Starý a Nový zámek

The Old and New Chateau (Starý a Nový zámek) stands in the town of Studénka, in the Nový Jičín district of the Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic. The site combines a Renaissance-era Old Chateau, a Baroque New Chateau later reshaped in a romantic neo-Gothic style, and a surrounding park that still holds traces of the medieval fortress the whole complex grew out of, along with its enclosing walls and gate. Since 4 October 1999, the entire ensemble has been protected as a cultural monument.

Where does the story of this place begin?

The earliest written record of a manor in Studénka dates back to 1478. A fortress was later built on the site, and in 1567 its owner at the time, Karel Herbort of Fulštejn, had it converted into a Renaissance chateau. Ownership passed to the lords of Vrbna in 1569, and in 1637 Count Václav of Vrbna had the building enlarged and remodeled.

How did the New Chateau come about?

The estate later passed to the Řeplínský of Berečka family. Between 1749 and 1750, Josef Kryštof Řeplínský of Berečka built a new, single-story building — the structure known today as the New Chateau. The older building lost its residential role soon after: in 1762 it was converted into a brewery, though beer was only brewed there for nine years before the operation stopped.

What did the last owners, the Princes of Blücher, change?

The estate's final private owners were the Princes von Blücher of Wahlstatt. Between 1860 and 1863, Prince Gebhart Leberecht von Blücher commissioned a garden pavilion next to the New Chateau and a romantic remodeling of its facade, adding a tower and a turret fitted with a spiral staircase, marble steps and a cast-iron banister. That remodeling gave the building the silhouette it still has today.

Who owns the chateau now, and what is it used for?

In 1936, the town of Studénka bought the chateau and its adjoining park from Prince Blücher. The Baroque New Chateau building now serves public purposes: it houses a ceremonial hall used for weddings and civil ceremonies, a library, a classroom belonging to the local elementary art school, and the Wagon Museum, a nod to Studénka's long history as a center of railway-wagon manufacturing.

Can visitors go inside?

Because the building is in active public use — as a library, a school, and a museum — parts of it are accessible whenever those institutions are open, rather than through the kind of scheduled guided tours typical of chateau-museums.

What's worth seeing in the chateau park?

The park around the buildings preserves traces of the medieval fortress that once stood there, along with its original masonry wall and entrance gate. It's a quiet spot for a walk, with green space framing views of both historic buildings.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between the Old Chateau and the New Chateau? The Old Chateau is a medieval fortress that was rebuilt in the 16th century and later converted into a brewery in 1762. The New Chateau is a separate building erected in 1749–1750 and later reshaped in a romantic neo-Gothic style by the Blücher family.

Who owned the estate before the town of Studénka? It passed through the hands of the Fulštejn family, the lords of Vrbna, the Řeplínský of Berečka family, and finally the Princes von Blücher of Wahlstatt, from whom the town bought the property in 1936.

Is the chateau a protected monument? Yes — since 4 October 1999, the whole complex, including both chateaus, the park, and the surrounding walls, has been listed as a cultural monument.

What operates inside the chateau today? The building houses a ceremonial hall, a public library, a classroom of the local art school, and the Wagon Museum.