Bzenec Chateau

Bzenec Chateau sits at the edge of a South Moravian town best known for its vineyards, and its history is a story of rebuilding, fire, and the financial ruin of its last private owner. The building itself is closed to visitors today, but the English-style park around it is open, and the old cellars beneath the chateau now host a working winery.

How far back does the site's history go?

The first written record of Bzenec dates to 1015, when the Businc stronghold was captured by Duke Oldřich. That early hilltop fortification above the town was damaged during the Hussite Wars and was eventually torn down in the second half of the 15th century. On the site of today's chateau stood a late Gothic fortified residence, protected by a moat and a wall.

When was the current building constructed?

Through the 16th century, the fortress was gradually converted into a Renaissance-style residence. It was remodeled again between 1709 and 1710, taking on a Baroque form designed by architect Domenico Martinelli, who at the time owned the Bzenec estate together with Count Erdman of Pruskov. The building visitors see today, however, is considerably younger — it was constructed between 1853 and 1855 in a pseudo-Gothic style, also known as English Gothic.

Why did the older chateau disappear?

The estate passed from Countess Emílie to her son, Vilém of Reichenbach-Lesonice. By then, the Baroque chateau needed extensive and costly repairs, so Count Vilém chose to demolish it and replace it with a new building in the fashionable English Gothic style of the day. The project turned into a financial disaster: the supplier of building materials committed repeated fraud, and construction costs spiraled to an enormous sum. Overwhelmed by debt, Count Vilém eventually took his own life.

What happened to the chateau in the 20th century?

In 1938, the chateau building and its cellars were taken over by a winemakers' cooperative. The real blow came in March 1952, when a major fire broke out in the attic and severely damaged the entire roof structure. After decades of shifting ownership, the town of Bzenec purchased the chateau building together with its adjoining historical park in December 2002.

What can visitors see in the park and grounds?

The chateau park is home to the Bzenec Linden, a tree more than 900 years old and one of the most celebrated old trees in the region. The chateau interior itself is not open to the public, but the extensive English-style park surrounding it can be freely explored. Beneath the building, extensive Renaissance-era cellars have survived and have long been used for winemaking — a chateau winery operates there today, having resumed wine production in 2007.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside Bzenec Chateau? No, the chateau building itself is not open to the public. Only the surrounding park can be visited.

What architectural style is the current building? The chateau standing today was built between 1853 and 1855 in a pseudo-Gothic style known as English Gothic, replacing an earlier Baroque chateau.

What is kept in the chateau cellars? Extensive Renaissance-era cellars beneath the building house a working winery that produces local wines.

What is the highlight of the chateau park? The Bzenec Linden, a tree more than 900 years old, growing in the park surrounding the chateau.

Why was the previous chateau torn down? The Baroque building required expensive repairs, so Count Vilém of Reichenbach-Lesonice had it demolished and replaced with a new chateau in the then-fashionable English Gothic style.