Prague  - Castles and palaces are nothing out of the ordinary in the Czech Republic. Many can be comfortably explored on a day trip from Prague, including Nelahozeves Castle, located in a village of the same name on the Vltava River about 25 kilometres north of the Czech capital.

When William Lobkowicz set out in 1976 from his birthplace of Boston to his ancestral homeland in then Czechoslovakia, he had no idea of what awaited him. In the United States, the Lobkowiczes were just one of many immigrant families that had started with modest means in their adopted homeland and then quickly made something of themselves.

But in Bohemia -- a former independent kingdom that today takes up the western part of the Czech Republic -- the Lobkowiczes had been one of the most important noble families for more than 600 years. Before they were expropriated, they owned 13 castles and palaces. First expelled by the Nazis and then by the Communists, the family has managed to recover much of its property.

The property includes Nelahozeves Castle. In the family's possession since 1623, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful Renaissance castles in the country. The castle now shines again in its former splendour and houses an exhibition that gives insight into the history of the family and the country.

The small town of Melnik is also closely associated with the House of Lobkowicz. It lies several kilometres from Nelahozeves at the confluence of the Vlatava and Elbe rivers and is dominated by a castle whose longest owners were the princes of Lobkowicz.

Since 1992, the princes' descendants have been busy not only renovating the run-down castle but also reviving the area's once famous wine industry. During a guided tour of Melnik, visitors learn that Charles IV -- king of Bohemia and later Holy Roman emperor -- introduced grapes to Bohemia to bring French culture to his homeland. Charles was, after all, educated in the French royal court.

"He is said to have grimaced mightily upon taking his first swallow of wine pressed in Bohemia," the guide says. But the winemakers gave him words of encouragement and after a few glasses Charles is said to have remarked: "The wine is like the people. At first it doesn't seem good at all, but when you get to know it better you appreciate its quality."

In a forest covering five hectares lies Chateau Mcely, about 55 kilometres north-east of Prague. The former rural manor of the Thurn-Taxis aristocracy, it was the setting of lavish parties and hunts with horses and hounds. Among the famous guests was American author Mark Twain, creator of the characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, who had travelled to Prague in connection with the publication in Czech of one of his works.

The castle was used as a warehouse for a while after World War II. Eventually it fell into disrepair. The story has a happy end, however. Chateau Mcely was discovered by private investors and converted into a spa hotel.

Chateau Mcely is a good starting point for excursions to Loucen Castle and its famous garden maze, as well as to the Skoda Auto Museum in Mlada Boleslav.

Bohemia's best-known, and perhaps most beautiful, castle is Karlstejn, built by Charles IV. Those who enter the castle chapel will understand his intellectual world. A ruler who wielded extraordinary power, he had great humility before God.

The gilded walls of the chapel are encrusted with semi-precious stones. The ceiling is also gilded and adorned with thousands of pieces of glass made to look like a starry sky, symbolizing the might of God. Karlstejn was not only called the "sacred" castle but also the "unconquerable" one. Its main tower, in fact, was never taken. (dpa)