Tupadly Castle

Tupadly Castle is a small château in the village of Tupadly, in the Kutná Hora District of Central Bohemia, Czech Republic, shaped by a Renaissance rebuilding and later Baroque additions from successive noble owners. The house is privately owned and closed to visitors, but its long, layered history makes the village a worthwhile stop for anyone tracing the noble estates around Kutná Hora.

From a medieval fortified manor to a Renaissance château

The village of Tupadly itself is first documented as early as 1242, and by the first half of the 14th century a fortified manor house (a "tvrz") stood here, held by a local noble family that took its name from the village. That original fortress is first recorded in written sources in 1394. The real transformation began in 1530, when Bernard Žehušický z Nestajova started building an early Renaissance château on the site of the old manor. After 1538 the building was reworked in Renaissance style, and between 1636 and 1640 it took on the character of an early Baroque château.

Expansion under the Pöttingen family and later owners

In 1676, under the ownership of the Pöttingen family, the château underwent a major remodeling: a second storey and a new south wing were added. Building work continued intermittently until 1739, with further architectural changes made after 1700. In 1739 the debt-ridden estate changed hands again, passing to Kateřina Auerspergová ze Schönfeldu, who joined the Tupadly estate with the neighboring Žleby estate — home to the much larger Žleby Castle, which is open to the public today. After a fire in 1865, only minor late-Baroque repairs and alterations were carried out.

The château's 20th-century story diverges from the usual path of Bohemian noble residences. In 1924 it was bought by a sugar refinery based in Hostačov, which converted the building for residential use. After 1948, under postwar nationalization, the estate passed into state ownership. Today the building is listed as a protected cultural monument, remains in private hands, and is not open to visitors — it can only be seen from the outside, from the road running through the village.

Tupadly as a stop in the Kutná Hora region

The village of Tupadly has around 700 inhabitants and lies in the Kutná Hora District of Central Bohemia — a region best known for the UNESCO-listed silver-mining town of Kutná Hora and the Sedlec Ossuary. The château itself, though inaccessible, sits close to the well-known Žleby Castle, with which it once shared owners, making Tupadly a small but interesting waypoint for anyone exploring the Kutná Hora area by car.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit Tupadly Castle? No — the château is privately owned and not open to the public. It can only be viewed from the outside, from the public road that passes through the village.

When was Tupadly Castle built? An early Renaissance château was begun in 1530 by Bernard Žehušický z Nestajova on the site of an older fortified manor, which is first mentioned in records from 1394.

Who owned Tupadly Castle? Owners included the Žehušický z Nestajova family, the Pöttingen family from 1676, and Kateřina Auerspergová ze Schönfeldu, who in 1739 united the Tupadly estate with the neighboring Žleby estate.

Where is Tupadly located? Tupadly is a village in the Kutná Hora District of the Central Bohemian Region, close to Žleby Castle and the historic town of Kutná Hora.