Activities

• Bicycle, walk, jog or take a horse-drawn carriage through the romantic Jabkenice Game Park – 1,200 acres of forest and lakes, where you might come across deer, duck or pheasant - but barely another human
  
  
• Take a balloon ride over the castle, and enjoy a bird's eye view of the surroundings
  
  
• Watch a falconry display and some period dancing at Kost Castle (15-minute drive)
  
  
• Music lovers can visit the Bedrich Smetana Memorial in nearby Jabkenice – an exhibition dedicated to the 19th century Czech composer
  
  
• Take a tour of Detenice Castle, with its array of hunting equipment and trophies and an ancient tavern where, by night, you can be entertained by sword fights and juggling fakirs
  
  
• Book a round of golf at Paradise Resort, about 20km away
  
  
• Give your skin a gorgeous glow with a traditional mud treatment at Tousen – about 45 mins away, en route to Prague

• Or you could detour to Kutna Hora (east of Prague) to explore the UNESCO medieval town – a former residence of Bohemian kings, filled with incredible 13th century architecture and flanked by old silver mines

Other than that, there's not an awful lot to do in the region - other than to enjoy Chateau Mcely's grounds and leisure facilities:

• The spa, with its outdoor whirlpool bath and organic therapies, including some herbal remedies from the forest of St George
  
  
• The lovely library, with over 2,000 titles, including rare scientific manuals, and board games
  
  
• Head up to the rooftop observatory for some star-gazing (telescope provided)
  
  
• Hunting expeditions in the game park can be arranged