The charming town of Ostrov, located about 13 kilometres from Karlovy Vary, offers a number of unique and surprising experiences. As usual, we have selected the best ones for you.

 

Old Square with the Town Hall

In the middle of the Old Square heritage zone stands the Renaissance-Gothic Old Town Hall with its prism-shaped tower, a silent witness to the town’s rich history. The building itself has burned down several times over the centuries. Its oldest parts are the Gothic cellars and ground floor, which once served as a merchant’s hall. Over the years, it was modified to meet the needs of the municipal administration. After the last fire in the 19th century, the town hall was given a Neo-Gothic appearance.

The building now serves as a cultural and exhibition space, which is definitely worth a visit. We even bought a beautiful painting at one of the many sales exhibitions.

Address: Staré náměstí 46, Ostrov

 

Refreshment tip:

Right in the arcade of the Old Town Hall, you will find the family-run café Kavárna Ostrov – Caffíčko, which serves high-quality coffee along with homemade desserts and light snacks. We tried their delicious French quiche with Coleslaw salad.

Address: Staré náměstí 46, Ostrov

 

Church of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Virgin Mary the Faithful

Located in close proximity to Old Town Square stands the originally Gothic parish church of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Virgin Mary the Faithful, which was partially remodelled in the Baroque style. Among its precious furnishings are a Renaissance tombstone with a Schlick epitaph from the 16th century and a reliquary containing a drop of blood from Pope John Paul II. The church is accessible during regular services, but you can also peek inside outside of ceremony times through the open doors covered by a grille.

Address: Malé náměstí 23, Ostrov

 

Ostrov Chateau and its grounds

The chateau grounds consist of a group of buildings rebuilt in the Renaissance style by the prominent Czech noble Schlick family, who controlled a significant part of the Loket and Cheb regions. The family's power grew particularly in the 16th century, following the discovery of silver deposits in the Ore Mountains (Krušné hory) and their acquisition of the right to mint their own coins. These coins, called Joachimsthalers (or "thalers" for short), eventually gave their name to the American dollar.

However, most of the family members joined the Estates Uprising, and after the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, their property was confiscated. The most famous member of the family, Joachim Andreas Schlick, was even one of the 27 Czech lords—leaders of the uprising—who were publicly executed in 1621 in Old Town Square.

In the chateau complex, you can visit several interesting exhibitions. We began our tour in the Hall, which was created by roofing the originally open chateau courtyard and now houses an exhibition of Ostrov porcelain from the once-famous Puls porcelain factory.

Additionally, at the information centre, also located within the castle grounds and accessible from Šlikova Street, you can purchase tickets for a multimedia exhibition in the sala terrena, which reveals the chateau garden at the height of its glory when it was known as the "eighth wonder of the world," as well as for an exhibition in the chateau attic that tells the captivating story of the Schlick family. Among the most interesting exhibits in the attic is a national cultural monument—the Schlick silver document case, adorned with 44 Joachimsthalers and Planá thalers.

Address: Jáchymovská 1, Ostrov

In the centre of the chateau park stands the Baroque Ostrov Summer Palace, which is a branch of the Karlovy Vary Art Gallery. Here, you can purchase tickets for one of the contemporary art exhibitions or for the European porcelain exhibition, located directly in the summer palace. What fascinated us the most was the fresco and stucco decoration in the main hall of this magnificent building.

 

Sacred Precinct

The monastic complex known as the Sacred Precinct, which we reached via a pleasant walk through the chateau park, is the oldest early Baroque central structure in Bohemia. The entire complex consists of a Piarist monastery, a church, and three chapels.

Address: Klášterní 141, Ostrov

The octagonal funeral chapel of Saint Anne with its onion-shaped turret served as the family tomb of the dukes and margraves of the Ostrov estate. During the tour, visitors can also explore its burial crypt.

The reconstructed early Baroque monastery church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, which once functioned as a military hospital, is now used as a concert and exhibition hall. Among other things, it houses an exhibition of Ecclesiastical Art of the Western Ore Mountains.

The Chapel of Saint Florian was built in gratitude for averting a town fire that broke out in the 17th century in the chateau, and it was dedicated to the protector against fire, Saint Florian. The chapel now serves as a memorial to all acts of violence in the Ostrov region.

We were probably most captivated by the most striking structure of the entire complex, the Chapel of Our Lady of Einsiedeln, built in the likeness of the important pilgrimage chapel in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. The building boasts not only an architecturally richly decorated entrance façade but also an impressive interior. The chapel was commissioned by Franziska Sibylla Augusta, Margravine of Baden, out of gratitude for the healing of her son.

 

Our tip:

If you have more time, follow our lead and visit the oldest preserved monument on Ostrov’s territory—the small rural Church of Saint James the Greater from the 13th century, featuring a Romanesque entrance portal, standing in the middle of the local cemetery. Although the building is only occasionally open to the public, you might be lucky in the summer months and, like us, manage to peek inside while the local caretaker is airing it out.

Address: Karlovarská 236, Ostrov

 

Where to park?

We used the parking lot right in front of the Palace of the Princes, which is reserved for municipal office vehicles during working hours (7 a.m.–6 p.m.) but is freely accessible for free outside these hours and on weekends.

For a fee, you can also park directly in the centre at Old Square.