Contents
The Czech Republic is a country of castles. There are more than 2 thousand of them here. Almost every (even the smallest and most distant from the capital) town has its own medieval fortress, a romantic Gothic castle with high turrets, or a whole beautiful Baroque or Renaissance palace (in extreme cases, picturesque ruins reminiscent of the rich history of these places).
Once the Czech Republic was in the very center of European events. Many of its kings were also emperors of the Holy Roman Empire at the same time (for example, Charles IV, so beloved by the Czechs).
In those days, many wars for power and territory thundered here, in which, of course, the Czech nobility also took an active part. And so the first castles were built, first of all, as fortified fortresses of noble families, able to withstand enemy attacks and a long siege.
Well, later, when the most troubled and dangerous times passed, the Czech aristocracy began to build chic castles-estates for life, and not for war, constantly rebuilding and decorating them (and therefore very few of these architectural masterpieces “survived” to us in their original form).
Many ancient castles in the Czech Republic still look great, attracting a huge number of tourists. The most famous of them is, of course, the Prague Castle.
And now we will try to take on a very difficult task – to choose only 10 of the most beautiful Czech castles from many beautiful ones. Of course, someone may categorically disagree with our choice, but the taste and color …
10 Orlik (Orlik nad Vltavou)
The beautiful white castle Orlik, now standing almost on the banks of the Vltava, once towered above it on a high cliff and had a much more severe appearance. The first wooden fortress was built on this site as early as the XNUMXth century to protect a ford through which enemy troops could cross (as well as to collect a tax for the crossing from merchants passing through with goods). According to legend, it was founded by the leader of local robbers, who found his lost son on this very rock, in a huge eagle’s nest.
In the XIV century, the fortress turned into a stone rectangular fortified castle in the Gothic style. Since then, it has been rebuilt several times, burned down almost to the ground at the beginning of the 1719th century, but was rebuilt, and so on. Since XNUMX, Orlik belongs to the Schwarzenberg family, who once owned almost the entire South Bohemia. Now this is their only “property” in the country. It was the Schwarzenbergs who gave the castle its current neo-Gothic appearance. Today, the owner of the castle – Charles VII of Schwarzenberg – willingly lets tourists into the castle. (Sure! After all, he needs to be supported for something).
There is something to see in the castle: very colorful, but interesting collections are gathered here – from a huge library of old and rare books and a whole gallery of portraits of representatives of the Schwarzenberg family (and other art objects) to a huge collection of knives and firearms and military awards.
9. Konopište (Konopište)
50 kilometers southeast of Prague (in the forest near the town of Benešov) there is another beautiful white castle – the romantic Konopiště. In the XNUMXth century it was founded as a powerful Gothic fortress in the French style (with thick walls, seven towers, five gates and two drawbridges across the deep moat surrounding the fortress).
Konopiste has long been considered one of the most impregnable castles in the Czech Republic. Nevertheless, it was taken and plundered at least twice: in 1468, after a 17-month siege, it was captured by the troops of King Jiří of Poděbrady, and in 1648 (during the Thirty Years’ War) by the Swedes.
Since then, Konopiste, of course, has been rebuilt more than once by successive owners. And now we can see in it elements of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance.
One of the most important events in the history of the castle was in 1887, when it was bought by the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand D’Este, who made Konopiste his residence. The romantic history of the castle is connected with Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia Chotek.
Wishing to marry Sophia, a Czech countess, not well-born enough to become the wife of the heir to the emperor of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand abdicated for himself and his future children, deciding not to part with his beloved. Having happily lived together in Konopiste for 14 years, they both died at the hands of Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 (which, as we remember, was the reason for the outbreak of the First World War).
The Archduke was a great lover of art: he left valuable collections of ancient tapestries, porcelain, paintings, and other beautiful items in his castle. In addition, as an avid hunter, Franz Ferdinand collected a huge collection of medieval weapons and hunting trophies (about 4400 stuffed animals, horns, fangs, skins, etc.). All this can be admired in Konopiste even now.
8. Karlstein (Karlstein)
Karlštejn is the second most visited castle in the Czech Republic after Prague Castle. This is partly due to the fact that it is only 30 km from Prague. But in fact, this castle, located on a high cliff above the Berounka River, is worth a visit, and in itself – it is really beautiful. (In addition, its high walls offer a magnificent view of the surroundings).
Karlštejn was founded in 1348 by order of King Charles IV as his future residence, as well as a place of storage of royal regalia and holy relics. The construction of the castle was carried out according to the project of Mathieu of Arass (the first architect of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle). Charles IV personally controlled the entire process, which lasted 17 years.
According to the plan, the Gothic castle “climbed” up the mountainside in steps: on the lower tier they built the burggrave’s palace, a well tower and a large courtyard, above – the chambers of the king and his entourage, even higher – the Marian tower with the Church of the Virgin Mary, and at the very top – A large tower with the chapel of the Holy Cross (royal treasury).
The richest (and most beautiful) room of the castle, of course, is the treasury. Venetian glass, precious stones, gilding and medieval paintings were generously used in its design.
Not only the Czech royal regalia (including the crown of St. Wenceslas) were kept here, but also the values of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as, for example, fragments of the crown of thorns of Jesus Christ and a piece of a wooden cross on which he was crucified. All this remained in the castle until 1619 (and only once – during the Hussite wars – the treasures were taken to Prague). Today, some of those relics are in Vienna, and the other part is in Prague.
7. Сихров (Sychrov)
About 100 km from Prague, near the town of Liberec, is the beautiful pink and beige castle of Sychrov. Once (in the XV-XVI centuries) there was a severe Gothic fort on this site, almost completely destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War.
At the end of the XNUMXth century, the knight Lamotte d’Frynthropp built a baroque stone manor on these ruins. In the XNUMXth century, the manor was used for a long time as an actual agricultural farm, and seasonal workers lived in it.
But, finally, in 1820, it was acquired by Carl Alain Gabriel Rogan, a representative of the French noble family of Rogan-Rochefort, who left France due to revolutionary events and the Napoleonic wars that followed them. The Rogans rebuilt Sychrov in neo-Gothic style and gave it its current aristocratic appearance.
The main “highlight” of the interiors of the castle is the abundance of objects and details made of carved wood. Exquisite wooden ceilings, carved wall panels and most of the furniture were made by the famous Czech carver Petr Busek. In addition, there is a huge collection of rare books and works of art in Sychrov (including a large collection of French paintings, miniatures of the XNUMXth century, etc.).
Sychrov is also famous for its chic English park, which contains an openwork greenhouse (it is also a summer house and a venue for various events), romantic artificial ruins – Arthur’s Castle, a Chinese pond with a bridge, stone fountains decorated with elegant statues, etc. d.
6. Český Krumlov Castle (Český Krumlov Castle)
Český Krumlov Castle is a real “city within a city”: it includes 40 buildings, five courtyards, a unique three-tier Cloak Bridge and a huge park. All this was built over 6 centuries – from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth.
Each new owner of the castle (and Krumlov had a lot of them during his long history!) considered it his duty to make his own changes to the architecture of his possession. And that is why today we can see elements of different styles in Krumlov – from early Gothic to Renaissance and Rococo. In size, it is second only to Prague Castle and, of course, is the architectural dominant of the town of Cesky Krumlov. The highest pink tower of the castle has a height of 30 meters, it can be seen from afar.
The road to the castle goes through an old stone bridge, under which a fragment of a defensive moat has been preserved (and two real, completely fattened brown bears still live in it). Inside Krumlov, you can admire ancient interiors, as well as collections of Baroque and Renaissance art. A special pride of the castle is the superbly preserved baroque theater (one of the first in Europe), with scenery, props, costumes and technical equipment.
By the way, Krumlov Castle is still illuminated only by candles and torches – it is impossible to conduct electricity there without damaging the old building.
And they say it’s full of ghosts. One of them is White Pani, a girl who was forcibly married to one of the owners of the castle. This marriage brought her only grief and pain. She cursed her husband and did not forgive even when he was on his deathbed. Since then, she herself has not rested.
5. Pernstein (Pernstein)
There are very few places like this left in Europe. Founded at the end of the XNUMXth century as a family nest of the Pernstein nobles, this castle was updated mainly only inside – the interiors changed from Gothic to Renaissance.
Outwardly, it remained almost the same as at the beginning of its long history (however, since then, Pernstein has several new towers and bastions, and the deep moat that once surrounded the castle was, on the contrary, filled up).
This Gothic architectural “pearl” is located about 40 km from Brno, on a rocky hill above the Svratka River. Such a very good location provided Pershtein with real impregnability. During the Thirty Years’ War, the Swedes tried several times to take the castle, but they were not successful.
The special “highlights” of the castle are a wooden gallery-transition leading from its third floor to the Barborka tower (Varvarushka, it is also the Horned Tower), notable for its balconies and hinged loopholes-mashikul (there is no other way there!), as well as the tower-“ Gladomornya, in which especially important prisoners were kept.
In Pernstein, in addition to samples of medieval furniture, a rich library, a kitchen with a set of dishes, etc. have been preserved. All this, coupled with the general brutality of the castle, made it very popular with directors. Films such as “Nosferatu – Ghost of the Night”, “Van Helsing”, “Luther” and others were filmed here.
4. Bouzov
This Gothic castle appeared at the turn of the 30th and XNUMXth centuries, and then it was called Buzov (after its founder, Buza from Buzov). It rises on a wooded hill above the town of the same name, XNUMX km from Olomouc.
Until the end of the 1696th century, the castle passed from one Moravian family to another, until during the Thirty Years’ War it turned into a prison for Swedish captives. In 1939, it (together with the surrounding area) was bought by the Teutonic Order, to which Bouzov belonged until XNUMX. It was the Teutons who reconstructed the castle at the turn of the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries, giving it its current luxurious Romanesque look. And of course, now in the interiors of the castle you can see a lot of evidence of its “chivalrous” history.
The most spectacular sights of the Bouz Castle are its two long bridges (with active draw parts), a 58-meter “sound” tower, a neo-Gothic chapel with tombstones of the Teutonic knights resting here, luxurious Knights, Hunting and Gothic halls with antique furniture.
By the way, during the Second World War, Bouzov served as the administrative building of the SS, here the Nazis kept the valuables stolen from the museums of the Czech Republic.
3. Vranov-nad-Dyj
The beautiful Vranov Castle stands on a high cliff above the town of the same name and the Dyja River, 16 km from Znojmo. It was first mentioned in Czech chronicles in 1100.
Then it was a harsh Romanesque royal fortress, guarding the border of Moravia with Austria. In the XIV century, Vranov passed into private hands, changed owners many times and, of course, was constantly rebuilt. And in 1655, it burned down almost to the ground in a terrible fire.
The famous Viennese architect Jan Fischer, invited by the then owners of the castle, the noble family of Altan, not only restored Vranov, but also made it the baroque masterpiece that we can admire now.
The 25 halls of the castle display Baroque and Empire style interiors, paintings and bright frescoes, as well as a rich collection of once famous Vranov porcelain. Vranov’s most luxurious room is the Hall of Ancestors, which tells the story of the Altan family through “heroic” frescoes and monumental sculptures.
2. Lednice
The fairy-tale castle-palace Lednice is located in a place where the borders of three countries converge at once – the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia, 50 km from Brno, on the banks of the Dyja River. It is part of the Lednice-Valtice cultural complex, spread over 200 km² and nicknamed the “Garden of Europe”.
Lednice and the neighboring castle of Valtice (which belonged to the Liechtenstein family from the 1945th century until 7) are interconnected by a XNUMX-kilometer linden alley, along which a huge English park stretches with artificial ruins, a pond and a Minaret visible from afar. The baroque castle of Valtice is slightly inferior in beauty to the neo-gothic Lednice, but it is also worth a special visit.
Initially, Lednice was a Gothic fortress and was called Aisgrub in German. Later, it was rebuilt in the Baroque and Renaissance styles, was destroyed by the Swedes during the Thirty Years’ War, and acquired its current neo-Gothic appearance in the middle of the XNUMXth century. Luxurious interiors of the castle amaze even the most sophisticated tourist. What are the carved wooden spiral staircases and the same openwork coffered ceilings, chic front rooms and huge fireplaces worth!
And try to be sure to visit the greenhouse, in which the most real exotic plants grow. Here, a special humid climate has been created for them, and even the soil was brought specially from tropical countries.
1. Deep-over-Vltavou (Hluboká nad Vltavou)
According to the majority of Czechs (as well as tourists), the most beautiful castle in the Czech Republic is the snow-white and as if woven from openwork lace Gluboka nad Vltavou. This fairy tale, embodied in stone, is located on a high hill above the town of the same name (near the town of České Budějovice, 140 km from Prague).
The architectural masterpiece contains 140 rooms with luxurious interiors, 11 towers with battlements and spiers, two courtyards, etc. And all this is surrounded by a huge English park with ponds and fountains. Hluboka Castle was founded in the 26th century as a Gothic military fortress by King Přemysl II Otakar. During the first four centuries of its existence, Gluboka changed 1660 (!) owners, naturally, having survived several reconstructions (from Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque). Finally, in 1945, the castle became the property of the Schwarzenberg family (and remained so until XNUMX).
It was the Schwarzenbergs who gave Gluboka a new life and a new beautiful look: in the middle of the XNUMXth century, Duke Jan Adolf II Schwarzenberg and his wife Eleanor visited Britain, and Eleanor, delighted with the beauty of the Windsor Palace, wished to live in a castle similar to it in the Czech Republic.
And so, over the course of several decades, Gluboka gradually turned into a snow-white neo-Gothic “mini-Windsor”, attracting a lot of tourists, artists, as well as directors willingly filming it.