Chotoviny Castle

Chotoviny Castle sits in the small village of Chotoviny in the Tábor district of South Bohemia, and although it is not a regular sightseeing destination, its story stretches back to the Middle Ages and touches on Bohemian nobility, the Jesuit order, and even the man whose assassination triggered the First World War.

What stood here before the castle?

Long before the classicist building visitors might glimpse today, the site held a medieval stronghold known as the Vlkančice fortress. It is first recorded in 1407, in documents concerning a property dispute over its owner, a man named Pešek. Even earlier, in 1345, King John of Luxembourg had granted the village of Chotoviny, together with its manor, to the Lords of Rosenberg as settlement of a debt. The Rosenbergs, one of the wealthiest and most powerful noble families in Bohemian history, held the estate until the 16th century.

Who turned the fortress into a castle?

After passing through several hands, the estate and its fortress came under the administration of the Jesuit order, who managed it until 1768. That year the property was bought by Count Kryštof Antonín Migazzi, a cardinal and a prominent figure in the Habsburg monarchy. It was Migazzi who commissioned the transformation of the old fortress into a proper classicist castle, with construction running from 1770 to 1780 and reshaping the building into the form recognizable as a stately residence.

What did the Nádherný family change?

In 1806 the estate was bought by Jan Nádherný, a burgher from Prague who was later elevated to the nobility. As Baron Nádherný, he had the castle rebuilt again, this time in the neo-Renaissance style, and the structure's present appearance dates from this renovation, completed in 1873. The family also laid out an extensive landscape park around the castle, covering roughly 22.5 hectares and still valued today for its dendrological richness. Close to the building lies a formal French garden, which gradually opens into a more naturalistic English-style park.

The castle also has a notable brush with European history through its guests. During military maneuvers in 1903 and 1913, Archduke Franz Ferdinand d'Este — heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne — stayed at Chotoviny. His assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 became one of the sparks that ignited the First World War.

What happened to the castle in the 20th century?

The Nádherný family lived at Chotoviny until 1945, when the estate was nationalized by the postwar Czechoslovak state and the family fled into exile in California. From 1945 to 2001, the castle building served as an elementary school — a fate shared by many former noble residences during the communist era.

Change came after 1989. In 1993, Jan Nepomuk Nádherný, a descendant of the former owners, returned to the Czech Republic, and after four years of legal effort the castle was restored to the family through restitution. Ownership changed again in 2011, when the castle was purchased by Russian businessman Sergey Mayzus, who lives there with his family to this day.

Can visitors tour Chotoviny Castle?

No — unlike many Czech castles, Chotoviny is not run as a public museum and does not offer regular sightseeing tours. It remains a private residence. The property is occasionally rented out for weddings and corporate events, which offers the rare occasion to see it up close.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chotoviny Castle open to the public? It is not a standard tourist attraction. As a private residence, it can only be seen up close when it is rented for weddings or corporate events.

Who owned the castle before the Second World War? From 1806 the estate belonged to the Nádherný family, who rebuilt it in the neo-Renaissance style and lived there until it was nationalized in 1945.

Why is the castle linked to Archduke Franz Ferdinand? The future Austro-Hungarian heir stayed at Chotoviny during military maneuvers in 1903 and 1913, one of the more striking footnotes in the estate's history.

What surrounds the castle building? A French-style garden adjoins the castle and opens into a large, protected English landscape park of about 22.5 hectares, noted for its valuable tree collection.

Who owns Chotoviny Castle today? Since 2011 the castle has belonged to Russian businessman Sergey Mayzus, who resides there with his family.