The Kladruby nad Labem Château

Kladruby nad Labem has been associated with horse breeding from its very beginnings. The very name of the municipality indicates that the first settlement was established by woodcutters who probably brought horses with them to carry out the heavy work. The Pernstein Family continued this mediaeval tradition of horse breeding in the region when it built a game reserve there at the end of the 15^th century. In 1563, the Habsburgs established a stud farm there which went on to become the court stud. The National Stud Farm in Kladruby is one of the oldest in the world and it is home to the Kladruber horse. The heart of the entire facility in Kladruby nad Labem consists of the main stables, the château and a church. The main stables are a perfectly arranged set of classicist buildings. The imperial château, where it is possible to admire the stylishly decorated chambers in which significant members of the Habsburg family once lived, is in close proximity to the main stables. The entire facility represents a unique cultural landscape consisting of meadows, pastures, ancient tree-lined avenues, forests, blind arms of the Elbe River, irrigation drains and historical buildings of many different purposes. In 2015, extensive reconstruction work was completed, thanks to which the Kladruby Stud Farm once again has the classicist appearance that it did at the beginning of the 19^th century. 17 main buildings were restored, new tour circuits and exhibitions were created and the entire facility has been opened up to the public as never before.