Are you tempted by castles and palaces, gold and gems? You will find everything in Bečov nad Teplou! Head to the valley of the Teplá River near Karlovy Vary and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The Gothic castle and Renaissance chateau of Bečov nad Teplou, which rises on a rock high above the valley, will take your breath away.

In Bečov nad Teplou in the Karlovy Vary Region stands a majestic castle, which is surrounded on two sides by the Teplá River and separated on the third side by the Dolský, formerly Hluboký Brook. Its long history dates back to the 14th century, when it was built to protect an important trade route and to collect customs duties. Later it also served as a representative residence. However, this did not suit the demands of the owners, so a castle with terraced gardens was added at the beginning of the 18th century.

Reliquary of Saint Maurus

Undoubtedly, the main attractions of the castle and chateau in Bečov nad Teplou are not the beautiful gardens, the chateau interiors with original furnishings from the 19th century, nor the interesting architecture. The most sought-after exhibit is the 13th-century reliquary of St. Maurus, which is the second most valuable jewellery monument in the country after the Crown Jewels. This unique Romanesque monument of European importance was only found in 1985. The discovery of the reliquary is considered one of the greatest finds of the 20th century in the then Czechoslovakia. The difficult restoration of this national cultural monument took 11 years. Since 2002, the reliquary has been open to the general public in the castle.

It is a wooden box decorated with gold and precious stones, which contains the relics of four saints – St.Maurus, St.John the Baptist, St.Timothy and St.Apollinaris. The reliquary is kept in a special vault room, which you can visit as part of one of the guided tours. The tour also includes an accompanying exhibition that documents its history, including interesting facts relating to its sensational discovery under the floor of the castle chapel.

Sightseeing tours

1st tour circuit– Reliquary of St. Maurus. Take a journey and experience the story of the Reliquary of St. Maurus! The museum-gallery exhibition will introduce you to a unique relic of incalculable value. The accompanying exhibition will then guide you through the history of this jewel.

2nd tour circuit – Castle interiors. The circuit is currently undergoing reinstallation. But don’t let that put you off! Even though this tour is closed, there is still plenty to discover in Bečov.

Nature lovers will enjoy the extensive botanical garden, the trail focused on rock vegetation (bioferrata) or the freely accessible boating on the pond. Bečov Castle and Chateau also offers a tailor-made tour for children. There is also a children’s play area with a slide in the shape of a castle or a mock archaeological site.

Liquid Treasure

The second Bečov treasure is the so-called Liquid Treasure, which was mostly discovered together with the reliquary. It consists of 136 bottles of wines, cognacs and port from the end of the 19th century. The individual bottles are worth up to 700,000 crowns. To enable visitors to appreciate the uniqueness of such a treasure, a new exhibition is planned.

Complete information about the Bečov nad Teplou Castle and Chateau can be found here.

What else?

Other historical monuments of the town include the Baroque parish church of St. George built in 1763-1767 on the site of an older Gothic church from the 15th century. On the square you can see the historic Bečov Town Hall, in front of which stands a Baroque column with a statue of the Virgin Mary from 1680. You can also visit the Museum of Historical Motorcycles and Toys on the square. The alley from the square leads to the area of the former Jewish ghetto with the remains of the synagogue.

We believe that the Gothic castle and the Renaissance castle of Bečov nad Teplou, enveloped in the strange story of the reliquary of St. Maurus, will captivate you and you will experience a day like a bead!