The people who worked at the castle were always friendly and welcoming, and I really enjoyed the time we spent together. We were all kept busy due to it being high season at the castle, which at times was overwhelming but also meant there was lots to do and also many great events on. Particularly at a time when such events were cancelled back home, I loved the opportunity to regularly see theatre, opera and orchestra concerts. A career in museums and heritage has long been of interest to me, and while I am still considering options, the internship has definitely confirmed my interest in this sector. I would prefer a research-based, curatorial role than something in marketing, communications, design and suchlike, however I think the insight I gained into all these different areas during the internship has been invaluable in helping me understand how historic houses operate on the ground. What advice would you give to future interns? Don’t be afraid to come up with your own ideas. The owners of the castle want fresh insight and give you lots of responsibility to work on your suggestions if you take the initiative. Also, try out some new skills and activities, whether that be in design, marketing, events and so on. I ended up doing lots of things I had never done before, which was initially intimidating but ended up being the most rewarding part of my internship experience. Furthermore, make sure you travel. The owner of the castle is very generous in giving you some days off for travelling so long as there are no major events on at the castle. Definitely visit Prague and explore the areas closer to Blatna (like Cesky Krumlov and Ceske Budejovice), but also consider visiting bordering countries like Germany and Austria. While it is quite difficult to get to, Salzburg is a gorgeous city that I would recommend visiting.
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