The Lány Chateau

The chateau in the village of Lány, in the Křivoklát forests, is the summer residence of the Presidents of the Czech Republic.

The history of the castle is very long: the first mention of Lány dates back to 1392. Over the centuries it belonged to various noble families, temporarily to the emperors Rudolf II. It has been rebuilt many times and its present appearance is the result of a reconstruction from 1902 to 1903. The last architectural modification of the castle and its immediate surroundings was carried out in 1921-24 by the architect Josip Plečnik.

The castle dominates the extensive park. It was only established in the mid-19th century, after the castle moat was filled in. As part of the park, a pond was created, and later also greenhouses. The current appearance of the park is influenced by the modifications of J. Plečnik.

In the vicinity of the chateau is the Lánská obora (Lánská obora), a part of the former so-called Great Obora from the 18th century. The game preserve is mainly used for breeding noble game (deer, wild boar, mouf, sika deer). The possibility of organizing representative hunts was one of the reasons why Lány was elected in 1921 as the temporary and summer residence of the head of the new Czechoslovak state. However, along with the exclusive hunting grounds, the choice of Lány was also influenced by its proximity to Prague, the convenient rail and road connections, the beauty of the environment of the Křivoklát forests and the suitable interior furnishings of the chateau.

The first president of the Czechoslovak Republic, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, liked the Lány castle very much. He considered Lány as his home and spent his working and resting moments here. After his abdication as President in 1935, he moved to Lány with his family permanently. He eventually chose the Lány cemetery as the final resting place for his loved ones and himself. The grave of the Masaryk family became a symbol of Czechoslovak democracy even in times of completeness.

After the death of T. G. Masaryk, the Lány Chateau was used sporadically, only during the Second World War when the state president Dr. Emil Hácha lived here. It was not until Václav Havel began to visit Lány regularly and his tradition was continued by the next president, Václav Klaus.