Short-mat at the castle – bowls has fallen in love with the Bohemian Paradise

February 6–8, 2026, we took short-mat bowls out of the gyms and straight to Hrubá Skála Castle in the heart of Bohemian Paradise—and we have to say, it fit in perfectly. Thanks to Radek Zukal, instead of a regular bowls tournament, we enjoyed a fantastic few days (and nights) of playing, eating, drinking, singing, dancing (some of us), and relaxing (all of us)...

We stayed in the castle’s rooms, where you almost expected to be woken up in the morning not by your cell phone, but by a butler. Add to that excellent food, wine, and other “fuel” for the players—simply short-mat in all-inclusive mode. An interesting singles tournament took place on two short mat carpets loaned by ProBowls (thank you!), and even though “it’s not about the results,” winners emerged:

1. 1st place Radek Fiala,
2. 2nd place Zuzana Skuhrovcová,
3. 3rd place Marek Šveda

The program off the mats was also top-notch—massages, an outdoor hot tub with a view of the rocks, a special tour of the castle with the hotel director, who took us down to the cellars with colonies of crabs and all the way up to the tower clock, which we were able to “wind up” ourselves.

To sum it up: one weekend, two mats, a group of great people, and a castle setting, which makes short-mat bowls look like a sport fit for kings.

And it’s no surprise that everyone is already looking forward to a repeat, perhaps even with international participation.....