Kola vášně

The JAWA Factory Museum Konopiste presents representative samples from the history of the JAWA make of motorcycles, using machines on display as well as historical documents, and employing large screen audio-visual presentations in the Czech, English and German languages. Another significant theme of the museum is the documentation of the racing successes of Czech motorcycle makers during the 20th century, with unique exhibits, trophies and historical documents.

The castle of Konopiště was founded at the end of the 13th century, probably by the bishop Tobias of Benešov. It was built as a Gothic fortress copying the design of French castels.First building alterations were ordered by George of Šternberk at the end of the 15th century, and later by Hodějovští of Hodějov in the 17th century. In the 18th century, Vrtbové of Vrtba converted the castle into a Baroque palace. Francis Ferdinand d’Este, who bought it in 1887, had it rebuilt into a grand emperor’s residence.

The Art Nouveau house no. 74 was built by the District Commercial Savings Bank from Benešov u Prahy in 1904 – 1905 according to a project of Marcel Dusil. It houses an exhibition, opened to the general public in 1992, devoted to the history of the town and its surrounding areas, regional landmarks and objects of art as well as artists who lived and worked here. The ethnographic exhibition is of special interest as it presents mainly the folk clothing and textiles, furniture, glass underpaintings, and objects of folk plastic art.