Discover Petschau: Castle, Garden and Nature

Petschau combines impressive culture with special nature experiences and a variety of trails. Here you can discover historic castle interiors, unusual museums and an extensive Botanical Garden. There are also protected landscapes, a short educational trail and activities that can enrich a day trip with children just as much as a culture-focused stay.

Castle, Collections and Local History

The newly restored Bečov Castle was first opened to the public in 1996. Visitors can see an exhibition of Gothic art from western Bohemia as well as two tours. One is dedicated to the Romanesque Reliquary of Saint Maurus, while the other focuses on the Baroque castle interiors with their library, chapel and salons. The Reliquary is also displayed in the Bečov Castle and Chateau complex.

The museums also focus on unusual themes. The Museum of Historical Motorcycles displays more than 50 historic motorcycles as well as historic bicycles and motorcycle engines. The upper floor houses an exhibition of wooden toys, family puppet theatres and marionettes. The Museum of Ironing and Washing features exhibitions of piggy banks as well as banknotes and coins. At the Cup Museum, you can see more than 4,600 cups, along with wood carvings, retro items and historic photographs of Bečov nad Teplou. In front of the town hall, the column with the statue of the Virgin Mary Immaculate, erected in 1680, commemorates the town's history.

Botanical Garden and Protected Landscapes

The Botanical Garden of Bečov covers 12 hectares. It includes 5 hectares of intensive exhibition areas, 1.5 hectares of water areas, 1.5 hectares of orchard and 4 hectares of natural areas. More than 10,000 plant species are cultivated there in total. The first Czech Bioferrata is part of the garden and offers routes of varying difficulty, including routes suitable for children. Visitors can rent boats on Korunní Pond.

The Bečov area is part of the Slavkovský les Protected Landscape Area. In addition, the Teplá Valley between Bečov and Mnichov is designated as a nature reserve. Thus, alongside the garden and castle, explicitly protected landscapes are also part of Petschau's profile.

Trails in Different Formats

The Šibeniční vrch educational trail is about one kilometre long and has five information boards in Czech, German and English. The circular route through the forests of Bečov can begin in the town square of Bečov nad Teplou and follows the green hiking trail markings towards Bečovské rybníky.

The Bečover Questing offers a different format: you follow a route, look for clues and solve a puzzle at the end. On foot, this treasure hunt takes about 70 to 90 minutes. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore consider whether your trip should focus on the castle and museums, the Botanical Garden and protected nature, or a trail featuring playful exploration.

More Places to Consider

If you would like to expand your selection of places, you can also find Krasny Jez, Bärringen, Dallwitz, Schwarzenbach, Abertham, Gießhübel B. Buchau, Chiesch and Welchau.

For the higher-level travel overview: Karlovy Vary District.