Starý zámek Hořovice

The Old Chateau of Hořovice (Starý zámek Hořovice) sits on a rise above the Červený potok stream in the center of Hořovice and is the oldest surviving building in the town. Its three-wing, smoothly plastered body under a broken mansard roof now houses a municipal gallery and regional museum rather than an aristocratic residence — that role passed long ago to the nearby New Chateau.

When was the Old Chateau built?

The first structure on the site went up around 1233, raised by the lords of Hořovice, ancestors of the Žerotín (Žirotín) family whose eagle still appears on the town's coat of arms. It began as a Gothic stronghold with an attached farmstead, guarding the crossing above the stream. The Žerotíns held the estate until 1467, after which it passed through a succession of owners — the Huler, Zmrzlík, Rožmitál, and Štěpánovec families, and finally the Klinštejns, who split the property among heirs in 1520. A carved late-Gothic stone portal, still preserved in the cellar, dates from this turn-of-the-16th-century period, when the stronghold was first reworked into a more residential building.

Why is it called the "Old" Chateau?

From 1525 to 1622 the estate belonged to the Říčan family, then passed to the Martinic family in 1622. Under the Martinics the building went through its darkest years: it burned in 1634 and was plundered by Swedish troops in 1639 during the Thirty Years' War, and a 1648 estate register already describes it as abandoned. The Martinics subsequently rebuilt and enlarged it, adding two side wings and giving it a Baroque appearance.

The turning point came in 1695, when the Vrbna family built an entirely new residence close by — today's New Chateau. From that point the older building started being called simply the "Old Chateau" and went on to serve mainly as housing for estate administrators rather than for the owning family itself.

Does the Old Chateau have royal connections?

The site is tied to several moments of Czech medieval history. King Wenceslas IV is recorded staying here while the nearby Točník Castle was under construction, and Eliška of Zhořelec, daughter of Emperor Charles IV's son, was born here in 1390. The chateau is also named as one of three possible birthplaces of the Hussite king George of Poděbrady, said to have been born on April 23, 1420 — though this claim is not conclusively settled.

Who owned the chateau after the Vrbnas?

Ownership later passed to the princely Hanau-Schaumburg family (1852–1917), then briefly to the Schaumburg family (1922–1928). In 1928 the property was taken over by the military Forest and Estate Administration, which managed it until 2012, when the town of Hořovice bought the building back from the state.

What does the Old Chateau look like today?

The building keeps its historic three-wing layout, with smooth, compact facades and a broken mansard roof. It was once protected by a moat and a bulwark on its most exposed, northeastern side; that fortified ground has since become a garden enclosed by a stone wall.

A gallery opened in the chateau on September 13, 2013, and in 2017 the Museum of the Hořovice Region was established there as a branch of the Bohemian Karst Museum. Since January 1, 2024, the site has been managed by the Hořovice Municipal Cultural Center, which also runs a tourist information point and the town library on the premises.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the Old and New Chateau in Hořovice? The Old Chateau is the original medieval residence, reshaped repeatedly from the 13th century onward. The New Chateau was built by the Vrbna family after 1695 as a fresh, more representative seat — only then did the older building start being called "old."

Can visitors go inside? Yes. It houses a municipal gallery and the Museum of the Hořovice Region, a branch of the Bohemian Karst Museum.

How old is the Old Chateau? The original stronghold dates to around 1233, making it the oldest standing structure in Hořovice.

Is it connected to George of Poděbrady? It is named as one of three possible birthplaces of the future Hussite king in 1420, though this is not confirmed definitively.

What happened during the Thirty Years' War? It burned in 1634 and was plundered by Swedish forces in 1639, and by 1648 an estate register listed it as abandoned before later reconstruction.