Burg Jevišovice

Jevišovice Castle (Czech: Starý zámek v Jevišovicích, German: Burg Jevišovice) is a Gothic-Renaissance stronghold perched on a rocky spur above the Jevišovka river, in the small town of Jevišovice in the Znojmo district of the South Moravian Region. Today it belongs to the Moravian Regional Museum, which runs it as a museum open to visitors.

How did the castle come to be?

The building standing today is actually the second fortification on this spot — an earlier one was destroyed in 1421 by the forces of the Austrian duke Albrecht. The new castle was raised in the first half of the 15th century by the powerful Kunštát family, specifically its Zajímač branch. It was built on a rocky outcrop wrapped by a bend of the Jevišovka, a position that offered natural defense. The Kunštáts held the castle until 1587, when the male line of the family died out.

Who owned the castle afterward?

After the Zajímač line ended, the estate passed to the Dukes of Münsterberg-Oleśnica, who kept it until 1647. Late in the 16th century, Kateřina, widow of an earlier owner, oversaw the conversion of the medieval fortress into a Renaissance residence, a project finished around 1600. Following a brief spell under Emperor Ferdinand III, the estate belonged to the House of de Souches from 1649 to 1736. It was Jan Ludvík Raduit de Souches — the general who defended Brno against the Swedes in 1645 — who bought the Jevišovice estate for more than 92,000 gold pieces and had the castle's east wing completed together with the Chapel of St. Louis, consecrated in 1664. Further building work in the 1680s was carried out by the Italian builder Ronio.

Later owners included the Ugarte family (1736–1879), the Locatelli family, the Barons Biedermann, and then the Offenheim family — among them Dr. Arnošt Offenheim, a physician based in London. Shortly before the Second World War the estate passed to Count Eduard Larisch-Mönnich. The castle was confiscated after 1945, and since 1973 it has been administered by the Moravian Regional Museum.

What can visitors see inside today?

The castle preserves a Gothic core reshaped by Renaissance and early Baroque alterations. Its interiors house permanent exhibitions covering nearly thirty restored historic keyboard instruments, a collection of folk furniture, an archaeological display, and an exhibition tracing the castle's own history. A highlight is the 17th-century Chapel of St. Louis, endowed by the de Souches family.

When and how to visit?

The castle opens seasonally. In May it is accessible on weekends and public holidays, in June from Wednesday to Sunday, and in July and August daily except Mondays, with extended opening hours. In September it can be visited on weekends between 9:30 and 16:00, while in October groups can arrange visits in advance. A full-price ticket costs 200 Czech crowns, a reduced one 120 crowns, and a family ticket 480 crowns; a combined ticket covering the castle and its grounds costs slightly more. The castle sits roughly 14 kilometers north of Znojmo, making it an easy day trip from the city or a stop on a longer tour of South Moravia.

Frequently asked questions

Who built Jevišovice Castle? It was built in the first half of the 15th century by the Kunštát family, specifically the Zajímač branch, on the site of an earlier fortress destroyed in 1421.

What architectural style does the castle represent? The building combines a Gothic core with Renaissance remodeling from the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries and early Baroque additions, including the Chapel of St. Louis from 1664.

Who manages the castle today? Since 1973 it has been run by the Moravian Regional Museum, which maintains permanent exhibitions there and opens the castle to the public.

How far is the castle from Znojmo? The castle lies about 14 kilometers north of Znojmo, in the Znojmo district of the South Moravian Region.