Chvaly Castle

Chvaly Castle (Chvalský zámek) stands in Horní Počernice, a district on the eastern edge of Prague, and today works as a local cultural venue built on the site of a much older fortified residence.

Where exactly is Chvaly Castle?

The building sits within Prague 9, in the former village of Chvaly, which gradually became part of the wider Horní Počernice area as Prague's suburbs grew outward. Its recorded coordinates are roughly 50.1111111 N, 14.5955556 E, on the eastern fringe of the city.

How old is the castle, and what stood here before it?

A village older than the castle itself

Written records mention the settlement of Chvaly as far back as around 1088, and again in 1130, when it was listed among the possessions of the Vyšehrad chapter, one of the most influential ecclesiastical institutions in medieval Bohemia. Long before any castle stood here, Chvaly was simply a farming village tied to that chapter's estates.

The first fortress, recorded in 1428

The earliest written mention of a fortified residence, a Gothic tvrz, on this spot dates to 1428. Over the following two centuries the fortress changed hands several times and eventually fell into disrepair.

When did the fortress become a Renaissance castle?

The turning point came after 1652, when the Jesuit order took over the ruined tvrz and rebuilt it into a Renaissance-style castle. Much of that seventeenth-century remodeling survives today, and its architectural details are what visitors notice first when approaching the building.

Did the castle suffer damage over the centuries?

Fire in 1734

A fire swept through the property in 1734, damaging not only the castle but also the adjacent Chapel of St. Anne. That chapel was later rebuilt between 1793 and 1794 into the Church of St. Ludmila, which still stands next to the castle grounds today.

Decades of neglect under state ownership

After 1955, the building was taken over by a state-run farm and used for agricultural purposes rather than as a residence. Without proper upkeep, the castle deteriorated steadily over the following decades.

How was the castle saved?

In 1993, the badly dilapidated building became property of the City of Prague and was placed under the administration of the Prague-Horní Počernice district. The district launched a full reconstruction, partly financed through European Union funds, which was completed in 2008.

What is Chvaly Castle used for today?

Since its restoration, the castle has grown into one of the main cultural venues for the eastern districts of Prague, with its Renaissance features preserved despite a history that includes fire, decades of agricultural use, and a long period of neglect before rescue in the 1990s.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chvaly Castle?

It is a historic castle in Prague's Horní Počernice district, built on the site of a Gothic fortress first documented in 1428.

Who turned the old fortress into a castle?

The Jesuits rebuilt the ruined medieval fortress into a Renaissance-style castle after 1652, and much of that rebuilding still defines the building's appearance.

Was the castle ever damaged or abandoned?

Yes. A fire damaged the property in 1734, and after 1955 the building was used by a state farm and left without proper maintenance for decades.

When was the castle last restored?

The Prague-Horní Počernice district began reconstruction in 1993, and the project, supported in part by EU funding, was finished in 2008.

Is there anything else worth seeing near the castle?

Yes, the Church of St. Ludmila stands right next to the castle. It was rebuilt between 1793 and 1794 from the earlier Chapel of St. Anne, which had been damaged in the 1734 fire.