The exceptionally open castle in Lány is of great interest

Zdislavice (Benešovsko)/Lány (Rakovnicko) - Right from early morning, streams of visitors headed to the Lány Castle in Rakovnicko, which is generally not accessible to the public. This weekend was only the third opportunity in the last 50 years to tour the representative castle spaces. So far, over four thousand people have visited the castle, said Ivo Velíšek, director of the Prague Castle Administration, to ČTK before 5 PM.
    However, many visitors were still waiting outside the gates. The organizers had planned to end the tours by 6 PM but are determined to allow interested visitors access even after that time. The Prague Castle Administration is hosting open days today and on Sunday to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the castle's purchase as the official residence of the head of state.
    The first visitors today were welcomed by the president's wife Livia Klausová, and President Václav Klaus also spent about 1.5 hours here speaking with some visitors. According to castle administration staff, many people were particularly fascinated by the presence of the presidential couple, and during the castle tour, they were especially interested in the president's study. During the entire tour route, guides from the Prague Castle Administration provided explanations about the history of the castle.
    The first open day at Lány took place on March 4, 2000, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. The second opportunity for interested visitors to tour the castle was on September 14 of the same year, the anniversary of Masaryk's death. Thousands of people passed through the castle each time.
    The early Baroque Lány Castle from 1652 was built by transforming the original Renaissance castle from 1592. Since 1918, it has been state property and was modified before 1921 to serve as a summer residence for the presidents of the republic. This purpose is still served today. Over the centuries, it belonged to various noble families, and temporarily to Emperor Rudolf II. It was reconstructed many times, and its current appearance is the result of renovations from 1902 to 1903. The last construction modifications of the castle and its immediate surroundings were carried out by architect Josip Plečnik between 1921 and 1924. The castle is a dominant feature of an extensive park. This park was established only in the mid-19th century after filling in the castle moat. A pond was created as part of the park, and later also greenhouses. The castle park is connected to the Lány Game Reserve.