Chateau built in the years 1728-1730 at the urge of Count Bissingen, ranking among the best examples of Baroque architecture. A. Canevalle was the project designer. The two-storey building encloses a beautiful English park. After 1989 the castle was returned to its last pre-war owners – the Schwarzenbergs.
https://czecot.com/

Čimelice Chateau

Account

by category

Login

Name

by region

Title

Name in English

Orlík was established as a royal castle beside a ford across the River Vltava in the second half of the 13th century, probably by Přemysl Otakar II, although in the Middle Ages it came into the hands of noble families and its ownership changed many times. From 1408 the Zmrzlík of Svojšín family owned it, and during their time the Hussite Captain Jan Žižka of Trocnov stayed in the castle. In 1508 the castle burned down, and was rebuilt as a Renaissance chateâu by the new owners, the Lords of Švamberk. In 1623 the Eggenbergs acquired Orlík, and in 1717 it was inherited by the Schwarzenbergs. At the beginning of the 19th century it became their main residence. In 1802 the chateâu was burned out, and during the subsequent repairs a fourth storey was added to the building. The most famous member of the family was Field Marshal Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg, who was victorious over Napoleon in the Battle of Leipzig in 1813. The current Romantic Gothic appearance dates from 1849 to 1860, when partial remodelling in this style was carried out according to plans by Bernard Gruber. The Early Gothic style castle of Orlík was confiscated by the Communist Regime after 1948, but in 1990s was reverted to the Schwarzenbergs.
Access to the chateâu is by a stone bridge across the moat. Three round towers rise above the main façade, one of them being the original, built in the 14th century. The passage into the chateâu is cut into the rock and leads to a trapezoidal courtyard, with arcades on the ground floor. The oldest building is the former palace, which dates from the 14th century and forms the north side of the courtyard.
The interiors are mainly in the Empire style, from the first half of the 19th century. The Lovecký sál (Hunter's Hall), with quadripartite ribbed vaulting, is original Gothic, and the chapel, also dating from the Gothic period, has a net vault. From an artistic point of view, the most valuable rooms are the state rooms on the first floor; the Greater and Lesser Knight's Halls; Hunting Hall; Blue and Empire Saloons; Library, and the Gun Corridor. The interiors are furnished in the style of the period and feature the family's collection of art works.
Adjoining the chateâu is an English-style large park, covering 143 hectares (350 acres), with native and non-native species of trees and shrubs, and a greenhouse with a collection of fuchsias. The Pseudo-Gothic Schwarzenberg vault is in the western part of the park.

Orlík nad Vltavou Castle

Originally a small complex, the castle was continuously extended until 1278. After the Přemyslid dynasty died out in 1306, Zvíkov became property of the Rožmberk family. After 1337 the settlement under the castle has been fortified, as a part of thorough repairs. Its fortifications were so strong that even the Hussites, during the Hussite Wars, besieged it for four months in 1429, but found it a tough nut to crack and failed to take it. To protect against heavy artillery its walls were further strengthened.
Although Emperor Charles IV placed it on a list of royal castles not to be pawned, his successors ignored his decree and by 1431 it was in the possession of the Rožmberk dynasty. At the start of Thirty Years' War Zvíkov was owned by a rebellious Protestant nobleman whose garrison of 140 men successfully defended the castle against 4,000 Habsburg troops in 1618. The defendants agreed to capitulate to the Emperor's forces only in October 1622. Subsequently, it was looted and devastated. During the 1640s the Švanberks modified the palace and extended it in Renaissance style.
After the damaged inflicted by the war, Zvíkov was restored, but its glory was long gone and the castle served only for farming purposes. A fire accelerated the deterioration of its buildings in 1751. Thus a once-important seat of Czech kings it had become an almost ruin by the 1840s, at which time the Schwarzenbergs, owners of the ruin, invested huge sums in a thorough reconstruction, which restored the heart of the castle to its former glory.
At the end of 17th century it ceased to have military value and was used as granary. The decline continued and in 1751 fire damaged a large part of the palace. In 1780 the chapel was deconsecrated. The facade of the palace collapsed in 1829 and between 1880 and 1902 the castle was reconstructed, only to be confiscated by the state in 1947.
The Orlík Dam, which was built between 1954 and 1962 and named after Orlík Castle, deluged the castle downtown and made Zvíkov easily accessible. Major restorations between 1970 and 1980 concentrated on the palace.

Zvíkov Castle

Set in beautiful surroundings of the forested landscape in the valley of the River Otava, the spa ensures its patients and guests peace, quiet and plenty of privacy. Spa care is provided in the building of a chateau built in 1875 in the neo-Gothic style by the Lobkowicz family of nobles, who used the building as their summer residence up to the year 1926. The chateau and the added treatment and accommodation pavilions are surrounded by the lush greenery of the English-style park and the forest. The spa consists of four buildings, of which three are connected by a heated corridor. This means that patients and guests have everything they need – meals, accommodation and treatment – easily accessible all under one roof. The chateau and the English-style park constitute a cultural heritage site. This has helped to maintain the original character of the whole area and prevent it being spoiled by insensitive human activity.
http://czechtourism.com/

Vráž Chateau

This originally Gothic stronghold was converted into a Renaissance Chateau in the 16th century. The masonry of the stronghold has been preserved almost entirely in the body of the chateau. The so-called Lokšany library, the oldest chateau library hall in Bohemia, was established in the chateau tower in 1558.
It is decorated with a painted timber ceiling and wall paintings from the Renaissance period. To this day the chateau has been protected by a large fortification from the early 16th century and surrounded by a Renaissance garden and an adjacent park in the English style.
http://middleczech.kr-stredocesky.cz/

Březnice Chateau

Renaissance chateau with a tower completed by a dome, and an English park. It arose from the reconstruction of a former fortress dating back to the turn of the 17th century.
https:/czecot.com/

Drahenice u Březnice Chateau

The castle is undoubtedly the town's greatest attraction. It is built on a rock surrounded by a moat (i. e. artificial water trench), which looks rather like a lake. The castle is narrow, U-shaped, with a tower in front to which the palaces from various periods attach. It opens to a large landscaped garden. Most of the castle has been recently reconstructed and it is open to the public in the tourist season (April–October).
Romanesque Chapel - the oldest part of the castle dating back to the 13th century, it is preserved only as a part of the wall with two arches in the western part of the courtyard.
Tower - the tower dominates the castle and it is the main entrance to it from the East. Its square shape with an overlapping half-timbered top became the symbol of the town. At the beginning of the 16th century the famous Green Chamber (Zelená světnice) was created on the first floor. The walls of this room are covered in murals depicting various religious and secular themes. The prevailing color of the paintings gave the room its name. All around the room are coats of arms of major Czech houses dominated by a large one of the house of the masters on the castle of that time, the Lords of Lvové of Rožmitál.
Rožmitálský Palace − built at the same time as the tower, it connects to it from the southwest. On the first floor is the castle Chapel of Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Gothic presbytery protrudes from the body of the palace on the south side.
Old Palace - from around the half of the 15th century is erected over the former Romanesque chapel. It's built in a late Gothic style, but its large windows already mark the coming of the Renaissance style. Originally, it stood separately to the north from the previous two parts.
Rejt's Palace - is a unique combination of a late Gothic and the upcoming Renaissance style. It was built during the rule of Zdeněk Lev of Rožmitál, an important diplomat at the court of the Czech king Vladislav Jagellonský. It has large windows, richly decorated façade and a structured roof with wooden-tile ceilings.
Rozdražovský (or Serényi) Palace - built first in the Renaissance style and rebuilt later in the Baroque style, it closed the body of the castle by connecting the Old Palace (through a lower utility building) with the rest of the castle buildings.

Blatná Chateau

Drhovle Baroque Chateau stands on the plane. The old linden trees leads to the chateau from the south, while the current arrival leads from the main road from the north. The chateau is one-storey building with extremely long input southern wing. Transit through the wings takes the form of a two-storey clock tower. The east wing opens arcades into the courtyard, while the opposite wing of the building has bricked arcades. Castle chapel comes from r. 1851. The chateau facades are decorated in contrast, brick-red and pale ocher. From the floor of the east wing is also a staircase descends to the park.
The chateau serves as a retirement home now.
http://waymarking.com/

Drhovle Chateau

Two-wing, single-storey empirical chateau built in the 19th century on the site of a former fortress. Numerous owners alternated here, the last of which was Arnošt Schwarzenberk, who owned it until 1949. There is an English park by the chateau.
https://czecot.com/

Tochovice Chateau

Passing through the Town Hall, we find ourselves on a quiet green area headed by Medieval walls with three Gothic arches. This is the western and only remaining wing of the former Royal Castle. The castle originally had a squared layout with four wings lined with arcades and surrounding a small courtyard.
The castle used to hold three fortification towers, but none of them are standing today. In the still-existing western wing we can visit the large Gothic Hall which displays copies of frescoes from the end of the 15th century. The castle was first mentioned in writing in 1254 and was built (under the supervision of King Přemysl Otakar II himself) at the same time as the town, which explains why it fits so perfectly into the town's layout. The last ruler to live in the castle was King Wenceslas (Václav) IV. In 1419, the castle passed into the hands of the Písek burgrave Jan Hájek of Hodětín, but it went through many owners soon afterward. It was purchased by the city of Písek in 1509, where it remained until 1547. Over the following years and centuries it was abandoned and gradually fell into disrepair. The western wing, entrance tower, and parkán were demolished in 1851, and the castle was transformed into the torso we see nowadays. The remaining part of the castle houses the Prácheň Museum today.
http://visitpisek.cz/

Písek Castle

Lnáře Chateau is a picturesque but dominating landmark of the village of the same name in West Bohemia, about 50 km southwest of Plzeň. When inside, you should definitely not miss the massive Baroque and Rococo wall paintings with motifs from classical legends and Greek mythology. It is an ideal starting point for biking trips and sightseeing tours around South and West Bohemia. The chateau also offers accommodation in stylish suites and rooms.
Lnáře Chateau was built in West Bohemia by Italian master builders in the second half of the 17th century. The rooms that are part of the guided tour are richly decorated with wall and ceiling frescoes portraying scenes from ancient mythology. The largest room is the two-storey Great Hall. With an area of 240 m², it is one of the largest Baroque halls in Central Europe. It hosts concerts, fashion shows and balls. The ceiling is decorated with a fresco depicting the wedding of Zeus and Hera attended by other Greek gods. In the courtyard there is a Baroque fountain with a statue of Neptune.
The chateau offers two guided tours: the shorter of the two will show you around its interiors, the longer one also includes a visit to the garden. There you can see an observation tower offering a magnificent view of the picturesque surrounding countryside with artificial ponds. Covering an area of four hectares, the park is really more of a large English garden with eleven Baroque statues. The demarcation line where the American and Soviet Army met at the end of World War II when liberating Europe leads directly through the park. The chateau was in the part that was to be liberated by the Americans and was used as accommodation for the soldiers of the United States Third Army led by General Patton.
