The Lednice Castle became the most visited monument in the Czech Republic last year

Lednice (Břeclavsko) - The castle in Lednice in the Břeclav region became last year the most visited monument in the Czech Republic. It attracted 376,559 tourists from all over the world, which is 48,256 more people than in 2013 and 64,923 more than in 2012. The head custodian of Lednice, Ivana Holásková, told ČTK today.
    "Its advantage is that it offers many opportunities for enjoyment. Every year we prepare some surprises for visitors," she stated. The castle, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997, has four guided tours. Visitors can explore its palm greenhouse, stroll through the park with numerous historical objects, go boating on the Zámecká Dyje, or take a ride in an old carriage pulled by horses throughout the park. About 1.5 million tourists pass through the park, where entry is free, every year.
    Last year, a technical tour was newly opened, where visitors can see an electric substation from 1902. The castle was one of the first electrified buildings in Moravia.
    This year, the castle administration will open the Moorish Salons on the ground floor of the Minaret observation tower after about 40 years, which are decorated with restored mosaics. For about 200,000 crowns, the monument conservators will also repair the 19th-century castle elevator, which will be incorporated into the tour route that includes the children's rooms. By spring, six bridges in the park between the castle and the Minaret will be repaired.
    "Generally speaking, we had favorable weather last year, which was more inviting for outings than for water activities. The visitor numbers were also boosted by the fact that we remained open on weekends even after the season," Holásková added.
    The state owns over a hundred castles and chateaus. Most of them saw an increase in visitor numbers last year. In second place after Lednice was the castle and chateau in Český Krumlov, which attracted 367,629 visitors, while the third, the southern Bohemia chateau Hluboká, was visited by 263,519 tourists last year.