Orlík Castle
The South Bohemian landscape and monuments will never disappoint tourists, and you will certainly not regret even when traveling to the Orlík nad Vltavou chateau. Only the round tower can remind you of the original castle. In the years 1287 - 1288, the castle was in royal possession and grew on a rocky promontory above the Vltava River. The former wooden castle functioned as a customs house, where customs duties were collected from passing ships. Already in the first half of the 13th century, the building was rebuilt and from this time even the "Hunting Hall with ribbed vaults" has been preserved.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Orlík Castle
The Orlické estate was bought in 1514 by Kryštof of Švamberk from Zmrzlík of Svojšín. He soon embarked on a late Gothic reconstruction with Renaissance details. The castle was raised by one floor and a farmyard was created. After his death, his wife took control of the estate, but she did not do very well. The castle fell into disrepair and the family was dissatisfied because it was not paid. Other Švamberks completed the transformation of the chateau into a Renaissance residence. In the post-White Mountain period, the Eggenbergs bought the estate, which in 1719 became the property of the Schwarzenberg family. After the fire in 1802, further building modifications took place and, among other things, the third floor was created. Since then, the chateau has become a family seat and also a representative residence.
Tours of the castle interiors will certainly not leave you cold and you will have a great experience. On the positive side, the chateau rooms (except for four) look as they were left by the owners after the forced abandonment of the chateau in 1948. Thanks to this, you can imagine the real life of the then nobility and their way of life. You will learn about the history of the building and also with the history of the Eagle branch of the Schwarzenbergs. You can view paintings, pedigrees, rococo blue salon, earthenware and faleristic collection. Also interesting is the very extensive collection of decorations and orders that the family received for military and diplomatic services. The Order of the Golden Fleece, the Order of the Black Eagle and others are interesting.
Author: Petra Nachtmanová