Doubrava Chateau

Doubrava Chateau is a small manor house in the village of Doubrava, roughly seven kilometers northeast of Aš, perched on a hill beside the road toward Bad Elster on the German side of the border. It is the only surviving seat of the Zedtwitz noble family within the former Aš territory, which gives this modest building more historical weight than its size would suggest.

Who built the chateau, and why here?

The building dates to the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, most commonly placed around 1600, and was raised by the Zedtwitz family, a noble house long tied to Aš and its surroundings. Its construction followed a fire that destroyed Neuberg Castle in nearby Podhradí, the family's earlier seat. After that loss, the Zedtwitz line split into several branches, and one of them built a new residence at Doubrava and settled there. In this sense, Doubrava carries on the family's local presence at a spot where several of its other residences did not survive.

How has the building's appearance changed over time?

The original Renaissance structure has not survived unchanged. In the late 19th century part of the complex was enlarged, and the whole ensemble was reworked in neo-Gothic style, giving the chateau much of the look visible in older photographs. Its present appearance, however, dates only from 1990, when the building was converted into a restaurant called "Na zámečku." That postwar transformation means today's chateau is a layering of several eras rather than a structure from a single, unified period.

What is inside the chateau today?

Despite its status as a protected cultural monument, the chateau currently stands without any active use. Above the entrance hangs the Zedtwitz coat of arms, though it did not originate at Doubrava itself: it was moved here after 1945 from the nearby Kopaniny castle, which did not survive its period under state farm administration. That detail says a lot about the fate of many similar residences in the Cheb region after the Second World War — some buildings vanished entirely, while elements such as coats of arms or stonework migrated to neighboring structures that managed to survive.

Is it worth visiting on a trip around Aš?

Doubrava Chateau works well as a stop for anyone exploring the Czech-German borderland around Aš and Bad Elster, particularly if local noble history and small manor architecture are of interest. Because the building is not currently in active use, visitors should not expect a developed tourist infrastructure here — it suits history and architecture enthusiasts more than travelers looking for a fully staffed sightseeing attraction.

Frequently asked questions

Who built Doubrava Chateau? It was built by the Zedtwitz family, a noble house long connected to Aš, most likely around the year 1600.

Why was the chateau built in Doubrava specifically? Because the family's earlier seat, Neuberg Castle in Podhradí, had burned down; one branch of the Zedtwitz family then built a new residence at Doubrava and moved there.

What does the chateau look like today? Its current form comes from a 1990 conversion into the restaurant "Na zámečku," following an earlier neo-Gothic remodeling carried out in the late 19th century.

Is the chateau open today? No — despite its protected monument status, the building currently has no active use.

Where does the coat of arms above the entrance come from? The Zedtwitz coat of arms was placed there after 1945, brought from Kopaniny castle, which did not survive its time under state farm management.