Staré Hrady – Castle, Chateau and Fairy-Tale Worlds in Český ráj

Staré Hrady combines a historic castle and chateau complex with an unusually wide range of fairy-tale experiences. The complex lies in a gently shaped valley in the south of Český ráj, on the boundary between the Český ráj and Jičínsko tourist regions. This means that the focus here is not just on a single building: you discover a place where medieval history, Renaissance architecture and imaginative tours meet directly. The complex thus brings together historic rooms, exhibits and staged fairy-tale worlds.

Castle, Chateau and Living History

The Staré Hrady complex combines a Gothic castle built by the Parler workshop with an adjoining Renaissance chateau. Preserved figurative sgraffiti can be seen in the forecourt. The fortress of Stará was first mentioned in writing in 1340, providing the historic site with a clear chronological starting point. In addition, the tour “What Life Was Like under Emperor Franz Joseph I” explores the lives of ordinary people, townspeople and the nobility during the heyday of the Habsburg monarchy. The historical tour broadens the perspective beyond the buildings to include various social groups and their ways of life in that era. Many thousands of exhibits turn this into an extensive cultural and historical experience rather than merely an architectural stop.

Fairy-Tale Trails for Different Interests

The Zámecké pohádkové sklepení is particularly distinctive: visitors make their own way through the fairy-tale trail at their own pace. The design, featuring sound and light effects, dates from 2021. In the Dračí královská komnata, the dragon king Rozumbraďák XVI, together with Queen Starostlinda and the dragon princesses Lajdalína, Trajdalína and Rozcaplína, welcomes visitors.

At the Hradní pohádková půda, the tour “FAIRY TALE II” tells stories of the wizard Archibald I, witches, magical grandmothers, ghosts, little spooky creatures and goblins. In good weather, the experience also includes a course on flying a magic broom. At Čarodějná Bestyjola, witches and magical grandmothers care for live animals; a fairy tale there also explains why the travel carriage is divided. Zdravosvět a Dračí království expands the offering in the chateau rooms with “FAIRY TALE III”, an educational and entertaining tour through the world of health.

A Place for Culture and Imaginative Discoveries

The various tours emphasize different themes: historical everyday life, architecture, characters from the fairy-tale world, animals and health. When planning accommodation in Staré Hrady, you can therefore choose the focus of your stay according to whether you mainly want to explore the history of the castle and chateau or the themed experience rooms. In the oldest part of the castle, you can also taste Starohradská medovina.

Hrad a zámek Staré Hrady is open year-round. For further destinations to explore, you can also discover Bílsko U Hořic, Tetín U Jičína, Červená Třemešná, Cholenice, Drevenice, Svatojanský Újezd, Ostroměř and Třebnouševes.

For the broader travel overview: Jičín District.