Free Admission to Czech Castles and Palaces

Most state-owned castles and palaces in the Czech Republic will open their doors free of charge on two days. “We want our cultural heritage to be as accessible as possible to everyone,” said Culture Minister Oto Klempir, according to the CTK news agency. August 30 and September 27 were selected as the dates.

This includes nearly all sites managed by the National Heritage Institute (NPU). In some places, however, the number of visitors may be limited due to capacity constraints. The National Heritage Institute oversees more than a hundred sites, ranging from castles and palaces to churches and monasteries, as well as gardens and a disused mine.

Pilot Project Being Evaluated

With this initiative at the castles and palaces, the Ministry of Culture is building on a similar project at state museums and galleries. From April through June, admission there was free on the first Sunday of each month. The goal was to bring visitor numbers back to pre-COVID levels. The success of the initiative is now to be evaluated. According to initial findings, the increase in visitors was particularly strong at the Silesian Regional Museum in Opava.