Radíč Castle

Radíč Chateau is an early Baroque manor house in central Bohemia, standing in the village of Radíč in the Příbram district, roughly 30 km east of Příbram and 35 km south of Prague.

How old is the chateau?

The estate first appears in records in 1333, when it belonged to Odolen z Radíče, and by 1376 a fortified tower is mentioned, held by the Valovský family of Úsuší. That Gothic knight's stronghold — a tvrz — is the direct predecessor of today's building, and it underwent a Renaissance remodelling whose traces are still visible inside.

Why does the site look Baroque today?

A fire in the second half of the seventeenth century destroyed much of the old tower; the hill where it once stood is still called Spálenka, meaning "the burnt one." The owner at the time, Karel Leopold Henegk, replaced it with a single-storey, four-wing early Baroque chateau built around an arcaded courtyard. The east wing is credited to the architect Antonio della Porta, known for his work for the Lobkowicz family.

What's inside?

Much of the seventeenth-century stucco work and painting has survived. The south wing ceilings carry scenes drawn from mythology and the Old Testament, restored in the 1980s, including a well-known painting known as "the Abduction of the Nymph" in a corner salon. A Marian chapel was added in 1682, and in 1713 the Lossy family — Antonín, Josef and Šebastián — commissioned sandstone statues of saints from the Baroque sculptor Jan Brokoff.

Who has lived there?

The best-known resident was the philosopher, priest and mathematician Bernard Bolzano, who spent the years 1820 to 1830 at the chateau during his exile from Prague. Later owners included JUDr. František Pistl, who held the estate from 1812 to 1872, and JUDr. František Oberthor, who took it over in 1939.

What happened to the chateau in the twentieth century?

SS units occupied the building in 1944. After 1949 it was nationalised and spent decades as a storage depot for the State Institute for the Protection of Monuments and Nature, a period during which it fell into disrepair and lost most of its original furnishings. Partial reconstruction followed in the 1980s. Restitution returned the property to the Oberthor family's descendants after 2003, and they later sold it; the chateau now belongs to the company Kavalen Beta, led by Pavel Smeták.

Can you visit today?

The chateau opened to the public gradually from 2010 for cultural and social events, and has run regular guided visiting hours since 2020. It's also rented out for private and corporate functions — including weddings — with the whole complex and a professional kitchen available. The grounds are set up around a "castle of knights and princesses" theme, with armour for children to try on and pony rides, plus themed treasure-hunt tours for visitors.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Radíč Chateau? In the village of Radíč, Příbram district, Central Bohemian Region, in the Sedlčany area — about 30 km east of Příbram and 35 km south of Prague.

How old is the building? Its roots go back to a Gothic tower first recorded between 1333 and 1376, though the chateau's current Baroque form dates from a rebuild after a fire in the late seventeenth century.

Who is the chateau's most famous resident? The philosopher and mathematician Bernard Bolzano, who lived there from 1820 to 1830.

Can the chateau be visited? Yes — it has run regular guided visiting hours since 2020, and can also be booked for private events and weddings.