Bruntal Chateau

Bruntal chateau is unusual in plan: it was rebuilt in the 1570s on the footprint of a medieval castle whose ward was round, so the Renaissance house follows that shape - a three-storey ring of arcaded galleries around a circular courtyard, which is a form found in very few places. It was baroqued in the 1760s with new state rooms and a chapel. The Teutonic Order held it from 1621 to 1939 and the collections reflect that ownership: a picture gallery, a library, arms, furniture and porcelain accumulated over three centuries and left substantially in place. The rooms include a dining hall, a Chinese cabinet and a knights' hall. The town around is the centre of the Jeseniky foothills and sits near the Uhlirsky vrch, an extinct volcano with a pilgrimage chapel on its cone.

What you actually see

• A circular courtyard - three storeys of arcades on a medieval round plan.
• Teutonic Order collections - paintings, arms, library and porcelain in place.
• Baroque state rooms - the 1760s remodelling with a chapel and Chinese cabinet.
• A volcano nearby - Uhlirsky vrch with a chapel on its cone.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Guided tours only, seasonal, closed in winter. Several routes with separate tickets. The town is a quiet foothill centre with modest services.

Nearby

Sovinec castle is south; the Jeseniky rise west.