Zámek Lednice

About the museum

The first record of Lednice dates from 1222, when a Gothic fortress stood here. From 1322 the estate belonged to the Liechtenstein family, who after 1620 became the richest family in Moravia. A Renaissance chateau replaced the medieval moated fortress. At the end of the 17th century a Baroque residence was built to a design by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, and its monumental riding hall has survived.

The chateau took its present form between 1846 and 1858, when Prince Alois II of Liechtenstein had Lednice rebuilt as a representative summer residence in the spirit of English Gothic. The ground floor housed halls for grand gatherings of European nobility, with carved ceilings and wooden panelling. The first floor held the private rooms of the princely family, and the second floor the rooms of the children and their governesses.

Since 1945 the chateau has been state property and is managed by the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ). It is among the most visited monuments in the country. It is surrounded by a park of almost 200 hectares with a palm house, a Venetian fountain, a Roman aqueduct, a Chinese pavilion, a minaret and an artificial ruin, Janův hrad. The entire Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

Highlights

• state rooms with coffered ceilings and a spiral staircase
• private princely apartments with original furnishings
• Milan Knížák Puppet Museum in the children's rooms
• palm house 92 metres long
• minaret almost 60 metres high, with a viewing platform
• Grotta, an artificial stalactite cave

Permanent exhibitions

• Reprezentační sály – The halls on the ground floor were used for social events and balls. They are famous for their wooden panelling, coffered ceilings and spiral staircase.
• Soukromé knížecí apartmány – The rooms on the first floor were used by the princely family until 1945. They have original furnishings installed according to period inventories.
• Dětské pokoje a Muzeum loutek Milana Knížáka – The rooms of the princely children and the puppet collection of Milan Knížák are on the second floor.

Operated by

Národní památkový ústav

Admission & discounts

Prices are for adults aged 25 to 64 for a guided tour (basic tour 1 – State Rooms). Free admission for a pedagogical supervisor (1 per 10 children), group guides (1 per 15 people of an organised group), holders of an ICOMOS card, holders of a culture sector employee card and holders of free NPÚ tickets. Payment is possible by card or in cash.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Only the first tour is step-free (three low steps lead to the ticket office, and a ramp is available), as is the palm house, which can be entered through a side entrance.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

The Milan Knížák Puppet Museum is in the children's rooms of the princes and princesses. Children aged 6 to 17 pay a reduced admission price.

Getting there & parking

From Prague, take the D2 motorway, exit 41 towards Podivín, and then follow road 422 to Lednice. From Vienna, cross at the Mikulov/Drasenhofen border crossing, follow road 40 to Valtice and then road 422.

Amenities & dining

Ticket offices for the tours are in the chateau riding halls. The palm house and the minaret have their own ticket offices. Services on site are listed on the chateau's website.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The chateau offers weddings and hire. Details are on the chateau's website.

Plan your visit