Bolechovice Castle

Bolechovice Castle is a rococo residence in Central Bohemia, built over the remains of a medieval stronghold in the municipality of Sedlec-Prčice, within the Příbram District. Today it holds the status of a protected cultural monument in the Central Bohemian Region, yet it remains privately owned and closed to public visits.

How did the castle come into being?

The earliest written record of Bolechovice dates back to 1381 and refers to the death of a certain Markvart of Bolechovice, presumably an early landholder of the settlement. Historians believe a fortified stronghold may already have stood on the site during the 14th century, though the first direct mention of such a stronghold appears only in 1539, when Jan Žehart of Nasevrky sold it to Jan Snětský of Snět. The building recognized today is much younger: its late-baroque and rococo form was raised in the first half of the 1770s for the knight Jan Karvinský of Karviná. Before that, in 1716, a more modest manor house stood on the same spot, built by Tomáš Popovský of Šarfenbach, who had purchased the estate in 1704.

Which families owned the estate over the centuries?

Between the Middle Ages and the early 18th century, Bolechovice passed through the hands of several noble families, including brief periods of ownership by the Lobkowicz family of Vysoký Chlumec and by the Radecký family of Radeč. As feudal rule was drawing to a close, the property belonged to Kateřina Hoppová, born an Auersperg. From 1882 the new owner was the merchant Emanuel Kallberg, and the estate later passed to his heirs.

Can visitors tour the castle today?

No. The building remains in private hands and is not open to the public. It nonetheless carries recognition as a cultural monument within the Příbram District of the Central Bohemian Region, valued as a representative rococo residence built over medieval foundations.

Where exactly is the castle located?

Bolechovice lies within the municipality of Sedlec-Prčice, in the Příbram District of the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. Its coordinates are 49.6115281 N, 14.5016669 E.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bolechovice Castle open to the public? No, it is a private property with no public access to the interior.

When was the current building constructed? The rococo structure seen today was built in the early 1770s for the knight Jan Karvinský of Karviná.

Who was the earliest known owner of the site? The oldest record, from 1381, links the property to Markvart of Bolechovice, though a stronghold may have already existed there in the 14th century.

Is the castle a protected monument? Yes, it is listed as a cultural monument in the Příbram District, Central Bohemian Region.