After five years of reconstruction and a period of Covid, the Kost Castle in the heart of Czech Paradise, where according to legend, Žižka’s army broke their teeth, has found itself besieged by tourists. The castle, one of the best-preserved Gothic castles in the Czech Republic, is visited by approximately 60,000 people annually, with the majority of tourists arriving during peak tourist season.
Jan Macháček, the castle steward owned by the Italian branch of the noble Kinský family, stated that this year, after years of restrictions, they are launching a standard tourist season. However, some new measures have been implemented to make the visitors’ experience more comfThis year, theable. The influx of tourists is rhis year by a reservation online ticket sales system available on the castle’s website, founded in the first half of the 13th century by Beneš of Vartemberk. Interested parties will be notified of the actual occupancy of two tours at least three days in advance so they don’t travel unnecessarily.
This reservation system will help avoid leaving tourists outside Kost Castle’s gates if the tour capacity is exhausted. “This is also related to the number of parking spaces, of which there are one hundred and ten available in the narrow vicinity of the castle. The majority of visitors, approximately ninety-eight percent, arrive by car. They then park in prohibited areas, causing obstructions,” Macháček pointed out.
According to the steward, the castle owners will see how the reservation system will work. They expect some visitors to call at the last minute, which they usually resolve with a compromise. For foreigners, who account for around fifteen percent of visitors compared to Czech tourists, guided tours will be available in their native languages.
Tourists from English-speaking countries and Italy will be led around the castle by the owners using a unique mobile application. Those interested in a guided tour in a foreign language can download the application to their mobile phone at the ticket office or on the castle’s website using a QR code.
“We plan to launch audio tours later this year. We only need to technically resolve the optimal signal quality throughout the castle, which has truly massive walls compared to other objects,” said Macháček. The Kost Castle, with its impressive history, is an excellent destination for tourists who want to experience the charm of the Middle Ages in a real Gothic castle.