Hluboká Castle: history and photo

Excursion "Cesky Krumlov and Hluboka Castle over Vltava" enjoys constant popularity among tourists, because it gives an opportunity to see two places of interest at a time. They are in South Bohemia, about a hundred and fifty kilometers from its capital, Prague. But the castle of Hluboka itself is too large to devote to him only an hour's time. Of course, the town of Cesky Krumlov is no less interesting. And it also has many attractions. Therefore, many tourists who visited the sightseeing tour, come here again - this time to inspect more carefully. This article is devoted to the castle of Hlubok. It is also called the Czech Windsor. And quite legitimately. After all, it was built on the model of Windsor Castle in the UK. How to get to the fortress Hluboka nad Vltavou and what to see there, read below.

Where is the castle located

This landmark stands on a high cliff above the Vltava River. The Czech Republic is famous for its castles. There are about a thousand of them in the country. True, not all of them impress the imagination as much as Hluboka over the Vltava. Many castles are romantic ruins. The best starting point for visiting the Renaissance palazzo and proud feudal nests is the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. The castle of Hluboka separates from this city one hundred and forty kilometers. How to overcome this distance, we will describe below. In the meantime, let's describe the terrain, or rather, the enchanting landscape, which opens before the astonished tourists coming to the castle of Hluboka. High above the valley of the Vltava River and the Budejovice hollow, white Gothic towers of the mighty fortress-palace rise. Do not be in a hurry to be disappointed when the guide tells you that they are not medieval. The style in which the castle is built is pseudo or neo-Gothic. But this fortress is very ancient. And we will tell you its story now.

Base of the castle

The Czech castle Hluboka nad Vltavou was probably founded by King Wenceslas the First or his son Przemysl Otakar the Second. But the first mention of the fortress refers only to 1253. True, she had a different name then. "The Zbraslav chronicle" mentions Froburg, which can be translated as "the sovereign castle" (which is in the direct possession of the king). Later the fortress was given to the feudal lord from Budejovice. Her name gradually began to sound like Frauenberg - "Castle of the Lady". This gave rise to the creation of a variety of romantic legends about the beautiful owners, cruelly tortured by their husbands. The fortress acquired the modern name "Hluboka" much later. Some believe that the castle was named because of the neighborhood with the same forest, located in the low valley of the Vltava. There is another version. In the fortress there is a very deep well, the glory of which gave the name of the entire citadel.

Further history of the castle

About how the severe medieval fortress Froburg looked, we can only guess. At that time fires and wars were frequent. In addition, do not forget that it was close to the royal Prague. The castle of Hluboka above Vltava belonged to the capital's courtiers, who often fell into disgrace with the sovereign. Sometimes he was simply given up for debts. Sometimes he passed as a dowry to another noble family. For four hundred years of its existence, the medieval Frauenberg changed twenty-six names of the owners! Over the years, the castle has been rebuilt many times. Each owner tried to introduce something of his own into his appearance, to strengthen it in the fashion of that time and the canons of defense construction. Archaeologists say that the fortress of Hluboká nad Vltavou went through all the stages of the development of architectural styles. In the beginning, it was built on a Gothic pattern. Then it existed for some time as a fortified "palazzo" in the style of the Italian Renaissance (architect Baltazare Maji). At the beginning of the eighteenth century, he was replaced by a charming baroque palace.

Further history of the castle Hluboka nad Vltavou

In the middle of the seventeenth century, the Austrian emperor Ferdinand the First granted Frauenberg to the Spanish general Don Balthasar de Marradas for his "services" in the struggle against the Protestants. The new owner was not interested in this his Czech residence, and so in 1661 he sold it to Jan Adolf I Schwarzenberg. This famous family owned almost half of the country. In the property of Schwarzenberg the fortress remained up to one thousand nine hundred and forty-seven. To nationalize the property of the family - the town of Cesky Krumlov and Hluboka Castle, the state adopted a special law. Two years later a museum was opened in the fortress. And Krumlov entered the UNESCO list as the world heritage of mankind.

Transformation to Windsor

His today's perfectly recognizable appearance of a medieval castle due to Princess Eleanor Schwarzenberg, nee Princess of Liechtenstein. More precisely, her voyage in the UK, which she performed in the company of her husband Jan Adolf II. Most of all in England, Princess Eleonor was struck by Windsor Castle. Returning to her castle Hluboka, she under fresh impressions ordered the Viennese architect Franz Beeru to develop a project for the giant reconstruction of his palace. The large-scale reconstruction was carried out quite a long time - from 1840 to 1871. The works were carried out according to the drawings of Franz Beer, and after the death of the latter, the equally well-known architect Damasius Devoretsky occupied with the accomplishment of the palace. He "Czech Windsor" is due, above all, luxurious interiors. The Schwarzenberg Residence copies the English castle not only with a building, but also with a wonderful park, broken around it.

The Museum

The town of Krumlov and the castle of Hluboka nad Vltavou are the most visited places in South Bohemia. Many tourists come here all year round. The castle works as a museum since 1949. Opening hours depend on the time of the year. In the summer it is open from nine in the morning until five in the evening. But in the cold season it is better to visit the castle early. In winter, tourists have access to the residence only from 10 am to 4 pm (the ticket offices are closed for lunch from 12:00 to 12:30). But during the Christmas holidays (December 22 - January 2) the museum works as in the summer. The castle museum has five excursion routes, so the prices of tickets vary from forty to one hundred and fifty crowns. And if you order a Russian-speaking guide, then a tour of the castle will cost two hundred and fifty crowns. Children under six are admitted to the museum for free, while schoolchildren, students and pensioners attend half the price. From the beginning of November to the end of March, except for Mondays, there is a winter route for visitors. From June to September, access to private apartments, kitchens and towers is only possible on weekends. You can take photos and shoot video only from the outside.

Hluboká Castle over Vltava: how to get

Directly next to the landmark there is no railway station. It is located three kilometers from the castle. If you want to see the landmark as part of an organized tour group, then the travel agencies of Prague will gladly offer you their services. On your own or rented car you can reach the castle on the highway 105, which leads from the Czech Budejovice to Týn nad Vltavou. After four kilometers it is necessary to turn onto the road 146 and drive another 1 km. The whole trip takes about twenty minutes. On public transport, to come to the castle of Hluboka is a little more difficult. First you need to get to the nearest town Ceske Budejovice, which is nine kilometers southeast of the fortress. From there to the castle on weekdays every half hour buses go (on weekends they ply less often, several times a day). You can buy a ticket from the driver. You need to go to the bus stop "Under the church". From there go to the castle five hundred meters. If you go by train Prague-Ceske-Budejovice, then there will be a stop "Gluboka nad Vltavou". But from it, as we wrote above, to the fortress you need to go three kilometers.

Hluboká Castle over Vltava: description

"Czech Windsor", as expected, surrounds the English regular park. There are ponds, flower beds, exotic trees and shrubs. Do not rush inside the palace. The residence of Schwarzenberg is very beautiful, and its Gothic style is reminiscent of the present castle of Hamlet. The residence has one hundred and forty rooms, and each of them is unique and has its own purpose. Two inner courtyards, eleven towers, hunting lodge "Fence" - the visitor seems to be in the tale of brave knights and beautiful ladies. Tickets at the box office are sold separately inside the castle, the kitchen and the tower. The latter can be closed due to windy weather. But if you're lucky, and there are no squalls, you should overcome two hundred and forty-five steps and climb to fifty-two meters high to admire the picturesque view of the surrounding area.

Kitchen

Do not forget that the Gothic style of the castle is just an entourage, nothing more. Inside the residence Schwarzenberg was equipped with the latest technology of the nineteenth century. And the brightest of all this is felt in the kitchen, which, together with the storage rooms and servant rooms, occupies the entire lower floor. The castle of Hluboka had its own water supply and sewage. The cooks used such innovations as potato peeler and apple cutter, the meat was roasted on self-rotating skewers, and the dishes were served on the upper floor, in the dining room, with the help of an elevator.

Indiscreet charm of the Czech aristocracy

The castle of Hluboká strikes with its restrained luxury. On the first floor were the rooms of the prince. Jan Adolf II was fond of hunting, he collected a large collection of knightly armor and ancient weapons. The second floor was occupied by Princess Eleanor. Her quarters are adjacent to a library that has twelve thousand books in five languages. The princess also had a hobby. Her collection contains charming things from porcelain, old tapestries, an excellent selection of paintings.