Loučeň: Château, Castle Park and Labyrinths

The History of the Château and Park Landscape in Loučeň

Loučeň combines a Baroque château with an expansive park landscape and unusual discoveries. Today’s Baroque Château Loučeň was built between 1704 and 1713. Construction of Loučeň’s English-style castle park began in 1828 under Karl Anselm Thurn-Taxis. Loučeň’s castle park covers 23 hectares and contains 12 labyrinths and mazes. This means that a stay focuses not only on historic rooms, but also on an expansive garden experience with many distinct points of interest. The château and park therefore belong to different historical phases in the site’s development.

Château Loučeň and the History of the Thurn-Taxis Family

The history of the site is closely connected with the Thurn-Taxis family: it became the owner of Loučeň in 1809; the first owner from this family was Maxmilian Thurn-Taxis. The interiors of Château Loučeň were first opened to the public in 1929. Classic guided tours of Château Loučeň present the period when Prince Alexandr and Princess Marie Thurn-Taxis lived there. Beyond the building’s history, the visit can thus be connected with a specific chapter in the site’s history.

Labyrinths, Mazes and a Signposted Educational Trail

A signposted educational trail connects the labyrinths and mazes. It provides detailed, thematically organized information about their historical roots and present-day forms. The historical roots and present-day forms give the twelve installations a chronological and design framework. The thematic organization complements movement through the park with a historical perspective on the installations. It is precisely the combination of movement, orientation, and history that makes this part of Loučeň an experience in its own right alongside the château tour.

Church, Monuments and Other Traces of the Past

The cultural history also includes the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built between 1710 and 1714 at the same time as Château Loučeň, based on a design by F. M. Kaňka, and originally served as Château Loučeň’s chapel. At the top of the column of the Helma monument is a depiction of an infantry helmet. At the Truchlící anděl monument near Boží voda, another story commemorates General Karel Boromeu von Fürstenberg: his widow had it erected after he fell in 1799 at the Battle of Stockach during the War of the Second Coalition. The church therefore dates from the same construction phase as the château. The Truchlící anděl monument connects the site near Boží voda with the events of 1799.

Park Visit with a Picnic

In the park of Château Loučeň, picnic baskets for couples and families with children, as well as smaller lunch boxes, are available from May 1 to October 31. They are distributed between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.; a reservation is required at least 24 hours in advance. Planning a break in the park therefore requires taking both the time of day and the reservation lead time into account.

Further Destinations for Research

Discover Prerov Nad Labem , discover Hořany , discover Dvory , discover Vykáň , discover Městec Králové , discover Písty , discover Kounice , discover Netřebice .

To the higher-level travel overview: Nymburk District.