Děčín Castle, located on a rocky promontory above the confluence of the Elbe and Ploučnice rivers, is one of the most important historical monuments in northern Bohemia. Over the centuries, it served as a stronghold of the Czech prince, a military fortress and the seat of several important families. The history of Děčín Castle dates back to the 10th century, when a wooden fortification stood here, which served as the central point of administration of the Děčín province.
The castle has undergone many building modifications in the past, the most important of which are the work of the Thun-Hohenstein family. This family carried out two important reconstructions of the Děčín estate in the years 1628-1932, leading to its current form. However, in 1932, the family sold the castle to the Czechoslovak state, which created barracks here. In the following years, the Czechoslovak, German and, in the years 1968-1991, Soviet armies took turns here. In 1991, the Děčín Castle became the property of the city of Děčín.
Děčín Castle and its attractions: It is one of the oldest monuments in the Czech Republic. The first indirect mention dates back to the end of the 10th century. Its history therefore stretches back more than 1,000 years. It was regularly visited by important personalities. For example, Fryderyk Chopin composed the so-called Děčín Waltz here. Among the greatest attractions, however, we include the visit of the young Empress Sissi, who, together with her husband Franz Joseph I, performed her first royal duty here. It is the most visited castle in northern Bohemia. For the past few years, the number of visitors has been around 55,000 people per year. It has a unique approach. The 292 m long path called the Long Ride is an architectural gem on a national scale. Two-thirds of the Long Ride was carved directly into the rock. The miners from nearby Krupka, who built it for 6 years, were responsible for this. It boasts a breathtaking Rose Garden with a gloriette and a sala terrena. It was founded during the Baroque reconstruction at the end of the 17th century and in times past there was a renowned rosarium with more than 80 species of roses. The castle had 18 heated greenhouses in the Southern Gardens. The famous gardener František Josst Sr. later made Děčín famous with its rich collections of orchids, camellias and other tropical plants. It was in the Southern Gardens that Queen Victoria bloomed for the first time on the European continent in 1852. Thanks to the Thun family, the castle had one of the largest libraries in Bohemia. It contained more than 70,000 volumes. Among them were valuable sources on Czech history, which even the most important historian František Palacký came here to study. After the Sarajevo attack, the castle became a refuge for the children of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand d'Este - Sophie, Ernst and Maximilian. Prince Jaroslav Thun, as the archdukes' brother-in-law, was appointed guardian of his orphaned children.