The half day tour from Prague will take you to Konopiště Castle which was built in the 13th century in the style of a French fortress. The castle was totally altered in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Archduke Franz Ferdinand d´Este, whose assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 sparked World War I. Franz Ferdinand engaged the architect J. Mocker to convert the castle into an opulent residence filled with rich furniture, works of art and lavish decorations. The castle is situated in a lovely park and it´s known for its eccentric mix of art, weapons, bizarre stuffed hunting trophies, late Gothic sculptures and paintings, tapestries and various artifacts which belonged to the royal family.