates their battle with the Titans according to the ancient Greek Iliad. Perhaps this is where the name of the castle comes from - “Troy”. The sculptures were made by artists from Dresden. The castle previously belonged to the chapel of St. Clare, which today belongs to the Botanical Garden.

The French park attracts tourists and residents of Prague throughout the year, but the peak of its visits occurs in the spring and summer. The park has a nice labyrinth of trees, benches, fountains and terracotta vases. The park is planted with powerful ornamental and fruit trees. It has a greenhouse with busts of emperors. The Prague Gallery annually organizes seasonal exhibitions at Troy Castle, which run from April to October.

In April and May, sakura and plum blossom in the French park, and you can take colorful photos. On sunny days, Prague photographers gather here and arrange photo sessions against the backdrop of blooming nature. The weather is already, as a rule, warm, and you can almost walk around in a T-shirt.

Festival on the territory of Troy Castle

Every year a festival is held on the territory of the Troy Castle, which may also be of interest to tourists. We are talking about a food festival - Food parade. In 2018, the festival will be held on September 1 and 2. Festival visitors have the opportunity to try dishes from the menus of more than 30 famous restaurants, take part in cooking workshops, learn how to grill food, and learn how to photograph food correctly. The festival includes a speed-opening oyster competition and a chili sauce-eating competition. The cost of a ticket to the festival is 200 CZK, including tasting of dishes from famous chefs.

Helpful information

Troya Castle address: U trojského zámku 4/1 170 00 Prague 7
How to get to Troya Castle: bus number 112 from the Nádraží Holešovice metro station (red line) to the Zoologická zahrada stop
Cost of a ticket to the castle: 120 CZK
Working hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Monday

The castle is located near

Here and there, and in the Czech Republic there is no shortage of castles and palaces. Someday I even want to organize a tour of them. And, of course, Prague itself is no exception. One of the Prague palaces especially impressed me.

And its name is Troy Castle. It is not so big, it is not in the center, and, probably, not every tourist gets to it, but there is something especially attractive about it..

How to get there? Let's consider public transport, which we used. On the red metro line, line C, we arrived at the Nadrazi Holesovice station. Then we transferred to a bus, the stop of which is 20 meters to the left of the metro exit. On a weekend, with an interval of 10 minutes. There are free buses to the zoo, they operate from the beginning of April until the end of September. On weekdays you can get there by bus number 112 (that’s what we took). You need to get off at the final stop “Zoo”.

The castle is open to the public from May to October every day except Mondays from 10:00 to 18:00.

The country residence Troysky Castle in the Baroque style was built in 1679-1691. Count Sternberg. In 1763 he sells the castle to Empress Maria Theresa, who after 13 years transfers it to the Institute of Noble Maidens. The castle suffered greatly during the Prussian wars.

Since 1920 it is owned by the state. It now houses a permanent exhibition of the Prague City Gallery dedicated to Czech art of the 19th century.

D.D.Orsi first worked on the plans for the castle, but then the object was transferred to the architect J.B.Mate. He built a palace according to the French model with three wings and also brought into it his personal impressions from his time spent in Rome. Classic Italian villas served as his role model.

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Well, we're heading inside. The cost of a ticket for an adult is around 100 CZK, with discounts available for students. We passed for students, did not ask for a card, they believed that we had forgotten it. In many places, by the way, it “rolls”)). You can also purchase a “Troy Card”, which allows entry to the castle and the nearby zoo and botanical garden; it costs about 250 CZK. We weren't going to the zoo, so we limited ourselves to separate tickets.

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And inside it’s just wow! Train your neck before visiting, in this castle you will spend most of the time with your head up, the painted ceilings are a real work of art.

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Exhibits of the exhibition. I really liked Grandma, she was recreated so realistically that it seems like she’ll look at you and start talking.

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There is plenty of room to wander around in the castle, 2 floors with many painted rooms, each different from the other, passages, corridors, halls.

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The most impressive room of the castle is the imperial hall, completely covered with paintings! They say that this hall has a mystery, the likes of which is not found in any of the castles in Europe. It changes its shape and appearance, adapting to the angle of view. As a result, the sense of reality is completely lost. The secret lies in the illusory painting done by the artist Abraham Godin. To be honest, I didn’t feel it))

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Ceiling. It's like there's a "Play" button in the center :)

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The main theme of the paintings is the glorification of the Habsburgs, in particular the emperors: “divine Rudolph” and “Leopold the Triumphant”, the plot of the victory in 1683. over the Turks near Vienna. The total area of the castle covered with paintings is 4,000 m2, including the area of paintings in the main hall is 1,400 m2.

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The Chinese halls are very unique; on the walls you can see sophisticated thematic paintings. In addition, these halls display a collection of ceramics.

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I have never seen so many paintings in castles before. There is not a single room without them.

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Looks very nice. But, as I understand it, people lived there! I can’t imagine how they didn’t go crazy)).

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The castle is surrounded by a beautiful French-style garden park. In 1983-1986. it underwent reconstruction. Staircase-transition from one level of the park to another. At the bottom there is a labyrinth. But we didn’t go there anymore, since we also wanted to visit the Botanical Garden, which takes a lot of time to explore.

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We walked a little around the top of the garden. Neatly trimmed bushes, clean, beautiful... It's a pleasure to walk there.

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The most important decoration of the entire castle complex is the staircase connecting the main hall of the castle with the garden. It was created by the Dresden sculptors brothers Hermann, and in 1705 it was supplemented by plastic art by Jan Brokoff. The staircase is decorated with sculptures of ancient gods and goddesses depicting the struggle of the Atlanteans with the Titans, according to the plots of the Greek Iliad. Hence the name “Troy”, which later passed not only to the castle, but also to the entire region (until the 18th century it was called Ovenets).

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The next post will be very bright and flowery, we will go to the Troy Botanical Garden.

Troja Castle is located in the urban district of Prague 7, in the northern part of the Czech capital, and is one of the must-see attractions in Prague. On its premises there is a large museum of Oriental art, landscape design and paintings.

History of Troy Castle

This building was reconstructed within ten years - the same amount of time the Greeks besieged Troy. The building was erected in the Baroque style, and at the end of the 17th century, representatives of the influential aristocratic Sternberk family became the owners of the building.

What to see in Troya Castle

Famous architects of their time worked on this structure, and the garden staircase was decorated with sculptural images of characters from ancient Greek legends - heroes and deities. The Emperor's Hall is a unique and mysterious structure, the likes of which are not found in any European castle. Depending on the angle from which the viewer looks at it, the room can visually change its shape and appearance - in this room you can completely lose the sense of reality. This effect is achieved thanks to the illusory painting performed by the artist Abraham Godin. There is also a wine museum in Troysky Castle, where there is the largest collection of paintings from the century before last, as well as an exhibition of oriental ceramics. The latter is located in the Chinese Hall.

Opening hours and ticket prices

Troy Castle welcomes guests from April to October and is open every day except Mondays. On Fridays, the first half of the day is occupied by wedding ceremonies, so tourists are allowed in from 13:00. On other days, the castle doors open at 10:00. End of work – 18:00.

A regular entrance ticket costs 120 CZK, a child ticket is half the price, and for 250 CZK you can buy a family ticket. In addition, there is a Troy Card, by purchasing which you can visit not only the castle itself, but also the nearby botanical garden and zoo.

How to get there

If you are already in Prague, then the most convenient way to get to Troy will be public transport. It will be cheaper and faster than driving your own car.

The metro station closest to Troja Castle is called Nadrazi Holesovice Station. It is located on branch C, indicated in red on the diagrams. When leaving the station, walk 20 meters to the left and you will find yourself at the bus stop. If it is a weekday, then wait for bus number 112, which will take you to the castle in about ten minutes. You can go either to the last stop (“Zoo”) or to the penultimate (“Botanical Garden”). And on weekends, at the same metro stop you can take a free bus to the zoo (“zoobus”), which runs at the same time of year when the castle is open. The interval of their movement is ten minutes.

You can also take a tram near the metro: routes No. 14, 17, 25, which go to Troyskaya Street, will suit you. They run strictly according to a schedule, which you can find out at each stop.

Finally, you can arrive to the castle by boat. Not far from the Palackého bridge there is a pier from where ships depart four times a day. The trip will cost 120 CZK (standard ticket), but during it you will see many Prague attractions. To get to the pier, use the metro - you need to go to the Narodni trida station, which is located on the yellow line. From there you will need to walk along the Masaryk embankment and turn left - there you will find a pier for river buses.

Troy Castle in former times was a royal residence - there is a lot of interesting things there, both inside and outside. It will take a lot of time to fully explore the premises of the castle and the huge garden surrounding it. As a rule, they allocate a whole day for this and do not try to combine a visit to Troy in Prague with excursions to other sites.

After the bustle of the Prague city, Troy Castle with a wonderful garden and a labyrinthine park is just a godsend, a piece of sunny Italy on the outskirts of the capital! Inside the palace, the paintings on the ceilings and walls are amazing. Using the Troy Card you can visit the zoo, the botanical garden with a greenhouse and the Troy Castle.

Troy Castle (Trojský zámek), photo Enrique Vergara

Troja Castle (Trojský zámek) or Troja Castle (Zámek Troja) is a baroque elegant palace, the first summer residence in Prague. It is located in the Troya area, next to the Vltava.

Summer country palace of the Sternberks

The building was built in 1679-1685 by order of Count Vaclav Vojtech Sternberk, a representative of one of the most influential Czech noble families. The authors of the project were Giovanni Domenico Orsi, and later Jean-Baptiste Matei, the builder was Silvestro Carlone. The classic villas of Italy served as a role model.

In the Hall of Emperors, photo by Andrei Valimareanu

Ceiling and wall frescoes, photo Baron Migs

The castle was painted by the artists Carpoforo Tencalla, Francesco Marchetti and his son Giovanni. The ceiling and wall frescoes of the main hall (called the Habsburg or Imperial hall) were created by Flemish artists Abraham and Isaac Godyn in 1688-92. They feature a three-dimensional visual effect, depict the victory over the Turks at the Battle of Vienna and glorify the Habsburg dynasty. Among them, the lampshade on the theme of the apotheosis of the Habsburgs is the most famous.

Three halls in the north-eastern part of the first floor of the castle, the so-called Chinese rooms, are decorated with wall paintings with oriental motifs by an unknown artist, probably from the second half of the 18th century. Also in these halls is a collection of ceramics.

Grand staircase, photo Jaroslav Novák

The spectacular two-flight staircase connecting the main hall of the castle with the garden was built in 1703. The moldings were made by Herman from Dresden. The sculptures depict the battle of the Titans with the ancient gods and allegories of the daily, annual and continental periods. Hence the name of Troya Castle, which later passed on to the entire area. Geri Halliwell, a former member of the Spice Girls, was filming a video on the stairs.

In 1763, Maria Theresa bought the castle and housed an institute for noble maidens there. From 1776 to 1922 the object changed several owners. The last was Alois Svoboda, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He transferred the Troy Castle along with the land plot into the ownership of the city, but with the condition that they would be used exclusively for public purposes. Thus, a zoo and a botanical garden were created on the castle grounds. After restoration in 1977–1989, the palace was opened to public access.

Garden

Castle Park, photo Enrique Vergara

The castle is surrounded by a vast French garden with a fountain in the center; with a small natural labyrinth decorated with fountains and terracotta vases; with many ornamental and fruit trees; with a greenhouse where busts of emperors are installed.

In addition to the palace and garden, the castle complex also includes vineyards, several agricultural buildings, including a stable; Chapel of St. Clare, which is now part of the Botanical Gardens.

Troy Castle today

The palace and park are open to visitors. Paintings by Czech artists of the 19th century from the collection of the Prague Gallery are exhibited in the palace. There is a wine museum in the basement. The castle premises are used for weddings, special events and concerts.

Working hours

April – October:
Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 – 18:00;
Fri 13:00 – 18:00;
Mon – day off;
November – March: closed.

Admission ticket

Full – 120 Kč;
children from 10 years old, students – 60 Kč;
pensioner over 65 years old – 30 Kč;
family – 250 CZK.

Before visiting, check the times and prices on the website.

How to get there?

Take the metro to the Nadrazi Holesovice station, and then take bus 112 to the Zoologická zahrada stop.

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