Dymokury Castle

Dymokury Castle is a Baroque residence standing in the village of Svídnice, in the Central Bohemian Region, in the Nymburk district. The three-wing, one-story building took shape in the mid-17th century on the site of an older medieval fortified manor and remained in the hands of the Czernin family for close to a century.

How far back does the estate's history go?

The first written mention of Dymokury dates to 1249, when the estate belonged to a certain Soběslav of Dymokury. In 1293, King Wenceslaus II sold the property to the Cistercian monastery at Sedlec. A fortified manor house (tvrz) most likely arose here in the second half of the 14th century, though it is first documented in writing only in 1572, when its owner was Jindřich Seletický of Smojno.

What happened to the estate after the Bohemian Revolt?

Following the defeat of the Bohemian Estates Revolt of 1618–1620, the Dymokury estate and its fortified manor were bought by Albrecht von Wallenstein, the famous imperial military commander. He did not hold onto it for long, selling it on to Jan Eusebius Khan of Belazzy.

When was the present castle built?

The Baroque residence that stands on the site today was built around 1654 by Vilém Lamboy, initially as a modest, single-story building replacing the old fortified manor. In 1673 his widow sold the estate to Count Ludvík Colloredo of Wallsee, who around 1688 raised the building by an additional floor and added two more wings, giving the castle the three-wing layout it still has. Ground-floor arcades with cross vaults from this period have survived to this day. In 1738 the estate passed to Kamil Colloredo of Wallsee.

How did the castle come into the Czernin family's hands?

In 1833, Countess Rosina Cavriani married Count Otakar Czernin, bringing Dymokury into the possession of the Czernin family. The family administered the estate until 1948, when it was taken over by the state. For the following forty-three years the building was used by the army. After 1989, as part of post-communist property restitution, the castle, along with its surrounding forests and fishponds, was returned to the Czernin family's heirs.

What is inside the castle chapel?

The castle grounds include a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, dating from the 18th century and remodeled in a neo-Gothic style in 1871. The chapel once housed a valuable late-Gothic wooden triptych altarpiece from around 1500, decorated with scenes from the lives of saints. This artwork was later transferred to the collection of the National Gallery.

Can the castle be visited today?

Dymokury Castle remains privately owned and is not open to visitors. It can only be viewed from the outside, from the village of Svídnice, set within the park, forests, and fishponds that have surrounded the residence for centuries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Dymokury Castle located? In the village of Svídnice, in the Central Bohemian Region, in the Nymburk district of central Czechia.

Who built the current castle? The Baroque residence was built around 1654 by Vilém Lamboy on the site of an older medieval fortified manor; Count Ludvík Colloredo of Wallsee gave it its present three-wing form after 1688.

What was the Czernin family's connection to the castle? The Czernin family acquired the estate in 1833, when Countess Rosina Cavriani married Count Otakar Czernin, and administered it until nationalization in 1948, regaining it through restitution after 1989.

Is the castle open to tourists? No, the castle remains privately owned and is not open for visits — it can only be admired from the outside.

What happened to the historic altarpiece from the castle chapel? The late-Gothic wooden triptych from around 1500, once kept in the castle chapel, was transferred to the collection of the National Gallery.