Gothic medieval castle of Bose. Czech Bouzov Castle tour from Prague Bouzov Castle from Prague

Bouzov Castle is architectural gem Czech Republic. This medieval castle rises on a cliff covered with forest. Initially it was built as a Gothic castle and was called Buzov.

The castle was built by Moravian aristocrats at the beginning of the 14th century to protect one of the main trade routes in Prague. The base of the castle is high defensive tower. Over the course of its history, the fortress belonged to many owners, including the Czech King George of Poděbrady.

At the end of the 17th century, when the castle passed into the hands of German knights for almost two and a half centuries, it turned into almost ruins. Its next owner, Archduke Eugene of Habsburg, subjected it to more significant changes in its design. The surviving premises were reconstructed, and a new palace was completed. Thanks to decoration Buzov becomes more romantic appearance, which has survived to this day. Now the castle is characterized by a combination of Gothic and Renaissance styles.

Currently, the castle's furnished Column and Gothic halls and representative chambers are open to visitors. The interior is decorated with paintings and carvings. The pride of Bouzov is the sound tower 58 meters high, which offers a dizzying view of the ancient park, the bridge over the moat, less tall towers. Particularly noteworthy is the chapel with a Gothic altar and the tombs of the Grand Masters of the Order of German Knights.

Against the backdrop of the castle, filmmakers often shoot scenes for their films, including “The Chronicles of Young Indiana Jones”, “Arabela”, “Before the Fall”, and the children's fairy tale “Fantazhiro”.

Throughout the year, various festivals, costume events and fairs are held in Bouzov.

You can get to the castle by train from Prague to Olomouc, then by bus.

Bouzov Castle was founded at the end of the 13th century. The first owner of the ancient city mentioned in historical documents was the nobleman Buz from the Bludovets family. At the beginning of the 14th century, Bouzov was a guard fortress. It is currently open to tourists. Visitors take excursions along four routes - one of them includes an inspection of the complex and surrounding area from the height of the watchtower.

Bouzov Castle (Hrad Bouzov) was founded at the end of the 13th century. The first owner of the ancient city mentioned in historical documents was the nobleman Buz from the Bludovets family. At the beginning of the 14th century, Bouzov was a guard fortress. Then it consisted of a donjon, stone walls and several wooden buildings.

In the middle of the century, the castle became the property of the Wildenberk brothers. The buildings were reconstructed in the Gothic style. The stone manor house rose above the ramparts.

The Wildenberks did not own Bouzov for long. Due to debts, the estate was sold to Jošt, the Margrave of Moravia. At that time, there were frequent raids by robbers on noble estates. By order of the margrave, the castle walls were strengthened and expanded. A new donjon with a height of 61 m was erected, and the fortress rampart was surrounded by a moat with water.

Buzov became impregnable fortress. Enemy troops could not take it during several wars. In 1617 the castle was bought Hetman Bedřich Oppersdorf. By that time, Bozov was completely abandoned after a devastating fire.

Oppersdorf rebuilt the castle again, turning it into a Renaissance complex, but already in 1669 Bouzov, along with the surrounding lands, was sold Teutonic Order. The crusaders did not use the castle for housing, and it gradually deteriorated. TO 19th century the once powerful structure turned into ruins.

In 1894, the Archduke became Grand Master of the Order Eugen of Austria. A new restoration of Bouzov has begun. Architect, professor Georg von Gauberisser, carried out neo-Gothic reconstruction. Heating and plumbing were installed in the old castle; New furniture was brought. From the outside, Bouzov acquired the features of a typical romantic residence with towers, bay windows and loopholes, drawbridges and drawbridges.

Castle today

In 1925, Bozov was nationalized. During the war, the Nazis took possession of it, and in 1945 the castle became the property of the state of Czechoslovakia. Since 1999 it has been declared national monument.

Currently, Bozov is open to tourists. Visitors take excursions along four routes - one of them includes an inspection of the complex and surrounding area from the height of the watchtower.

Ghost of the Castle

In Bouzov, as in many gothic castles, has its own ghost. The legend tells of Count Wenceslas, who once lived in the castle. Before the wedding, a young womanizer deceived and abandoned his bride, young Katarzyna. The girl, unable to survive the betrayal, rushed down from the tower. They say that since then the ghost of Katarzyna in a wedding dress has been wandering around the castle at night.

The castle's magical charm attracts filmmakers and has been featured in several films. Bowses are used for public events, concerts and exhibitions; rented for weddings.

Bouzov Castle was built sometime between 1290 - 1300 by Bouzov from Moravičany. The first mention of the castle dates back to 1317, in this document Buz is already referred to as Buzo von Buzowe. In 1340, the castle was acquired by Jan from Vildenberka and rebuilt into a luxurious Gothic castle for those times. In 1382, after the death of John, the Wildenberks sold Bouzov Castle to Margrave Jost of Luxembourg. Jost was the son of the brother of the Czech King Charles I (Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV). Margrave Jost was in a protracted conflict with the Bishop of Olomouc Joštův, as well as with his brother Prokop. Between 1382 and 1390, the wooden palisade around the castle was replaced by stone walls. In 1392, war broke out between Jost and his brother Prokop, and the castle was badly damaged during the siege.

Jost dies childless and the rights to the castle pass to Boček from Kunštát. Boček was an ardent supporter of the teachings of Jan Hus and protested against the decision of the Council of Constance. The decision of the council, which sentenced Jan Hus to be burned at the stake, plunged the Czech Republic into a state of schism and civil war. His sons Hynek and Viktorin fought under the banner of the Hussite troops, and Viktorin was even a personal friend of the leader of the most radical Hussite faction, Jan Žižka. Bouzov could not take the troops of King Sigismund by storm. Victorinus later broke relations with the Taborites and moved to the more moderate faction of the Hussite movement. Victorinus lived permanently in the castle during the Hussite Wars. He built a new palace with a knight's hall and fortified the castle.

On April 23, 1420, Victorin and his wife Anna Wartenberg had a son, who was named Jiří. At that time, no one could know that he would become the king of the Czech Republic in the future. Jiří, as a fourteen-year-old boy, took part in the Battle of Lipany in 1434, in which the moderate Hussites, allied with the Catholics, defeated the Taborites. Under King Sigismund, the George family from Poděbrady belonged to the moderate party, but after the election of Duke of Austria Albrecht V of Habsburg as King of the Czech Republic, father and son joined the opposition, which wanted the election of Casimir of Poland as King of the Czech Republic. A war broke out, in which Albrecht won, but died of dysentery in the fall of 1439. Albrecht's heir, Ladislaus, was born a few months after his father's death. In the next decade, power in the Czech Republic was supported by the Landfrieds (military-political alliances organized according to the regional principle). Jiří was elected head of the Kralovegrad landfried, which allowed him in 1444 to become the head of the entire Utraquist party, which relied on the middle nobility and townspeople. During the subsequent struggle, Jiří occupied Prague with an army of 9,000 former Hussite soldiers in 1448. In 1452 he was elected regent of the kingdom. After the death of the 17-year-old King Ladislaus I in 1457, George of Poděbrady, with the help of direct bribery and a promise not to demand the return of the seized royal and church lands from the magnates, won the Sejm to his side. On March 2, 1458, at a meeting of the Diet in Prague's Old Town Hall, he was elected king. The condition of the coronation was the secret oath of the Czech king to obey the pope and eradicate heresies, sworn on March 6 in the presence of the papal legate and Catholic magnates. At a meeting in Brno on August 1, 1459, Emperor Frederick recognized George as King of the Czech Republic.

Jiří showed consistent religious moderation and sought to find a compromise between Catholics and Hussites, he showed the ability to maintain peace in the country. The new pope, Paul II, excommunicated Jiri in 1461 and called for a crusade to be launched against him. George defeated the crusaders, but when he quarreled with the emperor, the latter summoned George's former close ally, the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus, against him, who captured most of Moravia. The war for the Czech throne began. The Catholic nobility of Moravia supported Matthias. In Olomouc in 1469, Matthias Corvinus proclaimed himself king of the Czech Republic. Jiří convened a Sejm in Prague, from which he demanded that he elect as his successor the heir to the Polish throne, Vladislav Jagiellon, who was Ladislaus’s nephew on his mother’s side, so that Jiří’s own sons would not lay claim to the throne, but would inherit only his private property, and the Sejm obeyed. After this, both the emperor and his own Catholic subjects reconciled with Jiri, so Matthias Corvinus was forced to begin negotiations. George of Poděbrady died in 1471. His sons, Victorin, Jindřich and Hynek, inherited extensive possessions in Bohemia and Silesia, but never laid claim to the Czech throne.

But let's return to the castle Bouzov. Jiří from Poděbrady in 1464 transferred it to his loyal supporter Zdeněk Kostka from Postupice. Due to the war with Matthias Corvinus, which began in March 1468, the castle was further fortified. Zdeněk Kostko from Postupice was killed by Františkem from Háje, who joined the Hungarian forces. During the fighting, Bouzov was unable to take the troops of King Matthias Corvinus by storm.

In 1494 the castle was bought by Hanus Haugvic from Biskupic. He was an officer and advisor to Matthias Corvinus. Hanus Haugvic was a Catholic, and for his faithful service he was appointed Moravian Hetman. During his time, the eastern wing of the palace was built in the castle, connecting all three palaces into a single whole. His son Vaclav in 1546 sells Bouzov to Prokopu Podstatskému from Prusínovic. In 1558 there was a fire in the castle. After him, the castle was owned by Berger from Berg, and later by Bedřich from Oppersdorf.

During the Thirty Years' War, the castle served as a support for the imperial army. The castle garrison successfully defended itself against the Swedes and even captured Swedish Colonel Debitze, Lieutenant Colonel Pauera and Swedish soldiers. The garrison remained at the castle until the peace agreement in 1648. In 1651, Count Friedrich Oppersdorf sold the castle to Countess Eusébii Sabině Podstatské from Prusínovic. Her son Count Franz sold the castle and estate to the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Francis Louis-Palatinate Neuburg, in 1696. The grandmasters of the order did not live in the castle, but occasionally visited it. During the reign of Grandmaster Maximilian d'Este (1835-1845), the palace was built on one floor and rooms with large windows and ceramic fireplaces were created there.

In 1888, the castle was visited by the Austrian Archduke Eugene, the noble appearance of this ancient castle delighted him, and after he became Grand Master of the Order, the reconstruction of Bouzov began in 1896. The castle reconstruction project was developed by Professor Georg Joseph von Hauberrisser from Munich. Archduke Eugene wanted to reconstruct the castle complex so that it would become a place of inspiration and creation of the knightly spirit for the members of the order. At the same time, he intended to use Bouzov as a residence for himself and his mother, Duchess Elizabeth. The builders were given the task of returning the castle to its original medieval appearance. Many historical fragments were discovered under the plaster and were cleaned and restored. Upon examination of the original plan of the castle, it was discovered that during recent renovations the main tower had been completely destroyed. In 1897, the northern wing of the castle was restored. Main tower ​​ was restored

The First World War prevented the completion of restoration work. Teutonic knights went to war, including Grandmaster Eugene, who during the war became a field marshal and successfully led Austrian troops on the Italian front. The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1918 influenced the history of the castle. Archduke Eugene was removed from command at the beginning of 1918.

After the end of the war and the collapse of Austria-Hungary, he lived in Vienna, but, refusing to swear allegiance to the Austrian Republic, was forced to settle in Switzerland. Until 1923 he remained Master of the Teutonic Order. In 1934, the Archduke returned to his homeland and settled in Gumpoldskirchen. The castle belonged to the Teutonic Knights until 1939, when it was dissolved by the Nazis. Heinrich Himmler liked the castle very much, and the SS headquarters was located there. After the end of the war, Bouzov Castle completely became the property of the Czech state in 1945. In the 90s, the Teutonic Order attempted to return its former property through the courts, but failed. Currently the castle houses a museum. Visiting the castle is only possible with a guided tour. The tour is in Czech, but the description is given in Russian. Photography is prohibited in the castle. Parking at the castle is free, but small.

Opening hours:

April and October daily from 9.00 to 16.00

May, June and September daily from 9.00 to 17.00

July-August daily from 9.00 to 18.00

Lunch break from 12:00 to 12:30

Tour duration 40 – 50 minutes

Ticket prices:

Adult 120,- Kč

Child 80,- Kč

Family 320,- Kč Bouzov Castle - detailed description

with photo, opening hours, location of Bouzov Castle on the map

Bouzov is a romantic Gothic castle built in the 13th and 14th centuries, located in a picturesque area in the historical region of Moravia in the Czech Republic, approximately 30 km from Olomouc. Until the end of the 17th century, the castle belonged to Moravian nobles, until it was purchased in 1696 by the Teutonic Order, which owned Bouzov until 1945. Now the castle is a state castle. It is a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic. The interior of the castle includes antique furniture and art objects.

Bouzov acquired its current appearance as a typical romantic Gothic building with loopholes, bay windows and sculptures after a large-scale reconstruction in 1896-1910.

Lock operating mode

Bouzov Castle is open from 9.00 to 15.00 (winter), 17.00 (summer). Ticket prices start from 240 CZK, for children over 6 years old, students and pensioners from 160 CZK.

After an overnight stay in Brno, we hit the road to Bouzov Castle, which is located 28 kilometers from. This is a very famous castle, it is very fond of cinema - fairy tale films “Arabella”, “Princess Fantaghiro” or “About the Princess and the Flying Tailor” were filmed here. The castle is one of the five most romantic castles in the Czech Republic. In the form in which we see it now, it was built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. At that time, the period was ending when wealthy owners of aristocratic residences wanted to demonstrate to themselves and the whole world the antiquity of their class and rebuilt their homes in the spirit of the building styles of the past.

In the second half of the 13th century, during the reign of the last Přemyslids, intensive colonization of central and northern Moravia took place. Along with the villages, fortresses also arose. One of them was Bouzov Castle, founded at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries.
The first known owner of the castle after 1317 was Buz from Buzov. At that time, Bozov was presented primarily as a guard fortress.

In 1382, the Moravian Margrave Joscht (nephew of King Charles 4) became the new owner. Powerful stone fortress walls were built
Further, during the Hussian Wars, the castle was owned by gentlemen from Kunštát and Podebrac, for example the future Czech king George, and by about the middle of the 15th century they built a new Gothic palace with a knight's hall on the north side.

The owners changed again. Hanusz Hatzgwitz was one of the most prominent builders of the castle - he built a further palace on the eastern side and thanks to this he practically completed the creation of the oval shape of the entire castle complex

The most unfortunate period for the castle was in the 16th century - in 1558 the castle burned down and the watchtowers collapsed. It remained in a devastated state until 1617 when it was bought by Friedrich of Opperdorf.
Thanks to him, a one-story wing was built in the late Renaissance style.

On September 21, the castle was sold to the Teutonic Order, which became the owner in the next two and a half centuries. A few words about the Teutonic Order (from the late Latin “teutonicus” - German). The order was founded at the end of the 12th century. Gradually, all of Prussia came under the rule of the order; by the end of the 13th century, the order actually became a state. The troubles of the Teutons began in 1410, when Polish-Russian-Lithuanian troops inflicted a crushing defeat on the knights of the order at Grunwald. It was there that the myth of the invincibility of the Teutons was buried forever. The order was dissolved in 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars, but was restored a quarter of a century later.

For two centuries, no one lived in the castle permanently under the order, and the castle became more and more dilapidated.
A fundamental turning point occurred in 1894 after the election of Archduke Eugene of Habsburg as Master of the Order. Here is depicted Archduke Eugene of Habsburg, Master of the Teutonic Order (1863-1954).

He began developing a project for the reconstruction of the castle with the goal of restoring its medieval appearance and creating a museum of the order in it.

In 1939, all the property of the order was confiscated by the Nazis, and after the Second World War, the Czechoslovak state confiscated all the property of the order.
Since 1989, the order has been trying to achieve the return of its former property.
For example, after the end of the Second World War, the order's estates in Austria were safely returned to him.

There is a legend about the castle, according to which the knight fell in love with a beautiful peasant woman, but did not keep his promise and married a rich and noble woman. The girl did not survive the betrayal and threw herself from the castle tower. Before the funeral, her body mysteriously disappeared. Since then, a ghost has appeared in the castle: at night, a girl in a white wedding dress walks around the castle and mourns her unfortunate fate... The knight’s young wife died a month after the wedding under strange circumstances, and he himself disappeared without a trace on some military campaign.

And here I was marked against the background of the castle:

Other topics about the trip.