Chateau Mcely

Escape from the hustle and bustle of the city to the picturesque central Bohemian village of Mcely. Our eco-chic chateau hotel is situated just under an hour’s drive from Prague. It’s an ideal location for romantic getaways, spa breaks, family gatherings, weddings and company meetings. Our mission is to go well beyond hospitality.

Chateau Mcely is a place of ancient history, of exceptional positive energy, of balance and harmony, of wonders, of deep rest, of incredible stories, a place where destinies change, where love is lived to the fullest, where mundane cares are forgotten, a place hard to leave behind and easy to love forever. There’s no place like Mcely.

Each of our 24 rooms is decorated in a different style, each has its own name, and each is furnished with maximum care and with an emphasis on the smallest detail.

The first floor is a showcase of the continents, while the second floor is a showcase of time and important visitors to the chateau. The third floor is home to the Agape Presidential Suite, with the most beautiful views of the surrounding English park and the St George Forest.

Our restaurant’s creative team carefully prepares seasonal menus using ingredients primarily from local suppliers, the chateau gardens, and our own smokehouse under the guiding hand of our experienced executive chef Honza Štěrba. The restaurant also features the delightful Bellavista Patio, a conservatory-style space with views of the English park.

The Mcely Bouquet Spa is dedicated to nature, inspired by herbal aromatherapy. Here you can stop time for a little while and pamper yourself in our oasis of calm and beauty.

Chateau Mcely was established with the goal of creating a place where one could soak up the elixir of life from an infinite wellspring. Our guests come here to relax and refresh, to connect to the magic that flows through the surrounding countryside, and most of all, to listen to their own souls – to those messages that we don’t pay quite enough attention to.

THE HISTORY
Mcely is a picturesque village with original historical wooden buildings and a Baroque church dating back to the 16th century. It currently has about 300 residents and the surrounding countryside is a popular area for recreation, primarily for those from nearby Prague. And what about the chateau itself?

• 1000 BC The inhabitants of the Bohemian basin had already built a stronghold in this area 1000 years before Christ, and the ancient Celts left visible traces near Mcely.
• 1252 The first reliable evidence of the existence of a settlement with the unusual old-Czech name of Mcely can be found on an old parchment from the year 1252.
• 1653 Count Jan Kristian of Valdstejn built the first chateau on Vinice Hill.
• 1808 Baron Jan Filip Wessenberg-Ampringen bought the chateau.
• 1841 The dilapidated Baroque chateau was rebuilt as a new residence in an austere classical style. Jindrich, the son of Baron Jan Filip Wessenberg-Ampringen, moved into the chateau with his family. The manor remained in the family’s hands until 1859.
• 1849 According to old records, nine years before a similar event in Lourdes, the Virgin Mary appeared to three little girls in the small field between Chateau Mcely and the church. A series of reported visions of the Virgin is known as the “Mcely Miracles”.
• 1863 From 1863 to 1869 numerous members of the family of Count Boos-Waldeck occupied the chateau.
• 1869 In 1869 Count Filip Boos-Waldeck sold Chateau Mcely estate to Prince Hugo Maxmilian of the Thurn-Taxis noble family, which had its principal seat in nearby Loučeň. The prince and his descendants owned Chateau Mcely until 1948. To this day, tales are told about the abandon of revels of the young Thurn-Taxis family, the hunts with horses and hounds, and lavish parties with ballet dancers and actresses, kennels and racing stables, and all the luxuries of aristocratic life of the time.
• 1903 The west wing of the chateau had to be demolished because of its poor foundations. Costly renovation of the chateau was required when Prince Erich Thurn-Taxis married Countess Gabriela Kinsky. Their family lived at Chateau Mcely until 1925.
• 1939 After the death of Prince Alexandre Jan, Chateau Mcely became the family home and administrative centre of his grandson, Prince Luigiho della Torre e Tasso and his wife Fanny Goodyear.
• 1948 Chateau Mcely was used by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior. The chateau was reduced to a dilapidated state.
• 2004 The demanding and extensive renovation of Chateau Mcely began on June 15 by Inéz and James Cusumano.
• 2006 Chateau Mcely opened its gates to its first guests.
• 2010 Renovation of the other half of the park and the birth of the MCELY BOUQUET SPA.

ROOMS & SUITES
Each room has its own unique style and name and is carefully furnished with a discerning eye for detail. The first floor is a showcase of the continents, while the second floor is a showcase of time and important visitors to the chateau. The third floor is home to the Agape Presidential Suite, with the most beautiful views of the surrounding English park and the St George Forest.

AGAPE PRESIDENTIAL SUITE
The Agape Presidential Suite is located in the chateau’s tower. The loft suite features a fireplace, a fully-equipped kitchen with dining area, two bedrooms, a designer spiral staircase, and a nook for comfy, undisturbed book reading.

LEGEND SUITE
The Legend Suite is the most luxurious room at the chateau. It is decorated in pleasing light pastel tones and guests will be delighted by its beautiful modern bathroom in 19th century style and the balcony with a view of the English park. The suite is suitable not only for newlyweds, but also for those who love luxury combined with beautiful surroundings.

JUNIOR SUITE
Our only Junior Suite bears the name of the warmest month of the year (June) and is perfect for families with children. The room is spacious enough for an extra bed or cot and its larger size means greater comfort.

PRINCESS NELY SUITE
The decor of the Princess Nely suite is based on the delightful children’s illustrated book “Nely, Princess of Chateau Mcely”. The room is spacious enough for an extra bed or cot and its larger size means greater comfort.

All of the chateau’s services for children relate thematically to the book – the stylishly furnished suite, the princess feast, relaxation in the spa, and even an original collection of cute gifts from Princess Nely.

DELUXE ROOM
We have three spacious rooms in this category. On the first floor, you’ll find the Europe and Northern Seas rooms, and on the second floor, the Wings of Fame room. Two of those rooms can be prepared as a twin.

PIANO NOBILE RESTAURANT
At Piano Nobile, which regularly ranks among the best restaurants in the Czech Republic, a creative team led by the experienced chef Jan Štěrba prepares delicacies for our guests. Jan takes inspiration from nature, the surrounding forests, the local Nine Flowers herbal tradition, and the traditional family recipes of the chateau owners, the Cusumano family.

Our creative culinary team uses primarily ingredients from local suppliers, the chateau gardens and smokehouse to create an exquisite seasonal menu under the experienced direction of executive chef Honza Štěrba.

In addition to the à la carte menu, you can also enjoy a leisurely breakfast, tasting menus, or special themed menus which we prepare during the whole year. For our younger guests, we offer a Princess Nely children’s menu, full of fantasy, and we even have a special menu for dogs.

BELLAVISTA PATIO
A beautifully designed bar with views of the surrounding park. In addition to the stunning views from the patio, guests can enjoy truly unconventional Signature cocktails with ingredients from the chateau gardens, essential oils, homemade syrups, enriched with products from the MCELY BOUQUET collection, such as Tangerine Candy Scrub.

You can also enjoy a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, such as trendy rums and 14 types of gin from all over the world. You’ll won’t have a Gin & Tonic like ours anywhere else.

THE ALCHIMIST CLUB
The Alchemist Club is located in the chateau’s cellar and is a wonderful place to sit with a glass of wine or cognac after dinner. The Alchemist Club is the favorite place of the chateau’s owner Jim Cusumano, who is often called a “neo-alchemist” by his friends. This is perhaps why you can find here an original jukebox that Jim brought to Chateau Mcely from his family residence in California.

THE WINE CELLAR
The wine cellar at Piano Nobile holds over 1,000 bottles of 260 different wines from all over the world, including world-famous Bordeaux wines. Our cellar also features a comprehensive selection of wines from one of the most renowned Czech vintners, Jiří Hort, whose wines, without exaggeration, have conquered the world. He has created a special cuvée for Chateau Mcely, which can be tasted only here.

BREAKFAST IN THE GARDEN GAZEBO
Enjoy a private extended breakfast amidst the awakening chateau gardens with incredible views of the countryside. A rich breakfast buffet will be prepared with your favorite drinks and dishes from the standard breakfast menu.

The experience will be made more enjoyable with binoculars to observe the landscape and wildlife, a Bluetooth music player, a miniature Parcheesi set, traditional marbles, or even old-fashioned Rubik’s cube.

ROMANTIC CANDLELIGHT DINNER 
Enjoy a romantic private dinner by candlelight with a private waiter who will serve you in the middle of the chateau garden with magnificent views of the countryside. A Bluetooth music player to play your favorite love songs or songs that are important to you and a mini Parcheesi set will make the experience more enjoyable.

THE MCELY BOUQUET SPA
The Mcely bouquet Spa is dedicated to natural, locally inspired herbal aromatherapies. Stop time for a little while and allow yourself to be pampered in our oasis of calm and beauty. Our mission is to provide you deep relief from stress, regenerate your body, and uplift your spirit. We are introduce our new yoga video, which we now offer to you to practice in the safety and warmth of your home.

Our favorite yoga instructors Jana Kyriakou and Lucie Martinová will practice with you against the background of Chateau Mcely’s bright yet elegant Golden Hall. Jana soothing voice will gently guide you through the lesson, which offers deep relaxation and helps establish balance of body and mind.

The uniqueness of the natural spa lies in the integration of its various interior and exterior spaces, whereby the entire chateau complex itself becomes one spa space. Our three spacious and original private therapeutic suites – Honey, Pearls, and Silk – offer a relaxing and inspiring environment for exceptional spa experiences.

One suite is located directly in the chateau building, the second is on the top floor of the chateau tower, and the third makes its home in the chateau park in a romantic wooden building with an open fireplace.

All three suites are suitable for couples’ therapies. In the English park, guests can enjoy an outdoor whirlpool, a sauna house, a natural swimming lake, a multifunctional sports court, and an outdoor fitness trail. Even children can enjoy one of our experiential therapies in the safe environment of the Mcely Bouquet Spa under the kind care of our therapists.

Relax in privacy without the presence of our therapists or other guests. You can enjoy our ourdoor whirlpool and sauna. the herbal steam bath in the chateau, or enjoy one of our baths in a wooden tub in the Honey Pavilion next to the natural swimming lake.

For a natural cooldown after using the sauna, you can also use our purely natural lake throughout the year. Spring swimming is also popular now that the first warmer days of spring are here.

In the heart of the chateau park, hidden between the greenery and the flowering meadow, you’ll find a place for carefree summer relaxation: a natural swimming lake ringed with loungers, wooden day beds, a summer bar with Champagne Veuve Clicquot, cocktails, and handmade Lunar ice cream.The summer bar is open from the noon to 5 p.m.

Throughout the summer if the weather is good, our friendly beach girl will quietly take care of your comfort. For maximum comfort and to ensure the calm private atmosphere of the Mcely Summer Club, it will be accessible only to accommodated guests from 3:00 PM on day of arrival until 11:00 AM on day of departure.

For a natural cooldown after using the sauna, you can also use our purely natural lake throughout the year. Spring swimming is also popular now that the first warmer days of spring are here.

WEDDINGS
Chateau Mcely is magical any time of the year and in any style. Experience a spring wedding with hundreds of daffodils and tulips or summer wedding romance in the middle of flowering meadows; be enchanted by the glowing autumn colors and carpets of leaves or enjoy a winter wedding with hot mulled wine, a Christmas atmosphere, and the chateau and park illuminated by 7,500 twinkling bulbs.

Chateau Mcely can accommodate 55 guests in 24 rooms and suites. Receptions can be held inside up to 90 persons. For larger numbers of guests, a marquee tent can be arranged in the English park.

Civil, Church, symbolic wedding ceremonies and registered partnerships can be held at Chateau Mcely. Civil ceremonies are held on Fridays and Saturdays at 3:30 pm or by arrangement-depending on availability; church weddings by arrangement and depending on availability.

Weddings ceremonies can be held only in conjunction with catering and accommodation. It is not possible to have live music or a DJ without exclusive rental out of courtesy to other guests staying at the hotel.

MEETINGS
Promote well-being, harmony, and a great atmosphere within your team. Awaken creativity in your team and make room for new ideas and strategies – and your company’s success and better results. Did you know that a Deloitte survey found that nearly 70% of leaders are considering moving to a company that is more supportive of their braised health?

A full 81% of respondents said that improving their mental well-being, minimizing stress and having a caring attitude were more important to them than career progression.

Did you know that marketing experts worldwide choose Chateau Mcely – and we’re located just under an hour’s drive from Prague? For example, the team from Jo Malone came to us to develop a new creative strategy against the variety of Mcely backdrops, experiences, and emotional sensations.

In the comfort of our chateau in the middle of our English park and the St. George Forest, we’ll take care of everything – we would be happy to put together a tailor-made experiential program for you. But we are also happy to organize smaller or larger events, such as introducing a new car model, company parties, or whatever you desire.

YOGA RETREATS
Thanks to Chateau Mcely’s energy and atmosphere, it has become a popular location for yoga weekends and retreats. Organize a yoga weekend for your clients in our oasis of calm. We’ll help you achieve inner harmony and balance of body, mind, and soul.

THE CHATEAU GROUNDS
The park cradles the chateau in its arms like a precious gem. It’s the energy source for the chateau, a magic ring that encircles and protects it. Today it has an area of five hectares and is proud of its over 150 years of tradition.

MCELY SUMMER CLUB
In the middle of the chateau park, hidden amongst greenery and a flowery meadow, you’ll find a spot for a bit of carefree summer relaxation. A natural swimming lake surrounded by lounge chairs, wooden garden beds, a summer bar with Champagne, cocktails, and fresh crudités.

Throughout the summer, our friendly beach boy or beach girl will ensure your comfort. The “biotop” swimming lake, in true Chateau Mcely environmentally-friendly style, has a natural filtration system using stones, gravel, and water plants.

OUTDOOR SAUNA & JACUZZI 
If you want to completely cleanse your body and mind, all you need to do is spend some time in our outdoor sauna, similar to the traditional Russian spa. Even during the winter, after guests have properly warmed themselves, they can cool down in the adjacent natural swimming lake. Next to the sauna there is a spacious romantic Jacuzzi under the wide Bohemian sky.

THE FOUNTAIN OF FULFILLED WISHES 
The location where the original fountain used to stand was a favourite place for aristocratic families staying at the chateau to rest, and now a new sandstone fountain designed by Oto Bláha occupies this spot.

In the evening, the water is flooded by violet shadows, reminiscent of the flow of positive healing energy between the heavens and earth at the very spot where the Mcely Miracles occurred.

PRINCESS JULINKA’S COTTAGE
Young Prince Alexander della Torre e Tasso, also known as Sasha, was born at the chateau and grew up here during the Second World War. Now he has been replaced by young Julia, known to her family and friends as Julinka. Her parents love her just as devoutly, which is why they had a children’s cottage built on the foundation of the original cottage of Prince Alexander.

CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND
A slide leads directly from Princess Julinka’s Cottage to the children’s playground with its large sandbox and swings. Mud pie tins, shovels and pails are waiting in the sandbox for little architects to design and build the castles of their dreams in the sand.

FIRE PIT
Visit the fire pit and enjoy nostalgic memories of your childhood by roasting our homemade sausages, best enjoyed with fresh bread, salad and cold draft beer. And if you are an experienced camper, feel free to sing songs by the roaring fire.

INSECT HOTEL
When we renovated our park at Chateau Mcely, we did not want to disturb its natural ecosystem by removing wood and its little inhabitants from the area, so we built a unique “hotel” with ideal conditions for them. Natural science enthusiasts can borrow a magnifying glass from our reception to view the insects as they go about their daily work.

NATURAL WALK FOR HEALTH
An experienced fitness trainer has put together a training program and a healthy walk for guests of Chateau Mcely. Along with natural fitness stations embedded in the surrounding landscape, the walk-for-health makes use of steep pathways and staircases that connect the individual terraces throughout the park.

MULTI FUNCTIONAL SPORTS COURT
For those who love tennis, football-tennis (volleyball played with the feet) or basketball, we’ve built a modern sports court in the lower section of the park with a special surface amenable to each of these sports.

Take your friends with you, and perhaps play a little tournament. Our team will take care of your refreshments and the subsequently well-deserved relaxation in our Mcely Bouquet Spa.

HERBAL & FLOWER GARDEN
Take a moment to stop in the heart of the park – the kingdom of the chateau’s gardener. Smell the basil, lemon balm, and oregano, or the mint and the flowers grown for decorating the chateau.

Throughout the park, a collection of herbs called the Nine Flowers grows on nine different slopes. These herbs are used in our spa and in the chateau laboratory as part of the natural ingredients to create our MCELY BOUQUET cosmetic products.

HONEY PAVILION
On the southern slope of the park once stood the original chateau beehive, but this location is now dominated by an elegant, yet mystical hexagonal structure. Inside you will find the private therapeutic Honey Suite, one of the chateau’s threesome of Honey, Silk and Pearls, where healing herbal therapies inspired by local traditions of the Nine Flowers are performed.

MEDITATION GARDEN
The Forest of Time and Calm was revealed, where light is refracted in the darkness, hustle and bustle becomes calm, and obscurity becomes memory. A place where one can pause in one’s own time. The “Forest Square” is planted with flowers and new beds, including a “spring surprise” of 2000 daffodils.

Below it, a small raspberry patch was planted. All garden elements are linked with grassy paths. An integral part of the garden is the wooden platform designed for meditation and yoga, with a natural stream running alongside it, providing the calming effect of running water.

The garden’s feature is the sculpture “Mother and Daughter in an Eternal Embrace” by local sculptor Michal Jára. The sculpture, commissioned by chateau owner Inéz Cusumano as a tribute to her own mother, celebrates maternal love and feminine energy, a call to rest in your mother’s arms.

Guests can try out the power of hugs in the privacy of the garden during their visit. What’s interesting is that this meditation garden appeared in the book The Power of Twelve (available at Chateau Mcely) by American author William Gladstone, long before the garden was actually built.

It was one of the incentives to accelerate the garden’s completion, part of the overall site plan since the chateau itself opened. The garden was opened in Autumn 2015.

SUSTAINABILITY
Right from the beginning, it was completely natural for us here at Chateau Mcely to be guided by principles that are in harmony with our philosophy of care and love for ourselves as well as to our surroundings.

This means behaving in an environmentally-friendly manner, it means thinking about the consequences of our actions, continuously keeping on our toes, and constantly doing something more. For one person, it’s a matter of choice. For a hotel, it’s a big challenge.

The Chateau Mcely team didn’t shy away from this commitment and has made an eco-friendly approach their mission. Even during the renovation phase, the architects made certain that the interior furnishings and fittings were sourced from local Czech manufacturers to the greatest extent possible.

Choosing a quality supplier who doesn’t need to clock up hundreds of kilometers because they’re located in the middle of nowhere certainly seems like the ideal solution. And in this way, Chateau Mcely honors the character of the place where it sits and pays homage to the tradition of Czech craftsmanship.

Today, the use of local sources is much more accepted, but at the time that the chateau was being renovated, it was considered a revolutionary approach, one that quickly proved its worth.

Soon after Chateau Mcely opened, it garnered enormous acclaim in the form of the international World’s Leading Green Hotel award. What’s more, the hotel’s standards increased many-fold because of this eco-friendly behavior. Chateau Mcely become the first five-star green hotel in the Czech Republic and the second in all of Europe!

The details that make daily operations more complex make sense in the long run. This applies pretty much to all the wheels in the machinery that makes the hotel tick. Behind our peaceful fairy-tale facade, we’re always busy.

The receptionists, housekeepers, spa therapists, and caretakers all keep the well-being of our guests, as well as that of our planet, in mind. Nothing is carelessly thrown out, nothing is wasted for no reason, and when something actually wears out, the hotel sends it off to a new life by being recycled.

Even the trash our guests throw in the wastebaskets is sorted by hand. And we also sort waste in a place where there isn’t much time for it – the kitchen. Anyone who’s ever take a peek behind the scenes at a big restaurant has an idea of the heavy workload there. On the other hand, thanks to goodwill and good planning, they can accomplish this task almost with smiles on their faces.

The primary motto of Honza Štěrba’s restaurant always was, still is, and will always be: Local ingredients! Herbs grow near the chateau in the garden – during the summer, our chefs simply walk down the path and pick them.

A bit farther down, giant blueberries ripen, and roses, which others would at most put in a vase, are used by our head chef to make wonderful ice cream. Try the recipe on page 65 for yourself! To date our restaurant team has achieved its greatest success as enthusiastic growers with the snail farm they set up in the garden.

Snails have never been this close to the chateau plates, and have been a great success on the restaurant menu. Whatever our chefs can’t grow or make themselves, they bring in from local farmers and organic farmers.

The exquisite cheeses, sausages, and meat on your plate come from our vast family lands. Our fragrant bread is delivered from the Ledecká Bakery and fresh fish come from nearby Psinice u Libáně. Our kitchen scraps are fed to the chickens or rabbits that live with our employees or neighbors.

A sensitive spot on the ecological balance sheet is often heating. And Chateau Mcely, with its high ceilings and spacious party halls, needs some serious power to ensure that delicate princess feet don’t freeze in their slippers on the coldest day of the year.

Heat is provided by an energy-efficient furnace, which luckily requires nothing more than wood chips from local suppliers to burn. 100% of our electricity is also green, which is also more expensive. But it’s worth it! The chateau already generates a part of its necessary electricity from photo-voltaic cells.

The water in our swimming lake in the park is heated in the summer using solar collectors. The lake itself isn’t just a lovely green pearl to admire. The water plants on the shores were specially chosen to help maintain the water’s natural balance – it’s filtered through their root systems and a sand filter. Thanks to this demanding maintenance – without the use of a drop of chemicals – even guests with sensitive skin can enjoy a swim in the lake.

Chateau Mcely’s approach to the environment is admirable and inspiring. Eco-friendly guests are truly welcome here. For example, you’ll find an electromobile charging station in our parking lot. What’s more, the chateau’s employees have this amazing knack for perfectly harmonizing love for nature with high levels of comfort.

Have you ever thought about how many bottles of skin lotion or shampoo get thrown out when the doors close behind a guest at a better hotel? How many towels get washed every day that were only used once to dry hands?

The modern hotel industry is drawing more and more attention to such eco-UNfriendly practices, and the Chateau Mcely team is on top of all the latest trends. You won’t find any unnecessary plastic containers in our luxurious chambers, and if you want to keep the towel that you used once to dry your face, just leave the universal symbol and hang your towel on its hook.

With these small gestures, guests can get more involved in our efforts to ensure that we’re not just giving sustainability lip service – to ensure that our children have an even greener and healthier view out the windows. This work is never done.

THE VILLAGE OF MCELY & ITS SURROUNDINGS
We have a very close and friendly relationship with the town of Mcely and neighboring communities. We regularly organize Advent events for the community at Chateau Mcely.

Every year we organize and finance an Advent charity concert in the local church of St. Wenceslas, and for the local kindergartners, a visit by St. Nicholas and the devil in the chateau halls and visits to our park and playground with refreshments.

We support the town and its various projects, repairs, local events, and publications both financially and otherwise. Alleys of new fruit trees are being planted around Mcely, as they were in the days of the Thurn-Taxis noble family. We try to plant between 60 and 80 trees each year.

Rooms: 24

Price: from 145 EUR per night

Source: www.chateaumcely.cz