Jilemnice Castle

Jilemnice Castle is a Renaissance residence in the town of Jilemnice, in the Liberec Region at the foot of the Krkonoše (Giant) Mountains, home since the mid-twentieth century to the Krkonoše Museum and its varied collections.

Where is Jilemnice Castle located?

Jilemnice is a small town in the Liberec Region, close to the Polish border, sitting at the southern foot of the Krkonoše mountain range. The castle stands right in the town centre and has long served as its most recognisable landmark and cultural hub.

How did the castle develop over the centuries?

A fortified manor of wood and stone stood on the site as early as the fourteenth century. In the sixteenth century it was replaced by a Renaissance residence, credited to the Křinecký z Ronova family. The estate later passed by inheritance to the Harant z Polžic a Bezdružic family, before being bought in 1701 by the Harrach family, known for their progressive approach to managing their properties. It was the Harrachs who enlarged the castle in 1714 and again in 1895, giving it the shape visitors see today. After the Second World War the family's property was confiscated, and the building together with its grounds passed to the Czechoslovak state.

What is inside the castle today?

The Krkonoše Museum has occupied the castle since 1953, although the institution itself is older still - it was founded in 1891 in connection with preparations for the Czechoslovak Ethnographic Exhibition in Prague, largely thanks to Jáchym Metelka, a local girls'-school director. The museum's exhibitions today fall into three parts: a historical and ethnographic display, an exhibition on the early days of Czech skiing, and the Kaván Gallery, devoted to artwork from the turn of the twentieth century. Among the highlights is a unique mechanical, sound-equipped nativity scene built by Metelka between 1883 and 1913, alongside collections of prints and maps, weapons and hunting trophies, memorabilia of the Harrach counts, and a set of guild funeral shields. The museum also holds what is described as one of the finest linen yarns in the world.

When can you visit?

The castle and its museum are open most days of the week, though hours vary by day. Monday and Friday visits run from 13:00 to 17:00, Wednesday and Saturday from 8:30 to 11:00 and again from 13:00 to 17:00, and Thursday from 8:30 to 13:00. It is worth checking the current schedule before a visit, since museum opening times can shift seasonally.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Jilemnice Castle? In the town of Jilemnice, in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic, at the foot of the Krkonoše Mountains near the Polish border.

Who built the castle? The Renaissance residence was raised in the sixteenth century by the Křinecký z Ronova family, on the site of an earlier medieval fortified manor.

Who gave the castle its current form? The Harrach family, who bought the estate in 1701 and enlarged the building in 1714 and 1895.

What can visitors see inside? The Krkonoše Museum, with its historical-ethnographic exhibition, a display on early Czech skiing, the Kaván Gallery, and Jáchym Metelka's mechanical nativity scene among its collections.

What are the opening hours? Monday and Friday: 13:00-17:00; Wednesday and Saturday: 8:30-11:00 and 13:00-17:00; Thursday: 8:30-13:00.