Jince Castle

Jince Castle is a former manor house in the small town of Jince, in the Příbram District of the Central Bohemian Region, that over six centuries shifted from a defensive stronghold to a baroque noble residence, then to an iron store, and finally to a working brewery. Today it stands empty and closed to visitors, its future tied to whoever eventually invests in restoring it.

How far back does the site's history go?

The earliest recorded seat on this spot was a 14th-century fortress, first mentioned in written sources in 1352, when it was held by Bořita Bořitovic of Jince. Over the following centuries the fortified residence changed hands repeatedly until, in the mid-17th century, the estate passed to the Vratislav family of Mitrovice.

Why does the Vratislav family matter so much to this place?

In 1648 Jince was granted to Václav Vratislav of Mitrovice, then captain of the Bechyně region, and the estate stayed in Vratislav hands for a century and a half. It was this family that rebuilt the old fortress, first in Renaissance style and later in Baroque. The turning point came in 1728, when Karel Vratislav of Mitrovice commissioned a new late-Baroque castle on the site of the former wooden stronghold — a single-storey, three-wing building where the central section rises above the two side wings. The same Karel Vratislav also funded the Baroque Church of St Nicholas in Jince. The last Vratislav owner of the castle, Pavel Adam Vratislav of Mitrovice, sold the estate in 1806 to Rudolf of Vrbna and Bruntál.

What happened to the castle once the Vrbna family took over?

Under its new owners the building stopped functioning as a noble residence. Count Vrbna first used it to house a mineral collection, then converted it into an iron store — a use that fits naturally with the long ironworking tradition of the wider Jince area. By the 19th century the castle's residential role was over for good: after 1852 it was rebuilt as the third brewery to operate in Jince, with the conversion completed in 1866. Beer was brewed within the former castle walls until 1967.

What does the castle look like today?

The castle-and-brewery complex is listed as a protected cultural monument, but it has been in private hands for decades and keeps deteriorating for lack of restoration funding. The site is not open to the public, stands unused, and for years failed to attract a buyer willing to save it. More recently, part of the historic grounds became the site of a housing project called Zámecké zahrady Jince, planned in two phases, which aims to give the old complex a new residential purpose while preserving its fabric.

Where exactly is the castle located?

The castle stands in the centre of the small town of Jince, in the Příbram District, a short distance from the town of Příbram, in a part of Central Bohemia long associated with mining and ironworking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can visitors tour Jince Castle? No — the building is privately owned, closed to the public, and its physical condition has been worsening for years.

Who built the castle as it stands today? The late-Baroque building dates from 1728, commissioned by Karel Vratislav of Mitrovice on the site of an older, 14th-century fortress.

Why was the castle turned into a brewery? By the 19th century its owners no longer needed it as a residence; the building — already repurposed as an iron store — was converted after 1852 into a brewery that operated until 1967.

What is happening to the castle now? It remains a legally protected monument that is nonetheless deteriorating, with part of the grounds now being redeveloped as housing under the Zámecké zahrady Jince project.