Panenské Břežany and Odolena Voda: Baroque and Dramatic History

Join for an excursion just outside Prague, combining the history of the 20th century with the discovery of two remarkable examples of Czech Baroque architecture.

Our first stop will be the Upper Chateau in Panenské Břežany, originally built as a summer residence for the abbesses of the Benedictine Convent of St George at Prague Castle. Today, it houses the Memorial to National Oppression and Resistance. Its modern multimedia exhibition, Crime and Punishment, presents the period from the break-up of Czechoslovakia and the establishment of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia to the post-war prosecution of Nazi criminals and collaborators.

The exhibition focuses on the occupation of the Czech lands, the persecution of the Jewish population, the Czech resistance, Operation Anthropoid, and the brutal Nazi reprisals that followed.

The chateau grounds also include the exceptional Chapel of St Anne, built between Protected content Protected content a design by Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel. With its unusual triangular ground plan, the chapel is one of the earliest and most original works by this outstanding architect, famous for his unique synthesis of Baroque and Gothic forms.

Its carefully designed geometry, use of light, and rich symbolism create an interior that feels both intimate and monumental. The triangular form is often associated with the Holy Trinity and with St Anne as the third generation in the family of Christ.

Odolena Voda - see the comment.