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The Papoušek (Parrot) steam locomotive (1954) at the Czech Railways Railway Museum in Lužná u Rakovníka. | Photo: admin.
Published: May 27, 2025 | Autor: admin.
If you are looking for a tip for a day full of experiences for yourself or the whole family, you can combine several destinations in the Křivoklát Highlands between Rakovník and Nové Strašecí.
You can combine a tour of historic locomotives and carriages with an equally interesting tour of exhibits of large American cars from the last century and finish with a tasting of healing spring water. And, God willing, you will see horses, find mushrooms in beautiful forests, discover a cave that even the locals have difficulty finding, etc.
Czech Railways Railway Museum, Lužná u Rakovníka - 2022. Velký Bejček locomotive (1928). | Photo: admin.
However, so that my recommendation for a great trip isn't too long, I've divided it into three parts for good reason, which I'll publish in quick succession over the course of a week. Some people may prefer shorter trips and visiting destinations separately (for example, with small children), while others may prefer to combine them into one big trip. These are the parts:
1. Historic trains at the Czech Railways Railway Museum
2. Museum of Historic US Vehicles
3. Healing Spring
In the third part, we will also discuss several options for ending the trip. Each part will include directions for one route.
Czech Railways Railway Museum, Lužná u Rakovníka
It is the largest railway museum in the Czech Republic and is located right next to the railway station. There are railways leading here from Rakovník, Kladno, and even Prague.
For years, it was possible to travel directly from Masaryk Station in Prague, but due to extensive reconstruction of both the station and the railway line, you will have to choose, for example, Smíchov Station or the Praha-Dejvice railway station at Hradčanská and other Prague stops.
Czech Railways Railway Museum, Lužná u Rakovníka - 2022. | Photo: admin.
The planned restoration of the Prague section of line No. 120 between Rakovník and Masaryk Station should take place on August 2, 2025. But believe it... Better to follow the news on Railway Administration or timetables.
Updated: The line has already been restored and is in operation.
Buying tickets before departure is a bit peculiar and stressful for holiday travelers. You cannot buy tickets from private carriers at the ticket offices of the state-owned Czech Railways. So where can you buy them? Either there is a special ticket machine at the station, or you can buy a ticket without a surcharge from the conductor on the private carrier's train (for a round trip, it is advisable to have 400 CZK in cash with you) or online.
Czech Railways Railway Museum, Lužná u Rakovníka - 2022. | Photo: admin.
You can also come by car, but then you have to return to the same place after your big trip, which is not always convenient.
And you may find that your navigation system will take you to Lužná, but you won't find the railway line there. If you look closely at the map, you will notice that the museum is in Lužná II. It's a local peculiarity, but sometimes visitors arriving by car look for the museum in the wrong part of Lužná.
There is also a bus connection to the Lužná railway station stop. However, be sure to check the connection in advance. You don't even have to change buses from Rakovník. From Kladno and Prague, you do. And don't count on buses too much on weekends. An alternative is, for example, a bus from Zličín in Prague, which will drop you off in the part of Lužná (Československé armády stop) where the museum is not located. And then you will have about an hour's walk ahead of you. First on flat ground, then uphill from the halfway point. In warm weather, it will take a lot of energy right from the start.
Czech Railways Railway Museum, Lužná u Rakovníka - 2022. | Photo: admin.
I would definitely recommend arriving by train. Some trains go directly to Lužná, but they don't stop everywhere. These are operated by a private carrier (Arriva). České dráhy trains, on the other hand, stop at every station, but when traveling from Prague, you have to change trains in Kladno. However, the connections are convenient. It is best to check this information in the current timetable before departure.
I would give all my symphonies if I could invent a locomotive.
I would give all my symphonies if I could invent a locomotive.
A statement attributed (probably rightly) to Antonín Dvořák, the world-famous Czech composer.
It is also worth checking when a historic steam or motor train will take you to the museum. This is an additional program for visitors to the museum, and you can see more exhibits outside. The nearest one will take you from Prague via Kladno to the museum on June 7, 2025. And if you want to experience a ride on a steam locomotive, it awaits you in Lužná and will take you to Rakovník, Řevničov, Krupá, and back.
If you are traveling from Kladno, the last section of the track from Řevničov leads through a beautiful forest and winds around hills, where you may occasionally lose your mobile signal.
Czech Railways Railway Museum, Lužná u Rakovníka - 2022. | Photo: admin.
Interestingly, the museum has steam locomotives with these cheerful names: Kafemlejnek (Coffee Grinder, 1899), Severka (Northern One, 1904), Heligón (Heligon, 1906), Všudybylka (Everywhere, 1925), Pětikolák (Five-Wheeler, 1931), Albatros (Albatross, 1946), Štokr (Štokr, 1946), Kremák (Kremák, 1946), Skaličák (Skaličák, 1948), Papoušek (Parrot, 1954), but also the railcar Hurvínek (Hurvínek – famous Czech puppet, 1948).
The museum tour itself takes about 1-2 hours. With the program, lunch, a steam train ride, and children, it can easily take 4-7 hours.
After seeing the beautiful locomotives and carriages, you can continue on to the equally beautiful historic veterans from the USA. But you can read about that in the second part.
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The short video was filmed using older technology, so hopefully that won't be a problem:
Tři výlety v jednom - historické vlaky (1. část)
Weather forecast for the trip area
The ČD Museum is right in the middle of the map.
Terrain Difficulty
The museum is on flat ground and easily accessible to everyone.
There are no complications here, you just have to cross the tracks occasionally.