Something on Czech 'Castle Studies'
There are countless castles in the Czech Republic. According to guidebooks, more than a hundred are famous and about three hundred are not so famous. In total, more than two thousand castles, monasteries, fortresses, and picturesque ruins have survived to this day in Bohemia and Moravia. Moreover, most of the 'ruins' are not actually ruined at all. How have they survived in a country that for centuries served as the apple of discord among many of Europe's royal courts? Perhaps it is because the Czechs are not inclined to fierce and sometimes senseless resistance to conquerors? Nor can one accuse the Czechs of fanatical religiosity. The majority of the population is Catholic, but unlike their neighbors the Poles, they show flagrant indifference to matters of religion. Scholarly guides interpret this fact in a very peculiar way. The matter is that during the Reformation in the 15th century and the Hussite Wars, the people professed Protestantism for several decades. And after the defeat of the Czech estates in the battle with the Austrian troops at White Mountain, Catholicism was imposed anew, but the people limited themselves to formally setting up Catholic crosses and... became utterly godless. Tell me, in what other country is holiness, so to speak, a family trait passed down 'by inheritance'? In the Czech Republic, for example, Saint Ludmila is... the grandmother of Saint Wenceslaus. It seems that deep down the Czechs are sybarites-skeptics-atheists. But the pragmatic Czechs have never destroyed their own churches.
The Velvet Revolution had a beneficial effect on the revival of Czech 'castle ownership'. Thanks to restitution, many castles returned under the wing of their far-from-poor owners and are today experiencing a renaissance. Others have come under UNESCO protection, and still others remain under state management. In any case, there is now a tour called 'Through the Castles of Bohemia', and believe me, it is impossible to see them all even in thirty days.
Our imagination, satiated with utilitarian new construction, is probably most stirred by the useless grandeur of Gothic castles. The splendor of royal and chivalric glory was reflected in the mighty sentinel and defensive fortresses located on rocks, hilltops, or on the water. The construction of fortresses began in the second half of the 13th century, during the reign of the last representatives of the Přemyslid dynasty, while the heyday of construction came in the mid-14th century, when under Emperor Charles IV Bohemia became the center of the most powerful empire in Central Europe. Heavy armor and ancient weapons, frescoes and tapestries, porcelain and furniture, prison towers and torture chambers, chapels and oratories - this is what people gape at, silently estimating how comfortably and richly their distant ancestors lived here.
The Official Castle: Karlštejn
As is well known, European kings in the Middle Ages had a habit of moving with their court from city to city, mainly to check the loyalty of their subjects and to collect tribute from their vassals. Therefore, there were no capitals as such, and cities, especially large ones, were hostile to feudal lords. But kings had a great many castles: winter, summer, hunting, and so on. And, of course, there always existed truly royal residences.
Karlštejn is famous because it was founded in 1348 by the supreme order of the most famous Czech king, Charles IV. This monarch worked hard for the glory of Czech urban planning, as any tourist today will confirm. Half of the buildings in Prague are associated with his name, from Charles Bridge to Charles University. Karlštejn was conceived as a royal treasury: it was here that Charles IV kept the coronation regalia and holy relics. As a chronicler wrote, Karlštejn became a pilgrimage center for the entire Roman Empire, 'for there the emperor (and Charles IV was also the Roman Emperor, so to speak, on the side) keeps the state regalia and treasures of his kingdom.' The royal relics were located in the Chapel of the Holy Cross, whose walls are decorated with precious stones and paintings by the Gothic master Theodoric.
The king personally supervised the construction and decoration of the castle, paying special attention to the adornment of the chapels and his personal 'bright chamber'. Charles IV also had a rich personal life (he had, for example, as many as four wives) and a love for his own ancestry. It is precisely thanks to this trait of his that today we can admire the wall paintings in the royal 'Hall of Ancestors'. In its original form, this gallery was opened by great-great-great-grandfather Noah himself...
Two garrisons of vassals provided both the castle's security and its cleanliness. Vassal knights lived on their estates in the Karlštejn district and, on their word of honor, were obliged to appear at the castle in case of danger and ensure its defense. In a special 'vassal hall', weapons for them were stored in painted cabinets. The duties of the simpler vassals included 'standing guard at the gates, sweeping the castle courtyard, and ringing the bells to the glory of God'.
The castle is little suited for living: this is not the Renaissance or Baroque, this is the harsh Middle Ages. At your service are several towers, chilly stone halls, richly decorated chapels and oratories, and narrow spiral staircases. By the way, it is in such castles that one understands why their inhabitants were proud of 'blue blood': it is absolutely impossible to heat these huge rooms properly. Moreover, stoves in castles appeared only in the 17th century. Therefore, the inhabitants of medieval castles walked around their chambers in fur dresses and capes. And a king in a long ermine mantle was also more at ease holding audiences. But try sitting even in a fur coat in the cold: beautiful ladies and brave knights would turn as blue as unripe plums from the bone-piercing cold.
But, of course, Karlštejn had everything necessary for everyday life: a great hall, a refectory, private chambers, and even medieval toilets. They worked delightfully simply: a small closet was built "outboard" right over the fortress rampart. In the middle of the closet, there was a hole in the floor, discreetly masked for the gentry by an ornate seat-stool. If you consider that these places of solitude were used faithfully for centuries, it is clear why storming the fortress moats was an unpleasant business...
Karlštejn, like any battle fortress, is located on a mountain top. It is tall and majestically looks at the world through the narrow squint of its embrasures. A narrow and winding "royal" road leads up to it, along which a motley string of tourists trudges, puffing and panting. The stones on the road were not specially treated, so that horses' hooves would not slip in winter. When you imagine that Hussite troops trod these stones, knights' horses' hooves clattered, townspeople's carts rumbled...
A "homey" castle: Dobříš
If Karlštejn Castle was owned by the king himself, then the other castles belonged to the Czech aristocracy. For example, the owner of the very cozy, homey Dobříš Castle is Count Colloredo-Mansfeld. He himself, of course, does not live in the castle. But he carried out the entire reconstruction at his own expense, and now the castle is unobtrusively offered for romantic stays and celebratory events. When you walk through the halls, you feel a bit uneasy - after all, it is private property, and you are like on a tour of someone else's apartment. You half expect that from somewhere deep in the halls this very count with his strange surname will appear and cast a stern glance at you...
The construction of the castle began back in the 13th century, but in the 18th century it was completely rebuilt in accordance with the requirements of the Baroque style. The castle features restored old interiors; its walls are decorated with huge paintings, tapestries, and hunting trophies - long branching antlers of either deer or elk... The furniture and furnishings are in Baroque and Rococo styles. Nothing is dilapidated or under-restored: the castle simply radiates freshness and beauty, and can't wait to receive guests.
We arrived in Dobříš on Saturday and witnessed an incredibly beautiful spectacle - a wedding ceremony in the castle chapel. The ceremony itself is free. And if you want to organize a small reception for guests in the central mirror hall (champagne, video recording, etc.), this pleasure will cost you $300. For renting the entire castle - with dinner, an evening stroll through the park, and overnight stay - you will have to shell out about $1,500. And for an additional fee, you can indulge yourself in other simple amusements for blue-blooded persons. How about, for example, a fireworks display during which your initials will light up
in the sky in fiery letters?
Where else to visit
Every Czech castle has its own history, and every castle has its own highlight. One of the most "venerable" castles is the town castle in the town of Krumlov. The architectural ensemble of the town ranks second after Prague in terms of preservation, and its monuments are listed as UNESCO protected sites. The Gothic castle of the 13th century is the main attraction of the town. The solid structure has everything a real castle should have. Perhaps the most interesting feature is the unique three-tier bridge, which is 40 meters high.
It is also worth visiting Konopiště Castle, built in the 14th century. It belonged to the infamous Archduke Ferdinand, whose assassination served as the pretext for the start of World War I. He was, you see, a passionate hunter: over his hunting career, he and his companions killed more than 4,000 animals! (Soldier Schweik was right: 'I don't feel sorry for him in the slightest!') And now the castle houses a unique collection of weapons and hunting trophies, considered one of the largest in Europe.
Mělník Castle is famous for its wine. The same Charles IV (oh, what a pragmatic king he was!) brought grapevines there from Burgundy back in the 14th century. On the banks of the Labe they began to cultivate grapes and make wine from them. And today, when the castle has been returned to its former owners, the traditions of Czech winemaking are carefully maintained there.
Not far from České Budějovice there is another notable castle - Hluboká nad Vltavou. Its many carved turrets vaguely resemble the famous Windsor Castle in London. The castle's rich furnishings include more than 36,000 exhibits. But it is famous for a particular feature: a simple mirror hangs in one of its halls. If you happen to look into it, you will remain forever young and desirable...
Whether there are ghosts or not in Czech castles - as they say, 'science does not know this.' But we
have found out for certain: there is a great deal that is very, very interesting there. Go on a trip - you won't regret it! And for those who are still very interested in contact with the other world, we advise you to come in mid-June to the Carnival of Pilsen Ghosts. And who knows?
We express our gratitude to the Czech Center in Kyiv and the company Czech Tour Service for organizing the trip.