Bouzov Castle

Bouzov was built in the fourteenth century and passed in 1696 to the Teutonic Order, which held it until 1939. Between 1895 and 1910 Archduke Eugen of Austria, then Grand Master, had it rebuilt by Georg von Hauberrisser, the architect of Munich's new town hall, into a romantic historicist castle - the medieval core kept but roofed, towered, battlemented and furnished throughout in a neo-Gothic manner, with carved woodwork, painted ceilings, a chapel with a Grand Masters' tomb and a knights' hall. The result is a building that looks more medieval than medieval buildings do, which is exactly why it has been used for dozens of films, especially Czech and German fairy tales, and why it is one of the most visited castles in Moravia. The wells, drawbridge and towers are part of the route.

History

Bouzov is first mentioned in 1317, built to watch the trade route from Olomouc to Loštice, and takes its name from its first recorded owners, the Bůz of Bludovec family, who held it until 1339. The Lords of Kunštát were its most important medieval owners, and tradition says George of Poděbrady, crowned King of Bohemia in 1458, was born here in 1420, styling himself Jiří of Kunštát and Bouzov. The castle grew from a tower and rampart with wooden houses into a stone manor with bastions and a tall watchtower, burned in 1558 and stood empty for about a century, and passed through many hands - the Vildenberks, Margrave Jobst of Moravia, the Haugwitz and Podstatzky families - until in 1696 the barony was bought by the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Francis Louis of Palatinate-Neuburg. By the end of the 19th century the ruinous castle had become a sight for visitors (Wikipedia, Bouzov Castle).

What's there

• A historicist rebuild - Hauberrisser's work of 1895-1910 over a Gothic core.
• Neo-Gothic interiors - carved woodwork, painted ceilings and a knights' hall.
• The Grand Masters' chapel - with the Teutonic Order tomb.
• A film set castle - used repeatedly for fairy-tale productions.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Good to know

Most of what you see is around 1900 rather than medieval. Guided tours only, seasonal, and it is one of the busiest castles in Moravia - book in summer. The village is small.

Nearby

Javoricko caves are a few kilometres away; Mladec caves are east.

Key facts