A bite of history 

The castle of Brandys nad Labem, home to kings and emperors, is one of the important monuments of the Bohemian Renaissance. For more than 500 years, all Habsburg dynasties lived there. The original Gothic castle dates back to the 14th century and in 1547 became the property of the Czech monarchy and the seat of Emperor Ferdinand I, who brought the most prominent artists of the region to decorate the castle with magnificent graffiti decorations.

In 1581 it was promoted to the rank of royal city, and the castle became the summer residence of Emperor Rudolf II. The castle became its primary residence outside of Prague. The emperor often went there, strolled through the gardens, and held parties there. Among his friends who frequented the castle was the famous astronomer Ticho de Brahe, who also saved the Stara Boleslav region from the 30 years war, and Emperor Charles VI used it as a hunting castle. Maria Theresa met her husband here and from there went to Prague for the royal coronation.

Emperor Franz I established the headquarters in the castle during the Napoleonic Wars and received in 1813 a visit of Tsar Alexander I and the King of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm III in order to plan the establishment of a coalition against Napoleon which led to victory in the battle in Leipzig.

The last owner of the castle, until 1918, was the Austro-Hungarian emperor and the last Czech king, Karl I, who stayed in the castle as a young officer in the army. In 1911, he brought his wife Empress Zeta from Parma.

In 1918, the castle was nationalized by the state and in 1995 it was transferred to the municipality of Brandys nad Labem and underwent massive renovation.

Today the castle serves as the city’s city center. In the banquet hall of the castle, official ceremonies of the city and the district are held, including ceremonies for the awarding of certificates of appreciation, appointments and coronations, and of course weddings. Around the castle there are 2 impressive gardens and is a magnet for the region’s residents