Buchlovice Castle

Buchlovice Château is a Baroque residence in the village of Buchlovice, in the Zlín Region of eastern Czechia, roughly 11 km from Uherské Hradiště. It ranks among Moravia's best-known château-and-park ensembles — built purely as a noble residence, never as a fortress, a role already held for centuries by the neighbouring Buchlov Castle.

Where exactly is it, and how does it relate to Buchlov Castle?

Buchlovice is a small municipality in the Uherské Hradiště district, on the border between Moravia and Slovakia. The château sits in a valley surrounded by its park, a few kilometres from the hilltop where the medieval walls of Buchlov Castle still stand. The two sites share a name and a valley but are entirely separate buildings with different origins: Buchlov is a Gothic hilltop fortress, while Buchlovice is an 18th-century Baroque country house below.

Who built the château, and why?

The project was commissioned by Jan Dětřich of Petřvald, who wanted a comfortable, modern residence for his wife, Agnes Eleonora of Colonna — the old hilltop castle no longer suited the standards of aristocratic life around 1700. Design work is credited to the Italian architect Domenico Martinelli, from Lucca in Tuscany, who gave the building the layout of an Italian villa. Construction took about nine years, and the château was habitable from 1707. The finished Baroque complex consists of two château buildings linked by a colonnade, set within an extensive park.

How did the Berchtold family become connected to it?

The Petřvald family held the estate until the early 19th century, when its last member, Marie-Eleonore, died without children and left the property to her nephew, Leopold I of the House of Berchtold — a family originally from Tyrol that had settled in southern Moravia. The Berchtolds owned Buchlovice until the Czechoslovak state expropriated it after the Second World War. The estate gained particular prominence around 1900 under Leopold Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian foreign minister, when the château hosted political meetings and negotiations of European significance.

What makes the park worth visiting?

The Buchlovice park is considered one of the finest historic gardens in the Czech Republic. Laid out first in the Italian style, it was expanded and reworked as an English landscape park in the first half of the 19th century. It now contains rare and exotic trees and shrubs, and its collection includes more than 800 varieties and species of fuchsia alongside numerous rhododendrons. This plant collection, as much as the architecture, is what draws many visitors to Buchlovice.

Can you visit the château today?

The site is managed by the National Heritage Institute (Národní památkový ústav), which runs guided tours through the château's representative interiors. Beyond the building itself, visitors can walk the park grounds and see the fuchsia exhibition. Booking tickets online in advance is advisable, especially during the summer season.

Frequently asked questions

Is Buchlovice Château the same as Buchlov Castle? No. They are two separate sites in the same municipality — the château is a Baroque valley residence, while Buchlov Castle is a medieval fortress on a nearby hill.

Who designed the château? The design is attributed to the Italian architect Domenico Martinelli of Lucca.

How far is it from Uherské Hradiště? About 11 km, making Buchlovice an easy day trip from the town.

What is the park's biggest draw? Its collection of more than 800 fuchsia varieties and its rhododendrons, planted throughout the English-style section of the grounds.