Náměšť nad Oslavou Castle

Náměšť nad Oslavou Castle rises above the small Moravian town of the same name in the Třebíč district, right where the road crosses the Oslava river. Together with the ornate bridge below it, the castle forms one of the most photographed views in this part of the Czech Republic.

From medieval stronghold to Renaissance chateau

A fortified stronghold has stood on this site since the 13th century, but the building visitors see today is largely the work of the Žerotín family, Moravian nobles who rebuilt the older fortress into a grand Renaissance residence between 1565 and 1578. That rebuilding proved so successful that the chateau has survived in almost unchanged form ever since — a rare case among regional residences, most of which were remodeled again and again over the centuries.

Two centuries under the Haugwitz family

The estate changed hands decisively in 1752, when it was purchased by the Haugwitz family, who kept it until 1945. Under their ownership Náměšť experienced the richest period in its entire history, both economically and culturally. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries the town had grown into a significant center of musical life in the region, a legacy directly tied to the family's patronage.

A tapestry collection inside the walls

The chateau's interiors are best known for their tapestry collection: twenty-four Renaissance and early Baroque tapestries, most of them of Flemish and Dutch origin, dating from the 16th to the 18th century. Alongside the tapestries, the rooms hold valuable paintings and period furniture, together making up one of the more notable interior exhibitions in the region.

The stone bridge that rivals Charles Bridge

Access to the chateau leads across a stone road bridge over the Oslava river, built in 1760 and decorated with sphinx sculptures and a distinctive clock tower. In terms of sculptural value it is considered the second most important bridge in the country, surpassed only by Prague's Charles Bridge, and it is regarded as the most significant historic bridge structure in all of Moravia. The pairing of chateau and bridge in a single view is what the town is chiefly known for today.

Frequently asked questions

Who built Náměšť nad Oslavou Castle? The Renaissance appearance seen today comes from the Žerotín family, who rebuilt an earlier 13th-century stronghold into a chateau between 1565 and 1578.

How long did the Haugwitz family own the castle? The Haugwitz family bought the estate in 1752 and remained its owners until 1945, close to two centuries.

What is the main highlight inside the chateau? A collection of twenty-four Renaissance and early Baroque tapestries, mostly Flemish and Dutch, displayed alongside period paintings and furniture.

What makes the nearby bridge notable? The 1760 stone bridge, decorated with sphinx statues and a clock tower, ranks as the second most valuable sculptural bridge in the Czech Republic after Prague's Charles Bridge.

Where exactly is the castle located? In the town of Náměšť nad Oslavou, in the Třebíč district, on the Oslava river.