Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dear Visitors,
Welcome to Slavkov castle, a Baroque pearl of Moravia, close to Brno. In 2008, the castle was included in the list of national cultural monuments. Besides the guided tour of the castle, we offer a whole series of additional services and events. We believe you will repeat your visit of the Slavkov castle, its gardens as well as the town of Slavkov. We wish you a pleasant experience.
Traffic connection
By car - highway D1 from Prague - exit Slavkov u Brna - Highway D1 from Ostrava - exit Rousinov By train - railway station Slavkov u Brna By bus - bus station Slavkov u Brna By bicycle - bikeways 5097, 5136
Contact
Castle of Slavkov - Austerlitz Palackho nm. 1, 684 01 Slavkov u Brna Phone No. / Fax No.: +420 544 221 685 Phone No.: +420 544 221 204 e-mail: info@zamek-slavkov.cz www.zamek-slavkov.cz Austerlitz Castle restaurant Palackho nm. 1 684 01 Slavkov u Brna Phone No.: +420 544 212 166 +420 606 637 666
Salla terrena
Historical Hall
Castle interiors
At present, almost the entire first floor of Slavkov castle is accessible to the public. It is comprised of parts of the once large Kaunitz gallery, the beginnings of which go back to the first half of the 17 th century. The biggest expansion of the family painting gallery happened in the second half of the 18th century under Vclav Antonn of Kaunitz. The gallery contained not only copies but also the originals of the works of famous European masters. However, as a result of losses, sales and fires, by the end of the 19th century, the collection was reduced to a mere remnant, parts of which, especially the portraits of the members of the Kaunitz family, are used in the castle expositions. The ceilings of the western wing interiors are decorated with stuccos by Santino Bussi and frescoes by Andreo Lanzani. Particularly remarkable is the so-called Ancestors Hall decorated with a monumental ceiling fresco portraying the gods on Olympus. The Ancestors Hall is interconnected with the oval, so-called Historical Hall, which was completed only in the 1760s with an illusionary decoration by Josef Pichler and where the armistice between Austria and France was signed after the battle at Slavkov. What is interesting in this hall is its acoustics. Its construction was designed so that during top political discussions one could not hear what was being discussed by others even if they were standing close to him. During the tour, the public also has access to the oratory of the castles St Cross Chapel. The interior of the chapel is dominated by the altar with monumental statues of angels, the work of F. X. Messerschmidt from 1774. The chapel premises are used for wedding ceremonies and concerts. The complex was supplemented with a fountain by Peter William and sculptures by Giovanni Guiliani. The new layout of the garden from 1774 basically took over the segmentation of the large park, nevertheless, it changed the system of water canals in the system of pools. The castle parterre was modified and 30 sculptures by Giovanni Guiliani and Ignacio Lengelacher were added to the upper parterre of the park. The renovated garden was re-opened at the occasion of the UNESCO symposium on Baroque gardens in 1977.
The park
The manors park in Slavkov u Brna is one of the most important historic gardens in Moravia and is an integral part of the castle premises. The park was built concurrently with the Baroque castle from 1700 by the architect Domenic Martinelli. The original conception was the Renaissance garden with a flower park and an orangery (casino) decorated with frescos by Andreo Lanzani. With the contribution of the Dutch experts, the garden was planted with imported seeds and bulbs.
Castle underground
The underground tour of Slavkov castle introduces the unique premises of two floors of the castle cellars, the system of connecting corridors, stairs, economic background with a bakery and additional kitchen. You may also visit the torture room and a stone collection with sculptural artefacts. Undoubtedly, the most interesting part of the undergrounds for the visitors is the remains of the medieval fortress of the Teutonic Knights Order from the 13th century.
Historical lounges
This tour shall demonstrate to the visitors the living standard of the nobility from the renaissance era to the 19th century. It includes, for instance, the Renaissance tapestry, the so-called Flower Lounge, empire Napoleonic Lounge, the library, the so-called Hall of Fashion or the Theatre Hall and other rooms.
Virtual battle
It is a non-traditional conception of the battle at Slavkov in 1805. In the 30-minute projection using the virtual reality, the visitors become familiar with the course of the worldfamous battle. The projection has three-dimensional sound and spoken commentary in four languages (Czech, English, French, Russian and German). The scenario is divided into three parts that gradually inform the audience with the circumstances of the rise, course and consequences of the battle that significantly influenced the geopolitical arrangement of the then Europe. The virtual battle illustratively and comprehensibly informs of basic important moments of this historic event and therefore it is recommended for educational purposes of schools of various types.
Occasional tours that are always announced on the websites of the castle must be booked beforehand.
Old-timer festival
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Wedding ceremonie
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The family tomb of the Kaunitz was built under the southern tower of the chapel by Arnot Krytof in 1795. In the same year, it served as the last resting place for the bodily remains of the Chancellor, Count Vclav Antonn of Kaunitz and his daughter-in-law Marie Leopoldina of Oettingen-Spielberg. Today, there are seven coffins in the tomb with bodily remains of other members of the family line both from the Moravian and Czech branch of the family.
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Information centre
The information centre is located in the close vicinity of the castle and provides the visitors with topical information on possibilities of cultural, social or sports activities, accommodation and restaurants, traffic connection, ticket booking and advance booking of tickets for various events. It also sells souvenirs. Information centre Castle of Slavkov Austerlitz Palackho nm. 1 684 01 Slavkov u Brna Phone No: +420 544 220 988 e-mail: infocentrum@zamek-slavkov.cz
Praha
Olomouc
D1
Brno Mikulov
E461
D1
Slavkov u Brna
Wien
This project was co-financed by the European Union and the South Moravian Region.