Horní tvrz

Horní tvrz in Kestřany is a Gothic fortified manor in the village of Kestřany in South Bohemia, roughly 7 km from the royal town of Písek. It is regarded as one of the best-preserved late Gothic fortresses in the Czech Republic, having escaped later conversion into a Renaissance or Baroque chateau and so retaining its original medieval look.

When was the fortress built?

The stronghold was most likely founded toward the end of the 13th century. The earliest written record of Kestřany dates to 1315, when its owner, Albert of Kestřany, donated a meadow to the monastery in Písek. Until 1446 the fortress belonged to the Kestřanský family, the minor nobles who gave the village its name.

How did the Švamberk family change the fortress?

After 1446 the estate passed to the Švamberk family, who turned it into the administrative center of their landholdings and, for a time, actually lived there. It was under their ownership that the fortress took the shape still visible today: an early Gothic quadrangular core with two prismatic residential towers and one round tower. The oldest section still holds its original early Gothic ribbed vault.

What happened to the fortress during and after the Thirty Years' War?

Once a nearby lower castle became the main noble residence in the 17th century, Horní tvrz was relegated to purely economic use. A new, more comfortable chateau was built in Kestřany in 1652, and in 1700 the whole estate was sold to the Schwarzenberg family, who held it until 1924.

Who owns Horní tvrz today?

In 2005 the property was acquired by the Halda family, who took on its restoration and opened it to visitors. Horní tvrz is legally protected as a cultural monument, together with the chateau and the separate Dolní tvrz (Lower Fortress), forming an unusual pair of fortified manors within a single village.

What can visitors see on site?

A visit starts in the farm building, which houses the ticket desk and an exhibition of agricultural tools, machinery, and archaeological finds, followed by a self-guided walk through Horní tvrz itself. The private owners also run evening guided tours, concerts, historical festivals, and wine-cellar tastings; the fortress is surrounded by a park with a newly planted vineyard.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Horní tvrz located? In the village of Kestřany (address: Kestřany č.p. 1, 398 21 Staré Kestřany), about 7 km from Písek in South Bohemia.

What are the opening hours? From April to September it is open daily from 10:00 to 19:00; from October to March, daily from 10:00 to 17:00.

How much does admission cost? Children under 6 enter free, tickets for ages 7–15 cost 70 CZK, and tickets for visitors aged 16 and up cost 100 CZK.

Are Horní tvrz and Dolní tvrz the same building? No — they are two separate, neighboring fortresses in Kestřany, both protected as cultural monuments but visited independently.

How can visitors get in touch about a visit? By phone at 774 663 224 or by email at tvrz@kestrany.cz.