Konice Castle and the Konice Crafts Museum

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Konice

Free admission with ORC

The pride of Konice is the Baroque castle with two gardens, which should not escape your attention. The chateau also houses the Konice Crafts Museum, which boasts the largest collection of axes in the Czech Republic, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. It also includes the largest axe in the Czech Republic.

Castle

When viewed from the outside, the square courtyard with open two-storey arcades catches the attention of visitors. The interior is decorated with a grand staircase with a stone balustrade and valuable frescoes, such as the Holy Family Dining in the Great Hall, where ceremonies and classical music concerts are held. The castle grounds include an upper garden and a lower garden, which you can also explore. The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is located close to the castle; the two buildings are structurally connected and together form an unmistakable landmark of the entire town. On the ground floor of the castle you will also find the Konice Craft Museum and Information Centre.

Konice Crafts Museum

Here you can learn about a number of crafts that have a long tradition in Konice, such as milling, coppersmithing, blacksmithing, brewing, tailoring and many others. You will find here, among others, a number of rare exhibits, such as the oldest preserved tower clock in Konicek or weapons from the Napoleonic Wars. The museum boasts the largest collection of axes in the Czech Republic, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. All types of axes that exist are on display - from the first Stone Age precursors of axes - fist wedges, to the Viking axe, axes for various crafts and the executioner's axe. The collection also includes the largest axe in the country, which due to its size could not fit inside and is located in the outdoor area in front of the castle.

A look into the history

Originally, a medieval fortress stood on the site of the chateau, and the most famous family that ruled here for 220 years was the family of the Lords of Švábenice (there are tombstones of some members of the family in the neighbouring Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary). The Baroque chateau was built between 1703 and 1705 by the Olomouc builder Lukáš Glöckel on the order of the abbot of the Hradisko monastery near Olomouc. In 1825, the Brno manufacturer Karel Příza bought the chateau and it served as a family residence until 1945.