Friedland Czech Republic. Medieval gothic czech castle fridlant
Castles and fortresses of the Czech Republic
Castles of North Bohemia
Medieval gothic Czech castle Frýdlant
25 kilometers from Liberec, in the very north of the Czech Republic, there is a unique medieval castle-museum of the Czech Republic, which opened its doors to visitors for the first time in Europe more than 200 years ago, in 1801 - fridlant castle in czech republic, a castle complex consisting of an ancient Gothic castle and a Renaissance castle.
STORY
Medieval castle Frýdlant in the Czech Republic was founded in the 13th century by the Rogovtsy family. True, by the end of this century it was in royal ownership and was sold by the Czech king Přemysl II for 800 hryvnias of silver to Rudolf Bieberstein in 1278. The Biberstein family, immigrants from Saxony, fell in love with the medieval castle of the Czech Republic Fridlant so much that they made it the center of their vast possessions in North Bohemia.
The Czech medieval castle Frýdlant was owned by this family for almost three centuries, during which time it survived several sieges by various armies. The Hussites especially distinguished themselves here - since the Biebersteins were on the side of the Catholics in the 15th century, the Hussite armies stormed the medieval Fridlant castle four times - in 1427, 1428, 1430 and 1432. And, finally, in 1558, due to the absence of heirs from the Friedland branch of the Biebersteins, the Czech Friedland castle was sold to Bedrich Redern. The Redern family flourished at that time, and at the end of the 16th century, Melchior Redern and his wife Katerina began a complete reconstruction medieval castle Fridlant. Between 1582 and 1602, the old Gothic castle was completely restored, and a new chic Renaissance palace was built next to it. True, the Rederns did not have a chance to enjoy their new luxurious residence for a long time - the son of Melchior and Kateryna Kryshtof joined the uprising of the estates and, after the defeat in the famous battle of the White Mountain, was executed in 1621, and the Czech medieval Fridlant castle was confiscated and transferred to the property of the famous Generalissimo Albrecht von Waldstein. In 1624, Friedland became the center of the Grand Duchy of Friedland, and in 1634, after the villainous murder of Wallenstein in Cheb (more on this on the website page dedicated to Cheb Castle), the medieval castle of the Czech Republic Friedland becomes the property of Count Matthias Gallas.
In the ownership of this family, and since 1759 of a side branch, Clam-Gallasov, the Czech medieval castle of Frýdlant was until nationalization in 1945. During this time, he survived several assaults by the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War (and from 1645 to 1649, the Swedes remained in the castle at all, although they restored and significantly strengthened its walls), fires in 1676 and 1684. But in the second half of the 18th century, all the destruction was completely eliminated, and in 1801, the first castle museum in Europe was opened within the walls of the medieval Frýdlant castle in North Bohemia. In it, the Clam-Gallas demonstrated an extensive collection of weapons and antiquities related to the history of the medieval castle of the Czech Republic Frýdlant.
LEGENDS
The legend of the name of the castle
Once upon a time, on the site where the medieval Czech castle Frýdlant is located today, there were dense forests. And then a man named Zagvozd lived here in a hut. He had seven sons.
When the children grew up, their father gave them seven plots of land along the banks of the Smeda River. This is how a small settlement arose, which Zagvozd, who wished peace and quiet for his children, called it in German " Friederland" ("vriderland"- "keep the earth" from German). The sons built a tower almost 50 meters high, on the roof of which a fire was kindled every night, which served as a beacon for travelers and merchants who often passed by the village. It is authentically known that the lighthouse tower already existed in XI This tower, however, has been rebuilt more than once, to this day, stands in the Gothic part of the Czech Friedland castle.
Lighthouse tower at Friedland Castle (foreground)
WHAT TO SEE
Medieval Frýdlant Castle in North Bohemia is a unique historical object, a castle complex, whose architecture surprisingly harmoniously combines the Gothic power of the walls and towers of the ancient city and the Renaissance lightness and pretentiousness of the front palace. The walls of the Renaissance castle are decorated with numerous "sgraffito" drawings typical of the Czech Renaissance (pictured).
During a tour of the medieval castle of the Czech Republic Fridlant, you can see the female and male halves, get acquainted with all the halls and front rooms, the chambers of the famous Generalissimo von Waldstein. A separate tour is devoted to the Armory with its more than 1700 pieces of hunting and combat weapons, made from the 12th century to the present day.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
In order to get to Frýdlant Castle in North Bohemia by car, we leave Liberec in a northerly direction along the highway 35(E442), after 3 kilometers we use the exit to the road 13 in the direction of Liberec-Makhnin, Frýdlant, Straž nad Nisou ( Liberec-Machnin, Frydlant, Straz nad Nisou). We drive along this road for about 20 kilometers and arrive in Frýdlant, the parking lot is 100 meters from the castle gate.
It is also easy to get to the Gothic Frýdlant Castle from Liberec by bus or train. Trains depart every hour from 7.30 , and with 12.30 before 16.30 and every half hour. Travel time 35 minutes, ticket price - 42 CZK. In Frýdlant from railway station to the castle about a kilometer along the green or yellow hiking trail.
Buses from Liberec go to 7.40, 9.12, 11.08, 13.10, 14.04, 14.35, 15.02, 16.02, 16.25, 17.04. Travel time is about an hour, the ticket costs 37 CZK. In Frýdlant, a tourist trail marked with red signs leads from the bus station to the castle.
Frýdlant Castle in North Bohemia is open, like most Czech castles, from April to September according to the following schedule:
Day off - Monday. For visitors to the castle of Frýdlant, the main excursion route is offered for a duration of one and a half to two hours with a ticket price - 150 CZK from an adult 100 CZK for the child and 400 CZK- family ticket. There is also a separate excursion to the armory lasting one hour with the price of a ticket 130 CZK (370 CZK- family ticket).
For more practical information, you can visit the website of the Czech castle Frydlant "www.zamek-frydlant.cz"
Once upon a time, in a century that way at 11, a man named Zagvozd lived in these parts. He had seven sons. When the children grew up, the father gave each of them a plot along the Smeda River. This is how a village called Friedland arose, which means “keep the land” in German. The brothers carried out their father's orders as best they could by building a large tower 50 meters high. Every night they kindled a fire on the roof, which served as a beacon for travelers who often passed by the village. The history of the castle began from this tower, although reliable information about the castle appeared only in the 13th century. This tower still stands in the Gothic part of the castle.
Like many castles, Frýdlant changed its owners. Often this happened after wars or because of the ruin of the owners. The greatest contribution to the current appearance of the castle complex was made by the Bieberstein family, who owned the castle for three centuries. Under their strict guidance, the Gothic part of the castle was erected.
At the end of the 16th century, Melchior Redern and his wife Kateryna not only restored the old part of the castle, but also built a new chic Renaissance palace nearby.
In 1801, when the castle belonged to the Clam-Gallas family, the first castle museum in Europe was opened within its walls. In it, the Klam-Gallas demonstrated an extensive collection of weapons and antiquities related to the history of the medieval castle of the Czech Republic Frýdlant.
On the Knight's path, in full armor to inspect the museum, I go up to the ticket office. Having received a ticket, a booklet and a complete ban on photography, I am waiting in the wings to visit the castle. This waiting is something to take. Panoramic photos, gift shop and sightseeing defensive wall with a moat - this is an incomplete list.
The hour of X comes unnoticed. The guide unlocks the gate with an old key and through the wooden bridge, I and a group of companions enter the territory of the castle. The first courtyard of the castle makes you gasp and groan with admiration. Before us is a younger Renaissance palace. Its walls are covered with numerous "sgraffito" drawings. This courtyard is called Swedish because in 1648, when the Swedes captured the castle, they built a large horseshoe-shaped wall and hung a plaque with the inscription in Latin "Peace is stronger than war, I go where it leads me fate.Swedish captain Benjamin Magnus Nortmann.There is also a 300-year-old yew, planted at the same time.
We go up the stairs to the old part of the castle, built on a basalt rock. A small courtyard and now we go into the holy of holies of this institution in the old part of the castle. The tour is designed in such a way that, moving from room to room, the visitor learns the history of the castle and its owners from the original source to the present day. To the left of the entrance is the coat of arms of the first owners of the castle of the Ronovtsy family. It has two crossed branches.
In 1278 the castle was sold to the nobleman Roulek from Bieberstein. This family owned the castle for 300 years. Their antler coat of arms can also be seen in this room. Under the coat of arms are plaster casts of the heads of the knights of this family.
The following paintings were dedicated to the owners of the castle, Melchior Redern and his wife Katerzyna, who built the Renaissance palace. More precisely, they depict Katerzhina, who, after the death of her husband, zealously undertook to restore the power of the family. Suffered from such agility, as usual, the peasants and working people. In all the surrounding affairs, she found her own benefit. Even introduced a monopoly on brewing beer. The people called her Evil Catherine. The money earned was used not only for the palace, but also for the trips of Krishtof's son abroad. This was necessary to maintain the image of the nobility. There are only remains from the old owner in the room. The epic of this kind ended sadly. The younger Redern took part in the mutiny on the wrong side. They were defeated at the Battle of White Mountain. Krystof flees abroad. The castle is confiscated by the government.
Next room and new owner again. This time Albrecht from Wallenstein. This gentleman was able to buy a confiscated castle. Under him, there was no new construction in the castle. But in terms of the interior, Albrecht did a great job. His piece of glory and closeness to the King of the Czech Republic, a subject of His Majesty acquired courage in the battle at the White Mountain. The battle on the side of the emperor allowed him to amass a large fortune, which he subsequently increased through various frauds. In the end, the desire to be on top, that is, to be king, led to a deplorable result. A conspiracy with the Swedes against the Habsburgs was revealed, and the conspirator was killed.
In the next hall, called the Knight's Hall, we were met by a new branch of the Clam-Gallas owners, who received the castle. Each portrait of a nobleman is accompanied by a portrait of his wife. The picture epic continues in the hall called At the Piano. It was not placed here by chance. The owner of the castle at that time, Josephine, and her husband were very fond of and supported the theater and music and were personally acquainted with Beethoven. Their portraits hang over the piano.
The next generation of owners is represented by their son Eduard. The man went to the military path. He took part in many battles in the Austro-Prussian War of 1868. In his office you can see the highest European order - the Order of the Golden Fleece.
An excursion flows through the back rooms like a river. Stretcher, targets, hunting trophies, canteen. So we slowly move towards the Armory Hall. Here is the oldest exposition of weapons, starting from the 16th century.
On this tour of the Gothic wing came to a logical end. Across the street we go to the Renaissance wing. There are ladies' and men's rooms, children's rooms and servants' rooms. They are located along a long corridor. By the second hour, the tour had already begun to get a little fed up and my attentiveness had decreased to a minimum. A small sketch of what we managed to shoot will complete the tour of the castle.
The way back passed along the hill and opened the view of the castle in all its glory.
About the castle
In May 2011, Frýdlant Castle celebrated its 210th anniversary. Exactly so many years he invites Czechs and foreign guests to plunge into the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. Frýdlant is one of the largest and most important ancient complexes in the north of the Czech Republic, and is also considered one of the oldest castle museums in Central Europe. The construction of the fortress began in the middle of the 13th century, and now the castle complex includes two main buildings: a medieval castle and a Renaissance castle.
About Frýdlant
The castle is located in the vicinity of the city of the same name Frýdlant, which is located on the banks of the Smeda River, so visitors to the castle will not have a problem finding a place to eat or spend the night. The city is filled historical monuments and just beautiful places for tourists. A must-see here is the dean of the castle church Search St. Cross, located on the right bank, which was completed in 1551 and then rebuilt several times. The city presents: the work of the sculptor Heinrich Christoph - tombs with statues of the apostles; the Neo-Renaissance Town Hall, built in 1893-1896 by the Viennese architect Franz Neumann, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene and many others. On weekends, festive performances with historical reenactments are often held on the castle grounds, when the inhabitants of the city in old folk costumes beat the arrival of the Duke of Wallenstein.
The history of the creation of Frýdlant Castle
Only since 1278 did the chronicles contain information about the owners of the castle. At this time, it passed into the hands of the ancient Biberstein family, and thus the final version of the fortress complex was formed. Around 1558-1621 Friedlant took possession of the Redern family to continue the construction and development of the castle territory. Representatives of this ancient Czech family, being brave warriors and skilful farmers, turned out to be excellent builders and connoisseurs of art. As a result of their common work, a new chapel and a castle building in the Renaissance style appeared.
In 1622-1634, Friedlant Castle was ruled by the famous commander of the Thirty Years' War Albrecht von Wallenstein, Duke of Friedlan and Mecklenburg, Generalissimo. He bought the castle for 150,000 gold after the Battle of White Mountain.
After the assassination of Albrecht von Wallenstein in 1634, the castle was donated by the emperor to Gallas, and since 1757 belonged to Klam-Gallas, a hereditary nobleman who served in the diplomatic and military service at the imperial court - his descendants became the last owners of the castle until 1945, when Friedlant fell into state property.
The current state of Frýdlant Castle
Now the castle complex consists of a massive two-story building in the medieval style, a chapel and the younger brother of the "castle", made in the Renaissance style in the 16-17 centuries. The courtyard of the castle is surrounded by high brick walls, here and there there are large cylindrical towers. The last grandiose reconstruction of the castle, carried out in the 60s of the 19th century, affected the wing of the Castellane castle. Recently, the castle has been undergoing ongoing repairs: in winter, wooden floors, doors and linings were impregnated with wax; the roof of the chapel was restored; restored some of the tools from the expositions. The castle's stone steps and terraces will soon be fully restored.
In 1801, the castle turned into a museum with a unique collection and became open to the public thanks to the owner of the castle, Clam-Gallas.
During a tour of the castle, guests will be guided through the female and male halves of the castle, where they can get acquainted with all the halls and front rooms, find the treasures of the Gallas and Clam-Gallas galleries, and get into the habitat of the most famous owner of the castle, Albrecht von Wallenstein. The tour will end with a visit to the kitchen, striking in size. The Armory houses a large collection of weapons, in which you can find specimens made from the middle of the 12th century to the present day. It also presents not only military small arms, but also hunting weapons, which were used by the owners of the castle during the hunt.
Tourist Information
Frýdlant Castle is open to the public every day from the beginning of April to the end of October, except Mondays. If only a public holiday falls on a Monday, then the castle is open to everyone on this day.
Frýdlant Castle- a unique architectural masterpiece, towering on a 60-meter cliff in the Czech town of Liberec.
Attractions
Today, there is a museum on the territory of Friedlant, which is dedicated to Albrecht von Wallenstein and the history of the Thirty Years' War.
The art gallery contains paintings by Czech masters Václav Vavřinec Rainer, Karl Škreta, Petr Brandl, and others.
The rooms of the castle house collections of smoking pipes, weapons, as well as a children's room with unique toys of the late 19th century.
History of the castle
The castle is made in the Renaissance style and was first opened to visitors in 1801.
Translated from German, the name of the castle means "keep the earth." As the legend goes, one local once bequeathed these lands to his sons. , a cult writer of the last century, wrote the novel "The Castle" being impressed by Frýdlant.
The owners of Frýdlant changed very often, which is traditional for all Czech castles.
For 3 centuries, the owners of the castle were the Bieberstein family, the Redern family and even Premysl Otakar, the king of the Czech Republic. All of them were great connoisseurs of beauty.
During the 30 Years' War Friedlant passed into the possession of Albrecht von Wallenstein, Generalissimo of the Imperial Army, and for a long time served as an ammunition depot. After his death, Frýdlant passed to Count Matthias Clam-Gallas.
The castle was rebuilt several times after the fires.
At the end of the 18th century, the Neo-Renaissance Castellan wing was added to it.
Castle opening hours
- In April - from 9:00 to 15:30 seven days a week;
- In May, June - from 9:00 to 16:00 seven days a week;
- In July, August - from 9:00 to 16:30 seven days a week;
- In September - from 9:00 to 16:00 seven days a week;
- In October - from 9:00 to 15:30 without days off.
Ticket price
- For adults - 150 kroons;
- For children and students - 100 kroons;
- Family ticket - 400 kroons.
How to get to the castle
Address: Zamecká 4001, 464 01 Frydlant, Czech Republic
Telephone: 482 312 130
Stop: Frydlant v Czechach
GPS: 50.914722,15.083611
By car
First you need to get from Prague to Liberec. You can get to the city with own car on the R10 through Mladá Boleslav (Mladá Boleslav). Travel time - 1.5 hours
From Liberec you need to head north along the road 35 (E442). After three kilometers, turn off onto road number 13 in the direction of Straž nad Nisou, Liberec Makhnin, Frýdlant. You drive along this road for approximately 20 km and arrive at the castle grounds. The parking lot is located 100 m from the Frýdlant gate.
By bus
Every 30 minutes from bus station The Black Bridge leaves the bus. Travel time is approximately 2.5 hours, 125 km. One change in Direction city Frýdlant.
From the bus station to the castle is a tourist route, which is marked with red icons.
By train
You can take the train on. Trains leave almost every hour. Travel time is approximately 4 hours. Most cheap ticket 113 crowns. Direction city Frýdlant v Čechách. There are 2 changes along the way, in Turnov and Liberec.
As you can see, the castle can be easily reached, which means that Frýdlant Castle is a must visit!
What will happen if you combine two castles - an old Gothic fortress and a completely new palace dating from the 17th century - into one complex? It turns out luxury castle Fridlant, once owned by one of the most powerful nobles in the Czech Republic - military commander Albrecht von Wallenstein. Interestingly, the castle is open permanent exhibition dedicated to Wallenstein. Here you can also admire a stunning collection of art paintings, among which there are real masterpieces made by Czech masters.
During a tour of the castle, visitors have the opportunity to see a selection of ancient weapons, pipes, porcelain and glass. In the children's room, pay attention to unusual toys of the 19th century.
With the area on which the castle stands is connected interesting legend. It is believed that the town where the castle subsequently arose was founded by a man named Zagvozd. He had seven sons, whom he singled out by allotment. They all built houses, and the resulting small settlement, Zagvozd, named Friedlant, which means “Keep the Earth” in German. This became a kind of covenant Zagvozd to his sons.
Before the castle became the property of Wallenstein, and then of the Cram-Gallas family, it belonged to many famous personalities, among whom was one of the Czech rulers - Premysl Otakar. All of them took care of its worthy maintenance, allocating colossal funds for the decoration of the inner chambers.
Fridlant Castle is also widely known for being considered the first palace complex in the Czech Republic, which opened its doors to ordinary visitors. This happened in 1801. And since then it is even difficult to imagine how many people have been under its arches.
