Nalžovy Castle

Nalžovy Castle is a Renaissance manor at the heart of the small town of Nalžovské Hory in the Šumava foothills, built to replace an older fortified residence wrecked during the Thirty Years' War. Its four wings enclose a central courtyard, with a tower rising over the east front and three corner turrets — a layout that has survived centuries of later remodeling largely intact.

Where did the estate at Nalžovy come from?

The village first appears in written records in 1380, when it belonged to Hrabiš and Jan of Pabenice. A fortified manor house — a tvrz, typical of Bohemian country estates of the era — likely stood here as early as the mid-15th century. In 1591 the property was bought by Karel Švihovský for 80,000 white groschen, bringing it under the control of one of western Bohemia's more prominent noble families.

Why was an entirely new castle built?

At the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War, in 1618–1619, Nalžovy and its tvrz were sacked by anti-Habsburg Hungarian troops, leaving the old fortification badly damaged. Rather than rebuild the ruins, the then-owner, Bedřich Švihovský of Rýzmberk, chose to raise an entirely new Renaissance castle just to the south — four wings around an enclosed courtyard, complete with a chapel and towers at three corners. The building is first documented in 1630, which places its construction in the 1620s.

How did the castle's appearance change over the centuries?

The Švihovský line died out in 1718 with the death of Jaroslav, and the heavily indebted estate was bought that same year by the Counts Pötting. Under their ownership, in the first half of the 18th century, the castle received a Baroque reworking, though its Renaissance floor plan stayed largely untouched. In 1769 the property passed to the Taaffe family, who held it until 1937. It was during their long tenure, around 1840, that the castle acquired another layer of remodeling — this time in a more restrained Neoclassical, Empire style.

Who owned the castle before its present-day status?

In 1937 Richard Taaffe sold Nalžovy to brothers František and Karel Müller, closing out nearly two centuries under a single family's control. Together with its surrounding park and outbuildings, the castle is now protected as a cultural monument, but it remains privately owned and is not regularly open for public tours.

What should visitors know before stopping by?

Nalžovy Castle isn't run as a museum open to the general public — it's primarily a striking piece of local history, best appreciated from outside as you pass through the town. Its combination of a Renaissance ground plan with later Baroque and Empire-era touches makes it a good illustration of how noble residences in this part of the Šumava foothills evolved to match the tastes of successive owners. A short stop in Nalžovské Hory pairs well with exploring other towns in the wider Klatovy district.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside Nalžovy Castle? The building is privately owned and not regularly open to the public, so plan on viewing it from the outside.

Why was the new castle built next to the old tvrz instead of on its site? Because the tvrz was badly damaged during the Hungarian raids of 1618–1619, and the new owner preferred to build an entirely fresh Renaissance residence right beside the ruins.

Which family held Nalžovy the longest? The Taaffe family, who owned the estate from 1769 to 1937 after taking it over from the Counts Pötting.

What architectural style does the castle show today? A 17th-century Renaissance core overlaid with 18th-century Baroque changes and an Empire-style remodeling from around 1840.