Ostrolovský Újezd Castle

Ostrolovský Újezd Castle is a Renaissance-turned-Baroque manor house standing in the center of the village of Ostrolovský Újezd, in the České Budějovice District of South Bohemia, roughly 4 km southwest of Borovany. It has been protected as a cultural monument since 1963.

Is this the same as the ruined medieval castle nearby?

No — Ostrolovský Újezd is home to two distinct historic sites that share a similar name. The older one is a medieval castle first recorded in 1381 in connection with Mikšík of Újezdce, sited about half a kilometer south of the village above the confluence of the Vrážský stream and the Stropnice river. That castle was already abandoned and ruined before 1534, when the estate was bought by Petr of Rožmberk; only earthworks and moats survive today, protected as a monument since 1975. The building described here is a different, later structure: a Renaissance manor rebuilt in Baroque style, standing right in the village center next to the local farmstead.

Who built today's castle?

The present building traces back to Kryštof Kořenský z Terešova, who bought the Újezd estate in 1570 and put up a new Renaissance fortified manor close to the village farm court. At the start of the 18th century this Renaissance structure was rebuilt in Baroque style, giving the building much of the form it still shows today. Architectural historians regard the surviving core of the fortified manor, dating to the second half of the 16th century, as a notable example of minor-nobility architecture in the South Bohemian countryside.

How did ownership and use change over time?

In 1692 the estate was bought from its previous owners by the city of České Budějovice. From the 19th century onward the building was put to uses unrelated to its original residential purpose — it housed a school and later served as a warehouse. This long stretch of utilitarian use took its toll, and the building gradually fell into disrepair.

When was the castle restored?

After 1990 the property passed into the ownership of the Ostrolovský Újezd municipality, but the real push for restoration only came in 2002, when private owners bought the castle and began its reconstruction. The renovation returned the building to active use — today it operates as accommodation, listed and bookable under the name Zámek Ostrolov.

What should visitors know before going?

The castle stands right at the center of the small village of Ostrolovský Újezd, in a quiet, rural corner of the České Budějovice District a few kilometers from Borovany. It's a typical setting for a minor-nobility residence of the region — no sprawling formal park or heavy fortifications, but a clear, traceable history spanning roughly four and a half centuries: from a Renaissance fortified manor, through a Baroque rebuild and a long period of neglect under utilitarian use, to its present-day revival as a place to stay.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Ostrolovský Újezd Castle? In the center of the village of Ostrolovský Újezd, in the České Budějovice District, about 4 km southwest of Borovany.

Is this the same site as the ruined castle above the Stropnice river? No. That is a separate, earlier medieval castle, destroyed before 1534 and located about half a kilometer south of the village. The castle described here stands in the village center and has its own, later history.

When was the current building built? Kryštof Kořenský z Terešova built a Renaissance fortified manor here after buying the estate in 1570. It was rebuilt in Baroque style at the start of the 18th century.

Who owned the castle after the 17th century? The city of České Budějovice bought the estate in 1692. From the 19th century the building was used as a school and later a warehouse.

Can the castle be visited today? After private owners bought it in 2002 and carried out a restoration, the building now operates as accommodation under the name Zámek Ostrolov.