Libice nad Doubravou Castle

Libice nad Doubravou Castle stands at the heart of the small town of the same name, in the Havlíčkův Brod district of the Vysočina Region, roughly 17 km northeast of Havlíčkův Brod. This Baroque manor, later reworked in a Neo-Gothic style, has been protected as a cultural monument since 1987, though it has stood closed to visitors for years while a slow, ongoing restoration continues.

Who built the castle, and when?

The building as it stands was raised after 1709 by Václav Rudolf Haugvic, a member of the local landed nobility, in the Baroque style. Only the ground-floor vaults survive from that period — the original structure was a rectangular, single-storey building linked to a set of farm buildings that included the estate's own brewery. The adjoining castle park was laid out at around the same time.

What did the 19th-century rebuild change?

The building's present look owes far more to a reconstruction carried out between 1862 and 1864, commissioned by Benedikt Boleslavský of Ritterstein. That work added a north wing topped by a small tower and gave the whole structure its Neo-Gothic dressing — pointed-arch windows, battlements and decorative details that still define its picturesque silhouette today. This is the version of the castle that appears in virtually every photograph of Libice nad Doubravou.

Who owned the castle after the rebuild?

Ownership passed through several hands after Boleslavský of Ritterstein, including Karel Gürtler of Kleeborn. From 1925 the estate belonged to engineer Jaroslav Hostan, and after 1989 it was returned to his family under post-communist restitution. In 2008 the castle, together with its park and outbuildings, was bought by the Brno-based company Archatt, which has carried out gradual restoration work every year since, funding it from its own resources and grants.

Can visitors go inside?

No. The castle is privately owned and closed to the public. Since acquiring it in 2008, Archatt has carried out repairs almost every year — recent work has focused on restoring the wooden window frames of the main building — but no date for public access has been announced. For now, the building can only be admired from outside while walking through the town.

What is Libická Lhotka, and how does it relate to the castle?

Libická Lhotka is a small village of about 57 residents, one of ten local parts making up the municipality of Libice nad Doubravou — the same municipality where the castle stands. The castle itself sits in the centre of the main town, not in Libická Lhotka, but both places belong administratively to the same municipality in the Havlíčkův Brod district, Vysočina Region.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Libice nad Doubravou Castle located? In the centre of the town of Libice nad Doubravou, Havlíčkův Brod district, Vysočina Region, about 17 km northeast of Havlíčkův Brod.

Who built the castle, and when? It was built after 1709 by Václav Rudolf Haugvic in the Baroque style, then reshaped into its current Neo-Gothic form during a reconstruction commissioned by Benedikt Boleslavský of Ritterstein in 1862–1864.

Is the castle open to tourists? No. It is privately owned, has belonged to the company Archatt since 2008, and is undergoing gradual restoration; it is not open for visits.

What is Libická Lhotka? It is one of ten local parts of the municipality of Libice nad Doubravou, a village of about 57 residents that belongs to the same municipality as the castle.

What survives from the original Baroque building? Mainly the ground-floor vaults; the rest of the castle's current appearance comes from the later Neo-Gothic reconstruction.