Křimice Castle

Křimice Castle (Czech: zámek Křimice) is a Baroque-turned-Empire-style chateau in the Křimice district of Plzeň (Pilsen), in western Bohemia, Czech Republic. It stands on the site of a medieval fortified manor and has been protected as a cultural monument since 1964.

What stood here before the chateau?

Long before the current building went up, a Gothic fortress (tvrz) occupied the same spot, built by the Drslavice family around the mid-13th century. Between 1245 and 1289 it is thought to have been the seat of Půta, son of Protiva of Žinkov. The next records date from the second half of the 14th century, when the property belonged to a Pilsen burgher named Petrold Nussl, and later to Václav Točník. The Točník family prospered over time, rose to the rank of vladyka (lesser nobility), and founded a brewery nearby. They held the estate until 1621, when the last of the line, Purkhart Točník, died.

Who built the chateau that stands today?

The Baroque chateau replacing the old fortress was raised in 1732 for František Václav of Vrtba. The building plans came from architect František Maxmilián Kaňka, who designed a single-storey structure on a rectangular footprint with a tower accentuating the main façade. In the early 19th century the original Baroque front was replaced with an Empire-style one, and the tower itself was slightly altered. Around the same period the estate passed to Jaroslav Karel of Lobkowicz, and the Lobkowicz family kept ownership until the middle of the 20th century.

What happened to the chateau in the 20th century?

Under communist rule the property was taken over by the state enterprise Škoda Plzeň, which turned it into a boarding school dormitory. The interiors were completely destroyed during this period and the furnishings were plundered. Administration later passed to the youth housing authority (Domovy mládeže) in Pilsen, and from 1974 the chateau belonged to the West Bohemian Museum (Západočeské muzeum) in Pilsen. In 1994, following post-communist restitution, ownership returned to the Lobkowicz family, who are now working to restore the badly deteriorated building.

Where exactly is Křimice Castle?

The chateau sits in Křimice, part of the Plzeň 5 municipal district, on the western edge of the city of Plzeň, close to the Mže river.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors tour Křimice Castle? The chateau has spent decades in a state requiring extensive repair, and its current owners, the Lobkowicz family, are working on its restoration — check current access before planning a visit.

How old is the chateau? The Baroque building itself dates to 1732, but the site's history goes back much further, to a fortified manor first recorded around the mid-13th century.

Who has owned the estate over the centuries? Ownership passed from the Drslavice and Točník families, through František Václav of Vrtba and his architect Kaňka, to the Lobkowicz family, who have held it since the early 19th century (aside from the communist-era interruption) to the present day.

Is the chateau a protected monument? Yes, it has been listed as a Czech cultural monument (kulturní památka) since 1964.