Official summer residence of the presidents of the Czech Republic

About 20 km west of the outskirts of Prague, near the D6 highway, is the village of Lány, famous for its castle and castle garden. For centuries it served as an important aristocratic residence, and in modern times it became the summer residence of Czechoslovak and later Czech presidents.
Visitors can visit the extensive castle park and, as part of the guided tours, it is also possible to visit the representative salons on the first floor of the castle.
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The castle has been the official summer residence of the presidents of first Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic since 1921. From March 2023, guided tours of the representative first floor of Lány Castle have been organized for the public.

History
Towards the end of the 16th century, Rudolf II had a simple hunting lodge built in the Renaissance style on the site of the original fortress, which was transformed into a Baroque one during the 17th century. At the end of the 17th century, the Valdštejn family bought the castle. From the beginning of the 18th century, Lány was in the possession of the Fürstenberk family until 1921, when the Lány castle was purchased by the Czechoslovak state for the representational purposes of the head of state. The castle has been rebuilt many times and its current appearance is the result of renovations from 1902 – 1903.

Masaryk's study
The first significant representative room is Masaryk's study, from which „Conversations from Lány“ was broadcast after 1989.

Yellow Audience Hall
The salon is used for presidential dinners with distinguished guests such as the Dalai Lama, Prince Charles and many others. It also hosts the regular New Year's lunch with the Prime Minister.

Small dining room
The small dining room next door has been left in its original style and is dominated by a beautiful Venetian chandelier.

Music Lounge and Great Dining Room
A large connecting space overlooking the garden served as a music lounge and cinema. It is now used for official visits and receptions.

Representative hall
The representative salon was kept in the original style created by the Fürstenbergs. It is dominated by four columns.

Church
Right next to the castle stands the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, originally built in the mid-18th century as a Rococo castle chapel. An interesting feature is the connection of the church with the castle via a covered corridor.

Castle Park
The castle park was founded around 1770. Originally a Baroque garden, it has undergone changes over the centuries and today represents a harmonious combination of various garden styles.
President Masaryk used the park and its surroundings for horseback riding until his late years.

The castle park and greenhouse are freely accessible.
The 110-hectare castle park and palm greenhouse are open to the public from the beginning of March to the end of October, free of charge.

Castle pond
In the eastern part of the park there is a large castle pond with an island and a gazebo.

Lion Fountain
The appearance of the castle park was influenced by the modifications of the architect Plečnik. He created an impressive fountain on the eastern side of the park by the pond. It consists of five columns decorated with bronze lion heads, from which water flows into the fountain and falls into the pond as one powerful stream. Symbolically, the lion heads represent the original lands of Czechoslovakia, i.e. Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia.

President Masaryk's grave
After his resignation in 1935, President Masaryk moved to the Lány Castle with his family practically permanently. After his death on 14 September 1937, he wished to be buried in the Lány cemetery. His tomb is not located in the castle park, but in the old part of the municipal cemetery in Lány, where he rests with his wife Charlotta, son Jan and daughter Alice.

President Zeman's villa
There is also a villa in the village that President Miloš Zeman built and lives here permanently.
