Choryně Castle

Choryně Castle is a modest but historically layered Moravian residence — a Gothic fortress reshaped first in Renaissance and later Classicist style, now serving as a care home run by a religious order in the village of Choryně, Vsetín District, in the Zlín Region.

What stood here first?

A medieval fortress once stood on a hill known as Hradiště, first documented in written records in 1445. In 1480, this moated Gothic stronghold was bought by Ctibor of Ledská, who began styling himself Ctibor Chorynský of Ledská after the village he had acquired — the origin of the family name that would govern the estate for generations.

How did the fortress become a Renaissance chateau?

A century later, under Adam Chorský of Ledská, the old fortress underwent a thorough Renaissance rebuilding that forms the core of the castle's present-day structure. Evidence of that era is still built into the castle courtyard: a stone plaque bearing the family coat of arms, dated 1573, remains in place today. In the following decades — likely over the course of the 17th century — the building also gained Baroque decorative touches.

What happened to the estate after the Bohemian uprising?

Because the Chorynský family sided with the Bohemian Estates Uprising, the crown confiscated their property. In 1623, Choryně was bought by Hynek Sevěřský of Kuličov. From 1653 onward, the estate passed to the free lords of Kaldtschmidt of Eisenberk, who held it continuously until 1808 — longer than any other known owner of the property.

Where does the castle's current Classicist look come from?

At the start of the 19th century, the estate came into the hands of the Forgáč family. It was under Jan Forgáč that the building took on the Classicist form still recognizable today: a restrained, four-wing structure enclosing an inner courtyard, crossed by two passageways. A well-kept park surrounds the castle and remains open to visitors.

How did the castle become home to a religious order?

In 1882, an archbishop handed the castle building over to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, converting the former secular residence into a convent. That use has continued to the present day: the Czech province of the congregation still owns the building and, since 2006, has leased it to the Institute of Christ the High Priest. The institute now runs a senior care home there dedicated to Our Lady Queen, pairing the historic walls with elderly care.

Frequently asked questions

When was the first structure at Choryně built? A moated Gothic fortress stood on the Hradiště hill, first recorded in 1445, which Ctibor of Ledská purchased in 1480.

Who rebuilt the fortress into a Renaissance chateau? Adam Chorský of Ledská, a descendant of Ctibor, carried out the rebuilding — a stone coat-of-arms plaque dated 1573 in the courtyard marks the work.

Why did the Chorynský family lose the estate? The family was stripped of the property after siding with the Bohemian Estates Uprising; Hynek Sevěřský of Kuličov bought it in 1623.

Where does the castle's Classicist appearance come from? Jan Forgáč gave the building its current Classicist form in the early 19th century, after the estate passed to his family.

Can the castle be visited today? The building now functions as a senior care home run by the Institute of Christ the High Priest, and the surrounding park is open to visitors.