- Address: Svojanov 1, 569 73 Svojanov, Česko
- Phone: +420 461 744 124
- Website: www.svojanov.cz/en
- E-mail: info@svojanov.cz, hrad@svojanov.cz
- Date of construction: 1265.
- Operating time: from 15.12 to 28.02 the lock is closed; in March and from 1.11 to 14.12 - from 10:00 to 17:00 (except Mon); in April, May and October - from 9:00 to 17:00; in June and September - from 9:00 to 17:00 without days off; in July and August - from 9:00 to 18:00 without holidays
Approximately 200 km south-east of Prague in the Pardubice region is one of the country's oldest castles - Svojanov. He dominates the valley of a small river Křetinka. The castle was built in 1265, and it is the only one of all castles in the Czech Republic, in the guise of which the Gothic style blended with the Empire style. After the reconstruction, which was completed in the spring of 2013, Svojanov Castle opened its doors to visitors. Today it has a museum, and there is also a hostel and a restaurant.
A bit of history
He founded a castle to protect the trade route between Litomyšl and Brno (later called "Trstenitskiy path"), King Přemysl Otakar II, and originally he bore the German name Furstenberg. After the death of the king, the castle went to his widow Queen Kungut. The queen married a certain Zawish from Falkenstein, and the castle was his property until his execution in 1290, after which he became the property of a magistrate right up to the beginning of the Hussite wars.
In 1539, Svojanov burnt down, after which it was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. He suffered badly and during the 30-year war - the Swedes captured him twice. The Prussian-Austrian wars also affected him not in the best way, after them the castle came to a complete decline and until the middle of the XIX century it was used by local residents for household needs.
In 1842, the castle was again a fire, after which it was rebuilt in the Empire style. In 1910, he became the property of the town of Polichka, but the municipality had no means to tidy it up, and the castle was gradually dilapidated. And only at the beginning of the XXI century it was put in order.
Castle today
Today, the Castle of Svojanov looks like it looked in the XIX century after the last repair. Everything was reconstructed, from the roof and facades to the figured ceramics inside the premises. The interiors of the castle give a full impression of how its inhabitants lived 150-200 years ago. Here you can see how the salon of a noble lady of those times looked, admire the bathroom and beautiful chandeliers.
In addition, the museum displays museum exhibits:
- ancient mechanical washing machines;
- kitchen equipment of the end of XIII - XIX centuries;
- mock-ups of Czech castles made of paper; The exposition is located in the attic of the castle and contains 144 artifacts.
You can also go up to Glask - a 26-meter observation tower - to admire the surroundings, take a walk in the park and go down to the castle's cave, where there is a real torture chamber and an exhibition dedicated to the book "The Mysterious Castle of Svojanov" by Boguslav Březovsky. It is worth to visit and the house of the gunsmith, which served as the location of the garrison of the castle.
How to get there?
To reach the castle Svojanov by car from Prague is the fastest way possible on the road D1 / E65; it takes a little less than 2.5 hours. Approximately the same number will take the path, if you move along the road D11.