Jemniště (chateau)

The first mention of the fortress surrounded by a moat, which later became an old castle, dates from 1381. At the end of the 16th century, it was rebuilt into a four-winged castle in the Renaissance style. During the Thirty Years' War, the manor was devastated several times and until 1717, when Count František Adam of Trauttmansdorff bought the manor, it changed owners. It was Count František Adam who decided around 1724 to build a new chateau on a nearby hill, which would better suit his position and taste. The construction progressed quickly, so in 1725 the castle chapel could be consecrated. The only one remained undamaged after the devastating fire of 1754. A minor reconstruction took place, when the front gable was changed, and the appearance of the chateau was complemented by statues of Lazar Widman. Further alterations have not taken place, so you have the opportunity to see a typical aristocratic residence of the High Baroque. In 1868, the estate was bought by Count Zdeněk Stenberg, whose son Filip promoted Jemniště to the seat of the family. In 1943 it fell into the hands of the Germans, then in 1945 to the Soviet army, which destroyed most of the original inventory. After nationalization, it was returned to the Stenbergs in restitution in 1995 and is still inhabited by Jiří Stenberg and his family.

The original French-style park, which was characterized by geometric lines, statues and fountains, was replaced at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries by a romantic English park of 13 hectares.

Thanks to the intricate network of cycle paths, you can go cycling to the nearby Český Štenberk Castle, another seat of the Stenberg family or to the Konopiště chateau. The Blaník mountain is definitely worth a visit, from which, according to legend, knights will come to the rescue when the Czech land is at its worst. There is a lookout tower with a wide view of the surroundings.

Author: Marie Bukovinská