Winter relaxation at the chateau: experience perfect relaxation at Chateau Herálec
Winter, the time of rest
Advent is not just about looking forward to Santa Claus. For our ancestors it was mainly a time of calm and rest, due to a lifestyle linked to the rhythm of nature. With the coming of winter, work in the fields ceased and the long winter evenings became a time when the body was allowed to rest from hard work. And it was not just Advent. The entire winter season was a time of quieting down and gathering strength for the busy spring months. Today, we hardly seek a quieting of the mind in the hectic pre-Christmas time, and it is no better in the New Year. Not to mention rest for the body. But with short days and long nights, our bodies need more sleep and rest, and ignoring the cyclical nature of our lives, where we work with the same intensity all year round, can lead to fatigue syndrome, burnout syndrome and a whole host of health problems.
So what about trying it differently this year? Whether you want to experience an exceptional Christmas atmosphere in a special place or give your body and mind some much-needed rest and quiet during the winter, the luxurious Chateau Herálec hotel is the right place. It's not just another in a long line of chateau hotels. The Chateau Herálec stands out for its unique concept, which combines a luxurious experience with respect for the history of the place, emphasizes high quality service and, above all, a friendly and welcoming environment where guests feel at home and love to return.
Rooms calling for laziness
The chateau walls date back to the 13th century and Chateau Herálec has a turbulent history, a dark part of which is the confiscation after the end of World War II and the allocation to the national company Czechoslovak Textile Plants. Today, few people can imagine that the sensitively reconstructed premises of the romantic chateau served as a boarding school only a few decades ago. The chateau rooms are the perfect combination of a celebration of history and modern five-star luxury. Each room has its own story to tell, each one a little different. But they all share an emphasis on tasteful furnishings, generous spaces and comfort. After all, the interiors were designed by Slovak theatre designers, so it's no wonder you'll feel like you're in a fairy tale. And you will have a fairy-tale rest here.
Before dinner, you can sit back with your favourite book, snuggle up with a wool blanket from a nearby weaving mill and enjoy sweet nothingness. In the evening, snuggle up on a custom mattress, cover yourself with a duvet and Egyptian cotton sheets, and choose the right pillows for you from the pillow menu. Plus, if you read one of the fairy tales the maid has prepared for you on the bed's headboard, you'll sleep like kings and queens in a castle.
Seasonal delicacies in the vaulted restaurant
Chateau Herálec is also renowned for its gastronomic concept, which relies on a seasonal menu and does not retreat from it even in winter. You can look forward to venison and variations of root vegetables, kulajda just like from your mother and a popular delicacy is also smoked trout soup, which the chef of the chateau restaurant Honoria Michael Zapalač prepares from fresh trout from Mr. Nykl. The castle restaurant prefers local ingredients, so you can be sure that you will find on your plate what comes from local farmers or from your own garden.
The culinary experience is enhanced by the unique ambience of the restaurant under the 14th-century vaults, which in winter is decorated with glass icicles by the artistic glassmaker Anton Štrbáň. Their crystal clarity mirrors the original coat of arms of Katherine of Šelmberk, which was found during the reconstruction of the chateau and sensitively restored as a reminder of the old days in one of the chateau dining rooms.
Perfect relaxation in a spa that uses the beneficial effects of natural cosmetics from French Provence
There is no hotel wellness centre like a spa. It's not easy to find one that offers the perfect service, plus beautiful, memorable facilities. At Chateau Herálec, however, everything has been thought out down to the last detail, and this also applies to the local wellness & spa. It's unique in its facilities alone: from many parts you'll enjoy views of the snow-covered English park, where many of the herbs used in spa treatments come from, you'll swim in the 12th-century vaulted pool on the site of the former stables and you'll find the hot tub in the historic tower.
To relax the body and mind, guests can take advantage of the sauna world, which features a steam bath, infrared sauna, a spacious Finnish sauna and a smaller herbal sauna. No wellness centre should be without a relaxation area. And even this is exceptional in a romantic castle: the silenciarium faces the castle garden, so you can observe the quiet winter landscape. And it is not only the use of herbs from the chateau herbarium, but also the famous French natural cosmetics L'Occitane that distinguishes this wellness centre from all other hotel wellness centres. The Chateau Herálec boasts the first ever Spa by L'Occitane in the Czech Republic, so you can be sure that you are in for a truly unique relaxation in the form of various treatments.
Walks in the park and excursions in the surroundings: Chateau Herálec will also satisfy lovers of active relaxation
But relaxation doesn't have to mean just lazing around. Take a stroll in the chateau park and don't forget to ask for a printed guide to discover which of the local trees are more than 300 years old. And check out the Experience Book, which has tips on the many excursions and activities you can do in the heart of the Highlands. You can discover the fairy-tale winter landscape on a trip into the countryside along one of the many hiking trails, for example the highest peak of the Žďár Hills, the Nine Rocks, is nearby.
Treat yourself to winter relaxation at Chateau HerálecPhoto: Chateau Herálec/se svolením
The UNESCO-listed cultural gems are also within easy reach: the pilgrimage church of St. John of Nepomuk on Zelená hora near Žďár nad Sázavou and the Jewish Quarter and St. Prokop's Basilica in Třebíč. But you can also experience Jewish sights in Trebic in other ways: with an interesting guide you can explore the mysterious corners of the town, bake Jewish sweets in a bakery or learn one of the Jewish dances. And winter sports enthusiasts will not be disappointed either - after all, Nové Město na Moravě with its cross-country skiing and biathlon area is only twenty kilometres away.
All of this is reason enough to return to our roots this winter and allow ourselves the rest so necessary for our body and soul, what do you say?
