Konopístě Castle

Got up this morning, went to my café for coffee, then met a good friend at the Main Train station at 10am for a trip south to Konopístě Castle in Benešov u prahy.

It was an easy 42 minute ride south-east of Prague by "fast" Train and a 3km walk from the train station to the Castle. It was originally built as a gothic fortress at the end of the 13th Century and was built to guard a nearby town of Benešov. The castle itself was modeled after French Castles of the time.

This place is amazing and the tour of the rooms and the hunting trophies were really something as well. A really fine day, a easy time and lots of good conversation and laughter as well. Diky.

Now, ...back to THE Castle. The first change to the medieval structure of the castle occurred in the 15th century by Jiri (George) of Sternberk, followed by the Hodejovsky family in the 17th century, who converted the castle into a renaissance mansion.
The most significant alteration took place in the 18th when members of the Vrtba family rebuilt the castle into a baroque residence.

The most famous owner of the Konopístě Castle was the archduke František (Franz) Ferdinand d'Este, a successor to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 became a pretext for the start of World War I. He bought the Konopiste domain in 1887 from the Lobkowitzs family and converted it into a magnificent seat of a Heir.

...AND Wow, did he live well! he even was the First to have a real flushing toilets, electricity and hot running water and a real bathroom! I am sure astounding his regal guests from other countries.

The Chateau even has its own Bear!!, named Kazimíra, who lives in a special bear pit on the castle grounds, just like in Beroun. A bit sad to see him just walk aimlessly about.
He looked so totally bored.

and there was talk of a poor dying "non-gold" fish as well... ;-)