Chrast – Castle, Museum and Chrastecka Educational Trail

Chrast Between Castle History and River Landscapes

Chrast brings together castle history, museum culture, sacred architecture and a distinctive hiking route within a compact thematic area. The focal point is Chrast Castle: it was formerly the seat and later the summer residence of the bishops of Hradec Králové. Today, the castle building houses the Chrast Town Museum and the town office. For a culturally focused stay, the town therefore offers several different points of interest that can be combined when planning a day.

Castle, Museum and Special Exhibits

The Chrast Town Museum was founded in 1893 by Vincenc Paulus. Its permanent exhibition includes a model of the Codex Gigas made for the Prague Exhibition.

The former castle chapel also contributes to the castle’s cultural character. It features original wall paintings, serves as the museum’s concert hall and is used for concerts. In the town centre, the Church of the Holy Trinity also stands in the middle of Chrast’s market square. The first records of St Martin’s Church in Chrast date from 1350; it was consecrated on 3 August 1721. Those interested in different forms of history will therefore find castle, museum and church themes side by side in Chrast.

The Chrastecka Educational Trail and the Žejbro

The Chrastecka Educational Trail offers another perspective on Chrast. It connects the ČD railway station in Chrast with the ČD railway station in Vrbatův Kostelec and is 12.47 km long. This makes it possible to experience the town not only through individual sights but also via a clearly defined route. The Žejbro River borders almost the entire Chrastecka Educational Trail and flows through Chrast. The proximity of the river therefore accompanies much of the route and complements the historical stops with a landscape dimension.

When choosing accommodation in Chrast, this distinction between cultural experiences and the trail can provide useful guidance: the focus may be on the castle, museum, market square and churches, or on a longer route along the educational trail. Both focuses are directly connected with Chrast as the starting point for the respective theme, without requiring a fixed sightseeing itinerary.

Castle Garden and Historic Water Facilities

The castle garden in Chrast was laid out in the mid-19th century by Bishop Karel Hanl. In 1903, the Prague architect Thomayer redesigned it as a park. The castle garden is open to the public year-round, making it an independent place to visit during the day even outside a museum or concert visit.

On Horecký Pond near Chrast, there is an island that provides refuge for swans and wild ducks. Another historic point of interest is located in Chrašice: the water tower was built to supply the bishop’s castle in Chrast with utility water. Bishop Matouš Ferdinand von Bilenberg had the water pipeline constructed in 1662. After its reconstruction, the old water tower in Chrašice was opened to the public on 19 September 2012. The history of the castle thus extends beyond the building itself and also encompasses the infrastructure formerly used to supply it.

More Places for Your Research

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Chrast, you can also visit Vrbatův Kostelec, Slatinany, Luže, České Lhotice, Lipovec, Rostejn, Studnice and Bojanov.

To the higher-level travel overview: Chrudim District.