Cultural Heritage

Rich history and diverse monuments

In ancient times, ideal living conditions led to the settlement of Beroun district. People hunted game in the Křivoklát region’s forests, the Berounka River provided water and the caves of the Bohemian Karst offered suitable shelter. The area was of interest to the Přemyslid Princes and the Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV himself, who had the majestic Karlštejn Castle built here.

However, Karlštejn is not the only architectural landmark in the Beroun district. Křivoklát Castle and other castles and ruins such as Týřov or Nižbor, which are complemented by the more modest manor houses as well as urban and village architecture, shouldn’t be forgotten. Here you can admire traditional timbered houses, technical monuments, a number of lookout towers and many churches.

The Beroun district is also interspersed with a number of museums where visitors can have fun and simultaneously acquire new knowledge. In Beroun you can visit the Czech Karst Museum or the Beroun Ceramics Museum, which refers to the centuries-old tradition of pottery in the region. In Nižbor, the castle has an exhibition dedicated to the Celts who lived here hundreds of years ago. The rural environment is represented by the Magdalena Dobromila Rettig Museum in Všeradice, the Hamous farm in Zbečná and the Josef Jungmann Birthplace in Hudlice. Technical monuments and history are shown to visitors, for example, the Zdice Heating Building, the Solvay Quarries Open-Air Museum in Svatý Jan pod Skalou or the Iron Ore Mine Museum in Chrustenice. During the Christmas season, families with children are attracted by the Nativity Scenes Museum in Karlštejn.

Colourful cultural events

Music festivals, historical and folklore festivals, theatre performances by local ensembles, food festivals, events for families with children, summer cinema and markets and fairs all accompany Beroun throughout the year.

The Beroun district is home to two important classical music festivals. Every year, the historic premises and park of the Liteň Castle will be ablaze with the Jarmila Novotná Festival. In autumn takes place International music festivaTalichův Beroun, which is organized in honor of Václav Talich, one of the most outstanding Czech conductors.

Three times a year, Beroun hosts pottery markets, which are famous throughout the Czech Republic and even famed throughout Central Europe. In May, June and September, the square is transformed into a mosaic of stands with pottery and other handicraft products.

Local castles and chateaus also come alive with culture. Křivoklát Castle hosts a fair with an accompanying programme on Advent weekends in December. Karlštejn Castle provides its courtyard as a backdrop for the Czech musical production Night at Karlštejn. The castle Nižbor comes alive with the Celtic festivals Samhain or Beltain and the famous Huss pilgrimage takes place at the Krakovec ruins in July.

Social events are town festivals with a varied programme for a wide audience in the towns of Beroun, Králův Dvůr and Zdice. Vine lovers will appreciate the Beroun wine tasting or the Karlštejn wine festival, which is often accompanied by a historical programme. The Royal Procession also commemorates the era of Charles IV.

Not only worshippers come together in September for the St. Ludmilla pilgrimage to Tetín or in June for the St. Jan pod Skalou pilgrimage. Both events include a pilgrimage service accompanied by a cultural programme.