Muzeum Benátecka

About the museum

The château in Benátky nad Jizerou was built at the beginning of the 16th century on the ruins of a Cyriac monastery. Artistically valuable sgraffito on part of the façade dates from the end of the 16th century. After the Thirty Years' War the Baroque part was built, today's main front wing, and the château took its present form at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, when another wing was added, linked by a gallery to the church standing next to it. In 1920 the last owners sold the château to the town; it is still the seat of the town administration and of the museum.

The astronomer Tycho Brahe stayed at the château in Benátky in 1599–1600, where he had astronomical instruments and a chemical laboratory. From 1844 to 1847 Bedřich Smetana worked here as a music teacher, and the composers Jiří Antonín Benda and František Benda were also born in Benátky. The last major reconstruction of the château after 1647 was carried out by Jan of Werth, a general of the Thirty Years' War.

The museum's exhibitions present the nature of the Benátky region, the lords of Dražice, Tycho Brahe, Jan of Werth, the memorial rooms of the Benda brothers and Bedřich Smetana, and a long-term exhibition on native Jaroslav Vancl and the Merkur metal construction kit. The museum is a branch of the Muzeum Mladoboleslavska.

Highlights

• Nature of the Benátky Region exhibition from 1997, with specimens of animals, minerals and fossils
• exhibition on Tycho Brahe, who stayed at the château in 1599–1600
• memorial rooms of the composers Jiří Antonín and František Benda and of Bedřich Smetana
• Jaroslav Vancl – Merkur exhibition on the metal construction kit
• Renaissance château with 16th-century sgraffito

Permanent exhibitions

• Příroda Benátecka – The 1997 exhibition presents animals and plants in the area around the River Jizera, supplemented by specimens of animals, minerals and fossils and a research-style glossary on the return of bison and wild horses.
• Tycho Brahe a Benátky – The exhibition recalls the astronomer Tycho Brahe's stay at the château in 1599–1600 and is complemented by an interactive display on prehistoric and medieval astronomy.
• Jaroslav Vancl – Merkur – Long-term exhibition on native Jaroslav Vancl and his Merkur metal construction kit, lent by the most important Czech collector.

Operated by

Muzeum Mladoboleslavska

Admission & discounts

The full admission applies to adults and young people aged 16 and over.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

Family tickets apply; the branch takes part in the programme “Muzejní hrátky – Benátky, Bělá, Boleslav a zase zpátky”.

Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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