This medieval town at the confluence of Elbe and Vltava rivers produces wine since the 9th century. Its Renaissance castle and Gothic church overlook vineyards.
Mělník rises above the confluence of the Elbe and Vltava rivers, 27 kilometers north of Prague. You'll find Renaissance-era wine cellars beneath the town's castle, walk through medieval tunnels under the main square, and discover an ossuary holding the remains of 15,000 people in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. The central square preserves its 16th-century character with stone arcades lining the streets.
Walking Míru Square
Walk around Míru Square to see the town hall's Gothic chapel window and its 18th-century Baroque tower. The square's Renaissance and Neo-Renaissance buildings create covered walkways with their stone arcades. Stop at the Church of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and former Capuchin monastery at the square's edge. Take a guided tour through the medieval tunnels beneath the square to see the town's historic well, which measures 4.54 meters in diameter.
Mělník Castle and Wine Culture
Visit the Renaissance castle to see the Lobkowicz family art collections and join a wine tasting in the cellars. The castle restaurant overlooks the meeting point of the Elbe and Vltava rivers, with St. Ludmila Vineyard and the volcanic peaks of the Central Bohemian Highlands in the distance. Wine production here began with Princess Ludmila, expanding when Charles IV introduced Burgundy vines to the region in the 14th century. Tours run daily from 9:00 to 16:00, with wine tastings available by reservation.
Church of Saints Peter and Paul
Built in the 10th century and largely reconstructed in the 1480s, this church received its presbytery around 1520. Walk down to the church crypt to find an ossuary where anthropologist Jindřich Matiegka arranged thousands of skeletal remains in the early 20th century. The ossuary, which became a mass burial site during the 1520s plague epidemic, opens daily except Mondays from 9:00 to 17:00.
Getting Around
Two major roads intersect in Mělník: I/9 and I/16, both connecting to the D8 motorway. Trains depart every hour between Mělník and Prague, with additional connections to Ústí nad Labem and Kolín. The town's river port processes container shipping on the Elbe River, making it a key inland shipping point in Czechia.
