Chateau Heralec Boutique Hotel & Spa by L'OCCITANE

Herálec lies in the Vysočina highlands of Bohemia, reached easily from Prague, Brno and Vienna along the D1 motorway. The chateau itself is a national cultural monument, its red battlemented towers built up over more than four centuries on a rock outcrop that workers struck when digging the pool. It is a compact stay: 19 rooms across categories, from standard doubles to the King's and Presidential suites, hold a total of 39 beds. Bishop Jan's wine cellar sits below the castle, stocked with Czech and international bottles and open for guided tastings led by the in-house sommelier. The Honoria restaurant, set in the oldest wing of the building, serves Czech dishes built on ingredients from regional suppliers, with bread, pastries and cakes baked on site. Guests can walk the English park or take breakfast in Café Agasia, which looks over the castle grounds. The spa, run under an L'Occitane licence, occupies the south wing and includes a swimming pool built inside former stable vaults, four saunas, and a fitness centre. A humidor in the Gentlemen's Lounge holds the property's cigar selection, the only smoking room inside the castle. Eight function spaces, including the 274 m² library and a hall used for weddings in St Anne's Chapel or the park, host events and private celebrations. Check-in runs from 3pm.