The castle’s mysterious atmosphere once captivated even the Freemasons. Alphonse Mucha, Grand Commander of the Freemasons, lived at the castle for 18 years and created his famous Slav Epic here. Drawn by the hidden chambers, secret corridors, the deepest rock well in Europe, and the powerful energy rising from the earth, Freemasons from across the continent gathered at Zbiroh to perform mystical rituals.

In the 13th century, King Ottokar II of Bohemia brought the Knights Templar to Zbiroh Castle. During your visit, you’ll have the rare opportunity to see original and unique artefacts dating from the 12th and 13th centuries – including a Templar rule, the oldest known Templar manuscript, and the only complete bronze token invented and used by the Templars as a forerunner of today’s credit cards. Even today, the legacy of the Templars lives on, as members of their Order continue to gather at Zbiroh, weaving the threads of history into the present.