Bečov: Discover the Castle, Garden and Trails

Bečov brings together castle history, collections, a botanical garden and trails amid protected landscapes. If you are looking for a hotel in Bečov, deciding whether you want to focus on historic interiors, plants or outdoor activities can help with your travel planning. The sights and activities offer different ways to shape your stay.

Castle and history

Bečov Castle first opened to the public in 1996. Visitors can see an exhibition of Gothic art from West Bohemia and take two tours. One is dedicated to the Romanesque reliquary of Saint Maurus, displayed in the Bečov Castle and Chateau complex. The other focuses on the Baroque chateau interiors, including the library, chapel and salons. Sacred art and the furnishings of the chateau rooms thus offer two different themes for a visit.

Another historic feature is the column with a statue of the Virgin Mary Immaculate, erected in 1680 in front of Bečov Town Hall.

Botanical Garden and landscape

The Bečov Botanical Garden covers 12 hectares: 5 hectares of intensive display areas, 1.5 hectares each of water features and orchard, and 4 hectares of natural areas. More than 10,000 plant species are cultivated in the garden. The grounds thus range from display areas to water features, an orchard and natural areas.

The garden is also home to the first bioferrata in the Czech Republic. It offers routes of varying difficulty, including routes suitable for children. Equipment and operating conditions may change; check the latest information before planning your visit. Visitors can rent boats on Korunní Pond, although availability may vary. If any of these activities are important to your stay, take their respective conditions into account when planning.

The Bečov area is part of the Slavkov Forest Protected Landscape Area. The Teplá Valley between Bečov and Mnichov is a nature reserve. These designations help distinguish the different protected landscapes in the surrounding area.

Trails and activities

The Šibeniční vrch nature trail is about one kilometre long and has five information panels in Czech, German and English. The German-language panels allow German-speaking visitors to read information on site. A circular route through the forests of Bečov can start at the town square in Bečov nad Teplou and follows the green hiking trail markers towards Bečovské rybníky.

The Bečov Questing activity combines a route with a treasure hunt: participants follow the trail, look for clues and solve a riddle at the end. On foot, it takes about 70 to 90 minutes. The activities therefore differ in format: the nature trail features multilingual information panels, while the quest focuses on finding clues and solving a riddle. Questing availability depends on the organiser’s arrangements; check when planning.

Museums and collections

The Museum of Historical Motorcycles displays more than 50 vintage motorcycles, as well as historic bicycles and motorcycle engines. Upstairs in the same museum, there is an exhibition of wooden toys, family puppet theatres and marionettes.

The Museum of Ironing and Laundry features exhibitions of piggy banks, banknotes and coins. The Cup Museum displays more than 4,600 cups; its exhibits also include wood carvings, retro items and historic photographs of Bečov nad Teplou. The collection and exhibits may change.

Discover more destinations: Krásný Jez, Landeck, Pechöfen, Horní Blatná, Breitenbach, Ostrov nad Ohří, Hochofen, Mnichov.

For the regional travel overview: Karlovy Vary Region.