Hluboká Castle

A fortress has stood at Hluboká since the 13th century, but its dreamlike present form dates to 1871, when the wealthy Schwarzenberg family, inspired by a visit to England, rebuilt it in the romantic Windsor neo-Gothic style — gleaming white walls, crenellations, and 140 rooms of Tudor-revival splendour. Duchess Eleonora oversaw much of the design. The interiors overflow with carved wood panelling, Flemish tapestries, and a hunting armoury, while the walls bristle with antlers from the family's estates. In 1947 the last Schwarzenberg fled the Communists and the castle was confiscated by the state. Set above a lake amid an English park, it is among the most photographed and most visited castles in the country.