The Choceň Château

The Renaissance-style Choceň Chateau was built on the bank of Tichá Orlice by Sigismund of Šelmberk on Kost and Mrač in 1562. Several other owners possessed it afterwards. It was bought by the Kinský of Vchynice and Tetov family at the beginning of the 18^th century. It burned down in 1829 though, was rebuilt in the Classicist style and has remained so until the present day. The eastern wing was rebuilt into a chateau chapel between the years 1849-1850, which represents the chateau entrance area now. The Kinský House had owned the property until 1945, when it was nationalized. Today it is home to the Orlické Museum and a part of it is occupied by the Elementary Art School. If you take a guided tour, you will be able to visit the pseudo-Gothic Chateau Chapel with its beautiful stained glass windows. The tour is accompanied by an absorbing narrative on the history of the mansion. Also the Orlické Museum itself presents several appealing exhibitions. Its history department even lets you see the Melantrich Bible - one of the most significant editions of the Bible in the Renaissance-era Bohemia. It is more than certain that not only children will eagerly explore the period-correct school desks originating from the beginning of the 20^th century, as well as various items of everyday use. It is in the archaeological exposition that one will find a reconstruction of a furnace burial site of the Lusatian culture originating from the nearby Běstovice site. The museum’s brickwork section is also unique, as it covers the now-extinct brickworks and bricks themselves, mostly from within the Ústí nad Orlicí district. You can also choose to arrive in the advent time, as seasonal fairs are traditionally organised here.