The hunting corridors
Thousands of heads and horns — he recorded killing over two hundred thousand animals.
Marek Prokop from Říčany, Czech Republic — CC BY 2.0 · donald judge — CC BY 2.0 · donald judge — CC BY 2.0 · donald judge — CC BY 2.0
A direct train from Prague main station to Benešov in about an hour, then a thirty-minute walk or a local bus to the castle. By car it is about fifty minutes with parking. Make it a full day if you want the grounds too.
Because Europe was bound by a network of opposing alliances. When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in response, Russia moved to protect Serbia, Germany to protect Austria, and France and Britain by their own treaties. Within six weeks an incident in Sarajevo had become a continental war that killed millions.
The castle offers different routes covering different wings — the private apartments, the hunting halls and the gallery. The apartments route is the best known and the right choice for a first visit. Routes have different durations and tickets and places are limited in season, so decide before arriving.
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A château originally a thirteenth-century Gothic castle, turned over the centuries into an aristocratic seat, and bound to the name of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Franz Ferdinand bought it in 1887 and made it his principal home, rebuilding it with the newest of what was then available in electricity, lifts and bathrooms. From here in 1914 he set out on the journey that ended with his assassination in Sarajevo — the event that ignited the First World War. The castle has remained much as it was on that day. What stays with a visitor is his collection: the Archduke was an obsessive hunter who recorded killing over two hundred thousand animals, and thousands of heads and horns hang along the corridor walls in row upon row. The sight is heavy, and it says more about the man than any portrait. The grounds are large, with a lake, a rose garden and a bear enclosure. The interior is seen on guided tours along different routes — choose before arriving.
Thousands of heads and horns — he recorded killing over two hundred thousand animals.
It has remained much as it was on the day he last left it.
A lake, a rose garden and a bear enclosure — half the visit is outdoors.
Near Benešov, about forty-five kilometres south of Prague