Houska Castle Tour & Nearby Trips

An hour north of Prague, in pine woods and sandstone hills, a pale Gothic castle sits on a rock that, the story goes, was cracked open all the way down to hell. The chapel was built over the hole to seal it, and the windows were set facing inward, as if to keep something in. This page covers the one guided tour to Houska from Prague, how to get there on your own, what you actually see behind the gate, and the castle trips nearby that make the long drive pay off.

See the Houska tour Going on your own? Nearby castle trips

Houska at a glance

  • Open April to October onlyWeekends in April and October, Tuesday to Sunday from May to September, closed all winter
  • Guided tours on the hourFrom 10 am, last tour an hour before closing. Gate tickets cost 180 CZK for adults
  • 47 km north of PragueAbout 1 hour 20 minutes by car. Buses are seasonal and sparse, and there is no train
  • Private tour from ~$923 per groupUp to three people, with Kokořín Castle, lunch and pickup in Prague

If you only have a minute

Visiting Houska Castle, before you plan anything

If a friend asked us how to see the gateway to hell from Prague, this is what we would tell them.

Check the calendar first. Houska opens from early April to the end of October, only at weekends in the first and last month, and every day except Monday in between. Visits are by guided tour, starting on the hour from 10 am, and an adult ticket at the gate costs 180 CZK. From November to March the gate stays shut, whatever any website promises. Our guide to tickets and hours has the full table.

Then decide how to get there. There is exactly one guided trip to Houska on GetYourGuide, a private day tour from Prague that adds Kokořín Castle and a Czech lunch. It costs ~$923 for up to three people, so it makes sense for a small group without a car, less so for a solo traveler. With a rental car, the drive takes about 1 hour 20 minutes and the castle is a 10-minute walk from its car park. By bus it is possible in summer but awkward, and our route guide explains why.

Houska fills two hours, not a day, so pair it. Kokořín sits 12 km away in a valley of sandstone towers, and Bezděz rises on its hill 17 km to the north. If you would rather someone else drives, the Bohemian Paradise hike at ~$151 is the best-reviewed day out in the region, and the Kokořínsko hiking day at ~$107 walks you through the same hills as Houska.

The tour

The trip we would book: Houska and Kokořín from Prague

One tour goes to Houska, so this is less a choice than a how-to. What the listing promises, what it leaves unsaid, and who should drive themselves instead.

The pale facade of Houska Castle on its sandstone rock, rising above the treetops under a blue sky Our pick

Prague: Houska Castle, Gateway to Hell and Kokořín Private Tour

5.0 / 5 · one verified review so far

A car collects you from your hotel or apartment anywhere in Prague at 8 am, and the city falls away behind you. After the motorway come small roads through fields and pine forest, and then the castle appears on its rock, white walls and steep roofs above the trees. Your tickets for Houska are already paid. Inside, the castle's own guide takes you through the rooms and into the Gothic chapel, the one built over the pit, where the murals are older than most of Prague's bridges. The stories are told in the dim light where they belong.

From Houska the car drops 12 km south into the Kokořín valley, where a second castle stands on a sandstone spur above the forest. Its tower is the climb of the day, with a view over the whole protected landscape. A traditional Czech lunch in a local restaurant follows, and the car takes you back to your door in Prague, eight hours after it picked you up. The trip is private, so it is only you and your group in the car, and the provider, TheEuroRoadTrip.eu, runs it in English.

Price
from ~$923 per group up to 3
Bigger groups
About $1,246 for 4 to 6 people
Start
8 am, pickup anywhere in Prague
Length
About 8 hours
Castles
Houska and Kokořín, tickets included
Food
Czech lunch and bottled water
Rating
5.0 / 5, a single review
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours before
See dates and prices Or go on your own

Live availability and prices

Powered by GetYourGuide

How the day runs

The listing gives the outline and the times. The order below is the one it describes; your driver may swap it around to beat the crowds.

Morning

  • 8 am, pickup at your address in Prague
  • About 1 hour 20 minutes north through the Kokořínsko hills
  • Houska Castle, guided tour of the rooms and the chapel

20 minutes by road

Afternoon

  • Kokořín Castle, the tower and its view over the valley
  • Traditional Czech lunch at a local restaurant
  • Back at your door in Prague, about 4 pm

What the price covers

For a private trip the list is generous. The one oddity is the guide, so read the right-hand column twice.

Included
  • Pickup and drop-off anywhere in Prague
  • Private air-conditioned car for your group
  • Tickets for Houska and for Kokořín
  • A traditional Czech lunch and bottled water
  • The castles' own guided tours
Not included
  • A dedicated tour guide for the whole day
  • Extra drinks beyond the water
  • Personal expenses and tips
  • Access for wheelchair users

The castle keeps its own calendar

Houska opens from early April to 31 October, and only at weekends in April and October. The tour's booking calendar may show other dates, but a trip on a Monday, or in November, will find the gate locked. Before you book, compare your date with the castle's opening days, and if in doubt, message the provider through GetYourGuide before paying.

Between us, before you go

~$923 for up to three people is a lot of money for a day in the countryside, and the listing has only one review, a five-star note that praises the driver. What you buy is the logistics. Houska sits at the end of small roads with no train and a bus that runs a few times a day in summer, so the honest alternative is a rental car. For four to six people the price rises to about $1,246, which works out near $208 each at six. A group of friends who split it gets two castles, lunch and a door-to-door ride for less than many Prague day trips. A solo traveler pays for an empty back seat.

Who we would not send

Anyone traveling between November and March, when Houska is closed. Wheelchair users, since the listing rules the tour out and the castle is a walk from the road. And travelers hoping to see a hole in the floor. The legend is the reason to go, but the visit itself is a well-kept Gothic castle with a painted chapel, and the pit lives in the stories, not on the tour. What you see inside sets the expectations right.

Book it if

You are two or three people without a car, you want Houska and a second castle in one day, and your date falls inside the castle's season.

Skip it if

You travel alone, you are happy to drive yourself, or your only free day lands outside the opening months.

Ready for the hell castle?

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and with reserve now, pay later you can hold the date without paying anything today.

Book the Houska tour

From Prague

Getting to Houska on your own

Houska was built far from anything, and it still is. With a car it is an easy morning drive. Without one, the official website itself tells visitors not to count on public transport.

Route · by car

Rental car or taxi

The D10 towards Mladá Boleslav, then country roads 38 and 259

1 h 20from central Prague, about 84 km

The castle's large car park lies about 700 m from the gate, a 10-minute walk through the trees. Arrive a little before the hour so you can join the next guided tour, and combine it with Kokořín or Bezděz, both about 20 minutes away.

Route · by bus

Seasonal line 697

Mšeno to Doksy through Dubá, from late April

2.2 kmon foot from the usual stop at Tubož

Most buses stop at Tubož, rybník, a walk of 2.2 km from the castle. In 2026 only two trips a day, at 10:07 towards Mšeno and 17:25 towards Doksy, ran to the Horní Houska stop by the gate. You first need to reach Mšeno or Doksy from Prague, so check every leg before you set off.

One castle day from Prague, seven options

  • Day trip from Prague
  • Houska's gate hours

Start times as listed by the providers; check yours when you book. Every tour here fills a whole day, so plan one per day. Houska's gate hours are for visitors arriving on their own, and the castle closes on Mondays and from November to March.

  1. Check the monthApril and October mean weekends only. May to September, any day but Monday. November to March, the castle is closed.
  2. Choose car, tour or busA car is the simplest. The private tour suits small groups. The bus works only on a few summer connections.
  3. Book or plan the driveThe tour has free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Drivers should aim to reach the gate just before a full hour.
  4. Add a second castleKokořín and Bezděz are about 20 minutes away, Mělník and its wine cellars sit on the way back. Day plans.

The full guide to getting there: the roads, the parking, the bus stops and the train stations about 6 km away.

How to plan it

Six things that decide how your Houska day goes

Booking takes a minute. These are the questions that separate a good day at the hell castle from a long drive to a locked gate.

The opening calendar

The castle opens from early April to 31 October. In April and October only on Saturdays and Sundays, from May to September every day except Monday. In winter it stays closed. Hours, month by month.

Guided tours only

You cannot wander the rooms on your own. Tours start every full hour from 10 am, and the last one leaves an hour before closing. The castle's website does not say how long a tour takes or whether it runs in English, so ask at the gate.

Legend and reality

The pit, the creatures and the screaming prisoner are folklore. What you see is a Gothic chapel with medieval murals, Renaissance rooms and the rock beneath them. Go for the atmosphere and the stories. The legend in full.

Car, tour or bus

By car it is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Prague. The private tour costs ~$923 for up to three. The bus runs in season, but most trips stop 2.2 km from the castle. Every route compared.

A second castle

Houska needs a couple of hours, and the drive is long, so add Kokořín in its sandstone valley or the ruins of Bezděz on their hill, both about 20 minutes away. Kokořín and Bezděz and Mělník.

Small change, big day

Gate tickets are cheap, at 180 CZK for an adult and 520 CZK for a family of four. The cost of a Houska day is the transport, so the size of your group decides whether the tour or a rental car wins. Planning the day.

More day trips and tours around Prague

Nearby trips

The Houska tour and four castle trips nearby

Houska has one tour. The hills around it have more castles, rock towns and wine cellars, and these four guided days from Prague are the ones we would add.

The walls of Houska Castle seen from below through the trees on a sunny day Our pick

Prague: Houska Castle, Gateway to Hell and Kokořín Private Tour

A private car from your door in Prague to the castle built over the mouth of hell, with the guided tour of its rooms and chapel, then on to Kokořín Castle and its tower, and a Czech lunch before the drive home. The only guided trip to Houska you can book online.

  • DurationAbout 8 hours, from 8 am
  • ProviderTheEuroRoadTrip.eu
  • Rating5.0/5 (1 review)
  • GroupPrivate, up to 6
  • StrengthsDoor to door, two castles, lunch included
  • Ideal forTwo or three friends without a car

Good to know: The price is per group, not per person, and covers up to three; four to six cost about $1,246. The castle opens April to October only, at weekends in April and October. Expect a driver plus the castles' own guides. What the visit shows.

~$923per group up to 3 Check availability
A narrow passage between tall sandstone walls in the Prachov Rocks of Bohemian Paradise Top rated

From Prague: Bohemian Paradise Hike, Castle Lunch and Brewery

A small van takes you to the Prachov Rocks, a maze of sandstone towers and gorges you hike for about 3.5 km. Lunch is served inside a 14th-century castle, and the day ends at a craft brewery in Lomnice nad Popelkou with at least three beers to taste.

  • Duration8.5 hours, from 8 am
  • ProviderAdventure Tribe
  • Rating5.0/5 (over 250 reviews)
  • GroupUp to 8, private option
  • StrengthsGuides rated 5.0, lunch and beer included
  • Ideal forActive travelers who want rock towns too

Good to know: Not for travelers over 70 or with low fitness, and it runs rain or shine (raincoats and crampons are provided). The listing does not name the lunch castle. One guest wished for more castle time and more beers. Castles of Bohemian Paradise.

~$151per person Check availability
The mushroom-shaped Pokličky sandstone rocks in the Kokořínsko hills, lit by a low evening sun Houska's hills

From Prague: Hiking Day, Rock Dwellings, Castle and Picnic

An easy, unhurried walk through Kokořínsko, the protected sandstone country Houska stands in. You pass the Pokličky, stone mushrooms with iron-hard caps, and rooms carved into the rock by people who once lived in them, then reach Kokořín Castle for a beer and a picnic of local game and fruit.

  • Duration8 hours, from 9 am
  • ProviderVintura
  • Rating5.0/5 (6 reviews)
  • GroupUp to 4 guests
  • StrengthsTiny group, slow pace, dogs welcome
  • Ideal forWalkers who like a story at every rock

Good to know: It does not stop at Houska itself. Entry fees are included only "if included in the program," so ask whether you will see Kokořín's interior or only its walls. Not for wheelchair users. Kokořín and its valley.

~$107per person Check availability
Mělník chateau and its church tower above blossoming trees and vineyards on the hillside Cellar day

From Prague: Bohemian Wine Tour with Delicacies and Castles

Four hours in and around Mělník, the wine town above the meeting of the Vltava and the Elbe, tasting local Rieslings in vaulted cellars with game pâtés, smoked fish and farm cheeses. The day ends with a guided tour of Kokořín Castle in its forest valley.

  • Duration8 hours, from 9 am
  • ProviderVintura
  • Rating5.0/5 (10 reviews)
  • GroupPrivate, priced per person
  • StrengthsAll tastings and entry fees included
  • Ideal forCouples who prefer cellars to hikes

Good to know: It does not visit Houska. The last part is a 15-minute walk uphill to Kokořín. Not suitable during pregnancy. One guest was collected by the wrong driver, and some stops close on Mondays, so confirm the details. Mělník and Bezděz.

~$214per person Check availability
Kost Castle and its tall square tower among green trees under a clear blue sky Private and new

Prague: Bohemian Paradise and Kost Castle Day Trip

A private car to Bohemian Paradise, the Czech Republic's only UNESCO Global Geopark, for its sandstone towers and viewpoints, and then a guided visit to Kost, a castle hidden where three valleys meet that was never taken by force. Six hours, door to door.

  • DurationAbout 6 hours, from 9 am
  • ProviderVisita Praga
  • RatingNew, no reviews yet
  • GroupPrivate car
  • StrengthsShort day, castle entry included
  • Ideal forCouples who want a castle without a hike

Good to know: The price covers two people; four cost about $743. Lunch is at your own cost, even though the highlights mention local food and beer. With no reviews yet, you are among the first guests. Kost and its neighbors.

~$674per group up to 2 Check availability

These are GetYourGuide affiliate links. If you book through them, we earn a commission and you pay the same price. That does not change what we recommend or which drawbacks we write underneath.

Before you go

Eight things about Houska that the booking page leaves out

None of these sits at the top of a listing, and each one saves you a wasted hour or a wasted drive.

What you should know

  1. Mondays are dead. All season long the castle is closed on Mondays, and in the two shoulder months, April and October, weekdays are off too. The full calendar.
  2. Winter means a locked gate. From November to March there are no tours at Houska. Bezděz closes too, and Kokořín opens only by prior arrangement. Plan a Prague day instead.
  3. Arrive just before the hour. Tours start on the hour, so turning up at ten past means a long wait in the courtyard. The last tour leaves an hour before closing.
  4. The walk from the car park. Allow ten minutes on foot from the large car park, about 700 m away. Wear shoes that cope with a forest path.
  5. Bring Czech crowns. The castle's website does not say whether cards are taken at the gate. With 180 CZK per adult, a few banknotes cost you nothing to carry.
  6. The pit is a story. No one shows you a hole to hell. The chapel, its murals and the mood of the place do the work. Inside the castle.
  7. PEKLEM is extra. A hand-carved wooden hell, 12 m long with moving scenes, stands in the old carriage house. It costs 80 CZK and you walk through it on your own.
  8. Dogs may come. Houska lets dogs in for 40 CZK, which is rare for a castle tour. Kokořín charges 30 CZK for yours. Kokořín details.

Everything in one table

The Houska tour and four nearby trips compared

Price, timing and the drawback of each, side by side, so you can see which ones share a day and which need their own.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Trip Ideal for Price Length Start and places Provider and rating Strength and drawback Book
Houska and Kokořín (our pick) Small groups without a car ~$923 per group 8 h 8 am · Houska, Kokořín TheEuroRoadTrip.eu
5.0/5 (1)		 Only tour to Houska, lunch included. Pricey for one, April to October only. View tour
Bohemian Paradise hike Rock towns and beer ~$151 8.5 h 8 am · Prachov Rocks, a castle, brewery Adventure Tribe
5.0/5 (250+)		 Best reviewed in the region. Not for over-70s, little castle time. View tour
Kokořínsko hiking day Gentle walkers ~$107 8 h 9 am · Pokličky, Kokořín Vintura
5.0/5 (6)		 Max 4, picnic, dogs welcome. No Houska, castle entry unclear. View tour
Wine and castles tour Wine lovers ~$214 8 h 9 am · Mělník, Kokořín Vintura
5.0/5 (10)		 Cellars, tastings, all fees in. No Houska, Monday closures. View tour
Kost Castle day trip A shorter castle day ~$674 per 2 6 h 9 am · Bohemian Paradise, Kost Visita Praga
New, no reviews		 Private car, short day. Lunch extra, untested. View tour

We took prices, times and ratings straight from the GetYourGuide listings, in US dollars. They change with the date and the exchange rate, and the price shown in the booking step is the one that counts. Castle gate prices are the 2026 rates published by the castles.

Who went

Reviews from visitors to Houska and the castles nearby

Eighteen travelers, some on the private tour, some in a rental car, on the castle, the legend and the trips they added.

★★★★★

Three of us split the private tour and it came to a little over three hundred dollars each, with two castles and lunch. Our driver picked us up at the apartment at eight sharp and knew every story about the place. Standing in that chapel while the guide talked about the pit gave me actual goosebumps.

KMKelly M. · Austin, Texas
★★★★★

We rented a car in Prague and were at Houska by half past nine, a bit early. The car park is in the forest and the walk up takes ten minutes. Tours start on the hour, so time it better than we did. The chapel paintings are older and finer than I expected.

THTobias H. · Munich, Germany
★★★★☆

Atmospheric and well kept, and the legend is told with a wink. Four stars because the website says nothing about tour languages, so ask at the desk before you buy your ticket, not after.

RBRachel B. · Manchester, England
★★★★★

Quiet forest, white castle, dark chapel. Very mysterious place, and almost no other tourists on a Wednesday in June.

SKSakura K. · Osaka, Japan
★★★★★

My wife has wanted to see the gateway to hell since she watched a documentary about it years ago. We booked the private tour for the two of us, which is not cheap, but the day was seamless. Houska in the morning, Kokořín after, then a long lunch with goulash and dumplings. Back at our hotel by four.

JDJames D. · Raleigh, North Carolina
★★★★★

Did the Bohemian Paradise hike the day after Houska. The Prachov Rocks are unbelievable, like walking through a stone city, and the beer at the end was very welcome. Our guide grew up there and it shows.

MLMarta L. · Kraków, Poland
★★★★☆

Interesting castle and a great story, but go in knowing that there is no hole to look into. It is a chapel with a floor. The wooden hell in the carriage house made up for it, my kids loved the moving figures.

PGPaul G. · Vancouver, Canada
★★★★★

We drove from Prague, saw Houska at ten, Kokořín at one and Mělník on the way back for a glass of wine. Three castles in a day, all easy roads. Mondays are closed everywhere, so we planned around that.

ACAmélie C. · Bordeaux, France
★★★★★

The guide at Houska lowered her voice for the prisoner story and the whole group went silent. Spooky in the best way. Afterwards we walked the new trail around the rock.

DRDaniel R. · Tel Aviv, Israel
★★★★★

The Kokořínsko hiking day was the slowest, nicest day of our trip. Only four of us, stone mushrooms in the forest, a picnic of smoked meat and fruit, and a cold beer by the castle. Our guide even brought his dog.

EWEmily W. · Melbourne, Australia
★★★★★

Spooky reputation, peaceful reality. Beautiful drive through pine woods to get there.

NVNina V. · Rotterdam, Netherlands
★★★★☆

We tried it by bus in July. It works, but only just, and we waited a long time at Tubož for the ride back. Next time we would rent a car or take the tour.

SBSteve B. · Denver, Colorado
★★★★★

The wine tour gave us Mělník's cellars, smoked trout at a family fish farm and Kokořín at the end. Not Houska, but we saw it the day before by car and this was the perfect second day in the region.

LFLucia F. · Seville, Spain
★★★★★

We came for the legend and stayed for the views from Kokořín's tower, which the private tour includes. The driver waited patiently while we took a hundred photos.

OKOliver K. · Copenhagen, Denmark
★★★★★

October, a Saturday, mist in the trees and almost nobody else at the castle. If you want the creepy version of Houska, go at the very end of the season. Bring a warm layer, the chapel is cold.

HPHannah P. · Chicago, Illinois
★★★★★

Four of us took the private tour and the price per person became quite reasonable. Good car, good lunch, and two very different castles.

MGMarco G. · Turin, Italy
★★★★☆

Kost Castle trip was well organized and Kost itself is impressive, hidden between the valleys. Lunch was not included, which surprised us, so budget for it.

AWAnna W. · Vienna, Austria
★★★★★

Bezděz on the hill and Houska in the forest in one afternoon, by car. Bezděz is a proper climb, Houska is a gentle walk. Both made me glad we left Prague for a day.

BTBrian T. · Dublin, Ireland

April to October

Book the Houska Castle tour from Prague

If you are two or three people in Prague without a car, this is the day we would plan. A private ride to the castle on the rock, the guided tour through its rooms and into the chapel over the pit, then Kokořín's tower above the forest and a long Czech lunch before the drive home.

Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve today and pay later. Check that your date falls on an opening day, wear shoes for a forest path, and leave room in your head for the stories.

~$923

per group up to 3 · 8 hours · from 8 am

Check availability
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later
  • ✓ Pickup anywhere in Prague
  • ✓ Houska and Kokořín tickets included

Good to know

The castle over the pit

Five minutes of reading, and the chapel will feel a little colder when the guide closes the door behind you.

Houska Castle went up on its sandstone outcrop during the 1200s, most likely for Přemysl Otakar II, Bohemia's iron and golden king, and the documents first name it in 1316. Ever since, people have asked the same question. Why build a castle here, far from any trade road, with no river to guard and, the story adds, no well and no kitchen when it was new? The local answer has always been that the castle was never meant to keep anyone out.

01A crack in the rock

The tale goes that the rock under Houska had a fissure so deep that no one could see its bottom, and that things climbed out of it at night. Villagers spoke of creatures half animal and half human, some with wings, that carried off livestock and frightened anyone who walked the woods after dark. The king, so the legend says, ordered the hole to be sealed with stone and a castle built on top, its strongest walls turned inward, towards the pit.

02The man on the rope

Before the first stones went in, the story continues, a prisoner sentenced to death was offered a pardon if he agreed to be lowered into the crack and report what he saw. Moments after he disappeared into the dark, he began to scream. When they hauled him up, his hair had turned white and he looked decades older. He never said what he had seen, and he died soon after. Nobody tried again.

03The chapel on the lid

The Gothic chapel stands over the place where the crack supposedly gapes. Its painted walls date from around 1330 and the early 1400s, and one scene shows Saint Michael with his sword raised over a dragon, heaven's own jailer of the devil. Believers in the legend read the chapel as a seal on the gate. Historians see an ordinary castle chapel with unusually fine paintings, and the guide will let you judge for yourself.

The story is not that Houska defends a valley. The story is that it guards a door.

04A hooded figure and a sorcerer

Houska collects ghosts the way old houses collect dust. Even the official website joins in, with a hooded shape in black that has no face, and talk of odd bones buried under the rooms. Another tale belongs to Oront, a commander from the Thirty Years' War who was said to practice black magic in the castle. None of this is documented. All of it is told with a straight face after dark.

05Renaissance rooms and a quiet century

The real history is gentler. Between 1584 and 1590 the Gothic castle was rebuilt as a Renaissance residence, and over the centuries it passed between noble families, sometimes neglected, sometimes repaired. In 1924 the industrialist Josef Šimonek bought it and restored it by 1930, including the chapel in 1928. After the Communist years his heirs got it back, and in 1999 Houska opened to visitors for the first time in its long life.

06The war and the myth

During the Second World War the German army used Houska, which lay in the Sudetenland, until 1945, and archives were stored there. That plain fact grew into the most popular modern legend, that Nazi occultists ran experiments over the pit. Nothing in the archives backs it up, and Houska's official history stays silent on it. It is a story, like the creatures and the prisoner, and like them it is told best inside the castle itself. The legend and the history, side by side.

1316First written mention

c. 1330Oldest chapel murals

1999Opened to visitors

47 kmNorth of Prague

Which months the castle opens, and what a ticket costs, is in our guide to tickets, season and opening hours.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about visiting Houska Castle

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

Where is Houska Castle?

It belongs to Blatce, a village in the Czech Republic's Liberec Region, roughly 47 km from Prague as the crow flies. It stands on a sandstone rock in the forested Kokořínsko hills, about 84 km and 1 hour 20 minutes from central Prague by road. How to get there is in our guide.

When is Houska Castle open?

The 2026 season started on 3 April and ends on 31 October. The first and last months are weekend affairs, with October tours between 10 am and 4 pm. Between May and September the gate opens six days a week, every day but Monday, at 10 am, and stays open until 5 pm, or 6 pm in high summer. Winter is closed.

Is Houska Castle open in winter?

No. The castle publishes opening hours for April to October only, and there are no tours from November to March. Bezděz also closes for the winter and Kokořín opens only by prior arrangement, so a castle day north of Prague is a spring, summer or early autumn plan.

How much does a ticket cost?

At the gate, 180 CZK for an adult and 130 CZK reduced (children under 15, students and seniors). A family ticket for two adults and two children costs 520 CZK. The PEKLEM exhibit is 80 CZK extra, and dogs pay 40 CZK. The private tour from Prague, ~$923 per group up to three, includes the ticket.

Can I walk around Houska without a guide?

Not inside the castle. Visits are by guided tour only, starting every full hour, with the last tour and last entry to the outer courtyard an hour before closing. The PEKLEM exhibit and the new trail around the castle are self-guided.

Are the castle tours in English?

The castle's website does not say which languages its guided tours use. Before you pay, ask the ticket desk which language the next tour will use. On the private tour from Prague, the provider and driver speak English, and the castles' own guides lead the visits inside.

Is there a tour to Houska from Prague?

One. The private Houska and Kokořín tour on GetYourGuide picks you up anywhere in Prague at 8 am and lasts about eight hours, with both castle tickets and a Czech lunch included. It costs ~$923 for up to three people and about $1,246 for four to six. Our review of the tour.

Can I get to Houska by public transport?

Only with patience. There is no train, and the nearest stations are about 6 km away. In season, bus line 697 between Mšeno and Doksy stops at Tubož, 2.2 km from the castle, and in 2026 two trips a day ran to the Horní Houska stop by the gate. The castle itself advises against relying on public transport. Every route explained.

Is the gateway to hell real?

It is a legend. The stories of a bottomless crack, of creatures climbing out of it and of a prisoner who came back aged and screaming are folklore, retold for centuries and repeated by the castle itself as legend. What is real is the Gothic chapel built above the spot, with murals from around 1330. The legend and the history.

Did the Nazis really use Houska for occult experiments?

There is no evidence for it. The German army did use the castle until 1945, and archive material was moved there during the war, but the occult experiments belong to modern legend, not to the record. The castle's own history does not mention them.

How long should I plan for Houska?

About two hours at the castle, counting the walk from the car park, waiting for the next tour on the hour and the PEKLEM exhibit. With the drive from Prague, that makes a half day, which is why most visitors add Kokořín, Bezděz or Mělník. Day plans from Prague.

Can I combine Houska with Kokořín Castle?

Easily. Kokořín lies about 12 km and 20 minutes from Houska by road, and the private tour visits both. Kokořín also opens only at weekends in April and October and closes on Mondays in the main season. Our guide to Kokořín.

Can I bring my dog to Houska?

Yes, for a 40 CZK dog ticket, according to the castle's price list. Kokořín also admits dogs, for 30 CZK. On the private tour, ask the provider first, since the car belongs to them.

Can I cancel the Houska tour?

Yes, for free up to 24 hours before the start, for a full refund. With reserve now, pay later you can also hold a date without paying today, which helps while you check the castle's opening days.

Read before you go

Guides to Houska Castle and the castles nearby

Eight questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.