Petrovice Castle

Petrovice Castle stands in Prague's Petrovice district, part of the Praha 10 administrative area, on the bank of the Botič stream. It's a Baroque manor house listed as a cultural monument, built on the site of a much older medieval stronghold. The building is privately owned today, and it is not open to visitors.

Where exactly is Petrovice Castle?

Petrovice is one of Prague's outlying districts, in the city's south-eastern reaches. The castle sits at the heart of the historical village of Petrovice, right by the Botič, a small stream that shaped settlement patterns in this area for centuries. The site's coordinates are 50.0335619 N, 14.5547358 E, placing it firmly within this part of Prague.

How did this site begin?

A fortified stronghold most likely stood at Petrovice as early as the 13th century, built next to the Botič stream — a typical location for the period, offering both a defensible position and access to water. The first written record of the village and its fortification dates to 1489, when Václav and Heřman Petrovský sold the rent income from the village of Petrovice and its stronghold to the church of St Linhart. That document is the oldest confirmed source linking a settlement here with an actual fortified structure.

What changed in the 18th century?

The turning point came in 1716, when the Petrovice estate was bought by František Pacelli of Adlersheim. Under his ownership the medieval defensive building was rebuilt, and that reconstruction laid the groundwork for the castle building and its surrounding farm structures as they exist today. From this point on, Petrovice stopped functioning as a defensive stronghold and became a landed estate with an attached farmyard.

Where does the Baroque façade come from?

The Baroque façades visible on the building today most likely date from after 1861, when the estate was acquired by Nicolas Bellot, a French chemist and co-founder of the Sellier & Bellot percussion-cap factory in Prague's Žižkov district — a company still operating in the ammunition business. Most of the surviving farm buildings on the estate also date from the second half of the 19th century.

What happened to the castle in the 20th century?

In March 1948 a national administration order was placed over the estate, and in the following years the whole property passed into state ownership. The castle and its land became part of a state-run farm. From then on the building mainly served as farm premises, a use that did little to preserve its condition.

Can visitors go inside Petrovice Castle today?

No. The building is privately owned and, according to available records, in a dilapidated state. As private property, it isn't open to tourists — there are no regular guided visits and no museum exhibition on site. Anyone interested in the site's history can view the exterior from the surrounding streets of Petrovice, keeping in mind that the grounds remain private.

Frequently asked questions

Is Petrovice Castle a medieval building? Its roots go back to a 13th-century stronghold, but the building's present form comes from the 1716 reconstruction and Baroque finishing work carried out in the second half of the 19th century.

Who owned the estate in the 19th century? From 1861 the estate belonged to Nicolas Bellot, a French chemist and co-founder of the Sellier & Bellot factory.

Is the castle a protected heritage site? Yes, it's registered as a cultural monument in the Czech heritage register.

Can you go inside the castle? No — it's private property, not open to the public, and the building is described as being in poor condition.

How do you get to Petrovice Castle? The castle is located in the Praha 10-Petrovice district, on the Botič stream in south-eastern Prague — take public transport to central Petrovice and walk from there.