Czech Republic Guide
Central Bohemia
Konopiště
About 50km southeast of Prague, Konopiště (April & Oct Tues– Fri 9am– noon & 1–3pm, Sat & Sun 9am– noon & 1–4pm; May– Aug Tues– Sun 9am– noon & 1–5pm; Sept Tues– Fri 9am– noon & 1–4pm, Sat & Sun 9am–5pm; Nov Sat & Sun 9am– noon & 1–3pm; 
www.zamek-konopiste.cz ) is best known as the last residence of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Habsburg throne from 1896 until his assassination in Sarajevo in 1914. In addition to remodelling the chateau into its current appearance, the archduke shared his generation's voracious appetite for hunting, eliminating all living creatures foolish enough to venture into the grounds. However, he surpassed all his contemporaries by recording, stuffing and displaying a significant number of the 171,537 birds and animals he shot between the years 1880 and 1906, the details of which are recorded in his Schuss Liste displayed inside.
There's a choice of guided tours. The I okruh (125Kč) explores several salons, which contain some splendid Renaissance cabinets and lots of Meissen porcelain, while the II okruh (125Kč) takes you through the chapel, past the stuffed bears and deer teeth, to the assorted lethal weapons of one of the finest armouries in Europe. Both the above tours take roughly fifty minutes, and, include the hunting trophies. The III okruh (200Kč) takes an hour, is restricted to just eight people, and concentrates on the personal apartments of the archduke and his wife. Occasionally there are tours in English – for which you must pay extra – so ask at the box office before you sign up or phone ahead and book one ( 
301 721 366).
Even if you don't fancy a guided tour, there are plenty of other things to do in Konopiště. In the main courtyard of the chateau, you can pop into the purpose-built Střelnice (Shooting Range; 30Kč), where the archduke honed his skills as a marksman against moving mechanical targets, all of which have been lovingly restored. Much the best reason to come to Konopiště, though, is to explore its 555-acre zámecký park, which boasts a marked red path around the largest lake, sundry statuary, an unrivalled rose garden with a café and several greenhouses (35Kč) and a deer park.