Lány U Rakovníka – Castle, Park and Special Discoveries

Lány U Rakovníka is a destination where Bohemian history, parkland and unusual discoveries come together. At its heart is the Baroque Lány Castle, which has served as the temporary and summer official residence of the Presidents of the Czech Republic since 1921. The area also offers museums, an ice hockey exhibition and attractions at Lánská obora, appealing to different interests within a single trip.

Castle, Park and Masaryk Connections

Lány Castle offers guided tours of the representative first floor every day except Friday. The commentary focuses on the first Czechoslovak president, T. G. Masaryk, giving the castle visit a clear historical focus. Lány Castle Park is open to the public from Easter until the end of October.

A panel exhibition is dedicated to T. G. Masaryk’s court architect, Jože Plečnik. Through his exceptional architectural interventions, Plečnik remains closely connected with the castle park in Lány. Visitors interested in architecture, political history and landscaped parks will find several ways to engage with the same place here, without the visit being limited to a single attraction.

Museums with Different Themes

The T. Masaryk Museum has been housed since 2003 in a Baroque Fürstenberg granary that was transformed through careful architectural renovation. It includes a research room, a lecture hall and a small café. In this way, it complements the castle visit with a separate museum setting where visitors can explore Masaryk’s life and legacy in a historic building.

A different perspective is offered by the Hokejová síň českého hokeje. Its permanent exhibition is dedicated to the legends of Czech and Czechoslovak ice hockey and displays ice hockey trophies. The Museum of Sports Vehicles, opened in 1997, broadens the range of cultural discoveries in Lány.

Discoveries in Lánská obora

For a trip with children, the questing rally at Lánská obora offers a special way to explore the area. The doe Eliška accompanies children along the journey of wood, from seed to mature tree and finally to a wooden product. The rally begins by searching for the first QR code with a mobile phone and scanning it. The starting point is therefore directly linked to a specific task.

The demonstration area of the Lánská obora educational trail features a wooden lookout point overlooking a large-game enclosure. Depending on your interests, a stay in Lány can therefore be combined with culture, park history or a nature-focused discovery.

Getting to Lány

From Prague, you can reach Lány via the R6 expressway in the direction of Karlovy Vary. After taking the exit towards Lány, Road 236 continues for approximately 4 km to Lány. By train, travel to Stochov railway station and then walk approximately 2 km to Lány. The two distances of approximately 4 km and approximately 2 km help you clearly distinguish between the travel options.

Other Destinations in the Same Selection

For further research, you can also view Vraný, Hospozín, Kamenné Žehrovice, Dřetovice, Žilina U Nového Strašecí, Plchov, Kačice and Buštěhrad in the same selection.

For the higher-level travel overview: Kladno District.