The small town of Veltrusy beside the River Vltava, is famous for the 18th century château built by the aristocratic Chotek family. The building is in the shape of a cross, with a central dome and a grand staircase adorned with statues representing the months of the year and the seasons.

The estate's layout is an English-style landscaped deer park, covering an area of 300 hectares (750 acres). Near the entrance there is still an enclosure with a herd of deer. The Vltava flows along one side and dotted around the grounds are summer houses. The Doric and Maria Theresa pavilions, the orangery and the grotto date from the late 18th century.

The park has some 100 kinds of tree. Floods damaged the castle in 2002 and ongoing repairs mean that some rooms will remain closed to the public until 2008. Across the river, and accessible from Veltrusy by bus or train, is Nelahozeves Castle.

This Renaissance castle houses part of one of the finest private collections of art in Europe, the Lobkowicz Collection, which includes works by Veronese, Rubens, Canaletto and Velasquez, as well as rare books and manuscripts. The highlight of the collection is "Haymaking", a painting by Brueghel the Elder. Part of the collection has moved to Lobkowicz Palace. The birthplace of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak is nearby.