Brtnice Castle

Brtnice Castle is a Renaissance-and-Baroque chateau in the Vysočina Region, in the small town of Brtnice, once the seat of the Italian Collalto et San Salvatore family for nearly three and a half centuries. After decades of decline and gradual restoration, it is now open to visitors, though the ongoing repair work is still very much part of the experience.

Where is the castle and how do you get there?

The chateau stands right in the centre of Brtnice, a small town in the Vysočina Region east of Jihlava. Its coordinates are roughly 49.306 N, 15.674 E. It rises directly above the town square and the old townscape, so it's hard to miss — a natural starting point for exploring Brtnice itself.

How did a medieval fortress become a noble residence?

The oldest part of the complex is a late-Gothic stronghold built at the end of the Hussite Wars by Zdeněk of Wallenstein; its remains can still be seen in the castle's third courtyard. In the late 16th century, under Hynek Brtnický of Wallenstein, the Italian architect Baldassare Maggi rebuilt the old fortress into a spacious Renaissance residence: the eastern palace wing was raised to match the height of the Gothic palace, a new western wing with a terraced loggia was added, and the façades were covered in sgraffito rustication.

How did the Collalto family come to own Brtnice?

After the Battle of White Mountain, Emperor Ferdinand II sold the confiscated Brtnice estate to the Italian count Rambaldo XIII of Collalto et San Salvatore, a colonel in the imperial army. The sale took place in 1622–1623 and opened a period in which the Collalto family held Brtnice without interruption until 1945. During their tenure, further rebuilding was carried out by other Italian architects, including Giovanni Battista Pieroni, who had previously advised on the construction of Albrecht of Wallenstein's palace in Prague.

What is the Santini-Aichel connection?

Brtnice is also linked to one of Bohemia's most celebrated Baroque architects, Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel: he designed the staircase in the church standing just behind the castle, considered a notable example of his work. In 1760, a major fire damaged both the town and the castle, and the last significant rebuilding came in 1842, when Antonio Ottaviano added an upper floor above the previously single-storey western wing of the main courtyard, giving it Neo-Gothic detailing.

What's worth seeing inside?

On the first floor of the palace is a hall with rich stucco decoration, its walls covered between 1723 and 1724 by the painter K.F. Tepper with large-format canvases depicting visits by Habsburg emperors to Brtnice. It remains one of the most striking interiors in the whole complex.

Can you visit the castle today?

Yes, though it took a long time to get there. After decades of disrepair and step-by-step restoration, the castle opened to the public for the first time in 2011. Visits run on a seasonal, guided-tour basis, and because restoration work is still ongoing, the interiors aren't furnished like a classic, fully decorated chateau — the contrast between preserved architecture and active repair is, in a way, part of what makes a visit here distinctive. It's worth checking current tour dates and times before visiting, since they change with the season.

Frequently asked questions

Who built the original fortress at Brtnice? A late-Gothic stronghold was built at the end of the Hussite Wars by Zdeněk of Wallenstein; its remains survive in the castle's third courtyard.

How long did the Collalto family own the castle? The Italian Collalto et San Salvatore family held Brtnice from 1622–1623 until 1945, close to three and a half centuries.

What did Santini-Aichel design at Brtnice? The Baroque architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel designed the staircase in the church behind the castle — he was born in Prague, not in Brtnice.

Since when has the castle been open to visitors? After years of gradual restoration, the castle first opened to the public in 2011; visits are seasonal and guided.