Rájec-Jestřebí: the Salm family château, camellias and the train to the karst

Rájec-Jestřebí (population 3,749) sits on the River Svitava and on the Brno–Česká Třebová railway line, just a few kilometres from the Macocha Abyss. The main reason to visit is Rájec nad Svitavou Château, the neoclassical seat of the Salm family, with its opulent interiors and 13-hectare English landscape park. Around the turn of February and March, the château hosts a camellia exhibition drawn from a collection of some 400 varieties. In autumn the château is open at weekends only, and it closes from November until spring. For an overnight stay, try the Zámecký penzion Kopeček (Château Guesthouse Kopeček), right next to the park.

QUICK LINKS 🏰 The château · 🌸 Camellias · 👀 What else to see · 🛏️ Where to stay · ❓ FAQ

Rájec is one of the few villages around the Moravian Karst that you can reach comfortably by train. It also has something you won’t find elsewhere in the karst: a large château with gardens and glasshouses.

Rájec nad Svitavou Château

A château was built here in 1570 on the site of a Gothic fortress. When it burnt down, the Salm family had a new, neoclassical château built in the French style inspired by the age of Louis XVI. Inside are sumptuously furnished interiors. On three sides the château is surrounded by a 13-hectare English park with ponds, and in front of the entrance lies a ceremonial courtyard with a pond and a fountain.

The château is state-owned and run by the National Heritage Institute. It offers four tour routes: the state rooms, the private and guest apartments, the château chapel and the glasshouses.

Autumn 2026:

• 1–25 October: weekends only; state rooms 9am–3pm, apartments 9am–2pm.
• 27–31 October: Tuesday to Sunday, 9am–3pm; apartments open on 27 and 28 October only.
• 1 November: last day of the season. The château then stays closed until spring.
• On Saturdays, opening may be limited because of weddings.

You’ll find admission prices and spring opening times at zamek-rajec.cz.

Camellias

Since 1973, the château’s nursery has specialised in camellias. That was the year the collection was moved here from Průhonice, and today it numbers around 400 varieties. The glasshouses are open only during the flowering season, on selected days in February and March. In 2026 the exhibition ran from 6 to 15 March. Keep an eye on the château’s website for the 2027 dates.

At the end of summer, the château is instead decorated with a dahlia exhibition.

What else to see

• The Church of All Saints, originally Gothic and later rebuilt in the Baroque style. A parsonage is documented in Rájec as early as 1350, and the first mention of Rájec dates from 1131.
• The Iron Cross in Karolín, from 1818, one of the oldest iron crosses and a protected cultural monument. Karolín is a district of the town.
• The Rájec-Jestřebí Theatre Society, with a long tradition, and the June concerts of the Concentus Moraviae festival.
• A yellow-marked hiking trail runs through the town, leading to junctions with routes towards the karst. The Macocha Abyss is only a few kilometres away.

Where to stay

• Zámecký penzion Kopeček (Blanenská 82) stands beside the château park and has its own restaurant. Reception is open daily 7am–10pm, tel. 516 432 400, website kopecek.cz.
• For other accommodation options and tips for day trips, visit the information centre near the main square.
• For a map of accommodation across the wider karst area, see our article Where to stay in the Moravian Karst.

Accommodation availability changes, so always check before you travel.

FAQ

Is Rájec Château open in winter? No. The season ends on 1 November. In winter, only the camellia glasshouses are open, on selected days in February and March.

When do the camellias flower at Rájec Château? Usually in February and March. In 2026 the exhibition ran from 6 to 15 March.

Can you get to Rájec by train? Yes, Rájec-Jestřebí lies on the Brno–Česká Třebová line.

Is the château park freely accessible? The park surrounds the château and is a popular spot for a stroll. Check the château’s website for current access conditions.

Information verified as at 11 October 2026. Sources: brochure of the Moravian Karst Rural Development Association, profile of the town of Rájec-Jestřebí; Rájec nad Svitavou State Château: opening times; Rájec Château: Camellias in the Time of the Industrialists exhibition; Zámecký penzion Kopeček.

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