Chateau at Kamenice nad Lipou

Chateau at Kamenice nad Lipou

Chateau at Kamenice nad Lipou is a Neoclassical residence standing in the town of the same name, in the Vysočina Region of the eastern Czech Republic. The building now operates as a museum under the care of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, with exhibits covering both the chateau's own past and a range of decorative crafts.

How did the building's appearance change over the centuries?

The site began as a medieval stronghold belonging to the lords of Kamenice. Between 1580 and 1583 the fortification was rebuilt as a Renaissance mansion, gaining an arcaded courtyard and an adjoining garden. The Baroque entrance tower, still standing today, dates from 1744. The chateau took on its present Neoclassical shape during an extensive reconstruction carried out in 1839–1842, commissioned by Jakub Rudolf Geymüller — the form visitors see today largely reflects that rebuilding.

Who owned the chateau?

From 1831 until the end of the Second World War, the estate belonged to the Geymüller family, of Swiss origin. In the summer of 1945 the family was forced to leave and was expelled to Austria; although postwar courts cleared them of wrongdoing in 1948, the chateau was never returned to them. After the war, the building housed a children's sanatorium until 1998. Toward the end of the 1990s it passed into the care of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, which carried out a thorough restoration completed in 2004, when the chateau reopened to the public.

What can visitors see inside?

The permanent exhibition, titled "Cesty designu" ("Design Journeys"), presents furniture from the 19th and 20th centuries, drawn from both the Czech lands and the rest of Europe, spanning styles from bourgeois interiors to more functionalist, modern pieces. The former Renaissance hall now houses a display on the locksmith's craft, showing historical grilles, keys and locks. A separate section, "Hledej hračku" ("Search for a Toy"), draws on the museum's extensive toy collection and includes historical dolls from the 19th and early 20th centuries. A smaller exhibition is dedicated to the chateau's own 19th- and 20th-century history and to its former owners, the Geymüller family.

Where exactly is the chateau located?

The building stands right in the centre of Kamenice nad Lipou, in the Pelhřimov district, at coordinates 49.30238 N, 15.07883 E — a convenient stop for visitors exploring the wider Vysočina Region alongside its other attractions.

Frequently asked questions

Can the chateau be visited? Yes, since 2004 it has been open to the public as a museum run by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague.

What architectural style does the chateau represent? Its current Neoclassical form dates from the 1839–1842 reconstruction, though the building's roots go back to the Renaissance and Baroque periods of the 16th to 18th centuries.

Who lived in the chateau before it became a museum? The Geymüller family, of Swiss origin, owned it from 1831 to 1945; afterwards, until 1998, the building served as a children's sanatorium.

What collections does the museum hold? 19th- and 20th-century furniture, an exhibition on the locksmith's craft, and a collection of toys and historical dolls.