Varvažov Castle

Varvažov Castle is a modest, single-storey Baroque chateau standing in the eastern part of the village of Varvažov, in the Písek district of South Bohemia. Its plain exterior hides a history stretching back to the Middle Ages and a long connection to one of Europe's oldest chivalric orders.

Where is Varvažov and how does the castle fit into the village?

Varvažov lies roughly twenty kilometres north of Písek, in the northern part of the district, not far from the stretch of the Vltava river held back by the Orlík dam. The chateau stands beside what used to be the village square, in the eastern section of the settlement — a natural reference point, since most of the village houses cluster around it.

Who controlled Varvažov before the castle existed?

The village itself is first recorded in the second half of the 13th century, and by then it already belonged to the Order of Knights of St. John of Jerusalem — the Johannites, also known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta — who administered the estate from their commandery in Strakonice. Remarkably, the order kept hold of Varvažov for close to eight centuries, an unusually long and unbroken tenure even by the standards of Bohemian noble and ecclesiastical estates.

From medieval fortress to Baroque residence

Before the present building existed, a fortified knightly residence — a tvrz — stood on the site; the earliest written record of it dates to 1387. The Baroque chateau seen today was created in the 18th century, reworking older Renaissance-era buildings, with construction traditionally dated to completion in 1768. The project was commissioned by Emanuel Václav Krakovský z Kolovrat, Grand Prior of the Johannite order, who wanted a summer residence for the order at Varvažov. The new building rose on the foundations of, and right next to, the older fortress, reusing part of the existing structure. A brewery also once operated as part of the estate.

What happened to the chateau in the 19th and 20th centuries?

Between 1847 and 1948 the property belonged to the Schwarzenberg family, who set up a school inside the building and carried out several alterations to it. Like many similar estates, it passed under state administration after 1948, before being returned in restitution after 1989 to the Orlík branch of the Schwarzenberg family. The chateau has been listed as a protected cultural monument since 1963.

Did the castle ever appear on screen?

Yes — in 1998 the building served as a filming location for scenes in "Je třeba zabít Sekala" ("Sekal Has to Die"), a notable Czech-Slovak production of that era. It remains one of the more memorable footnotes attached to the site, since outside that episode the chateau has stayed relatively out of the spotlight compared with the region's better-known residences.

Can visitors go inside Varvažov Castle?

No. The chateau is privately owned and is not open to the public. It can be viewed from the outside while walking through the village, but there is no public access to the grounds or interior — a fairly common situation for a well-preserved building that now functions solely as a private residence.

Frequently asked questions

Is Varvažov Castle open to visitors? No, it is private property and there is no public access inside the building.

Who built the chateau at Varvažov? The current Baroque building was commissioned in the 18th century by Emanuel Václav Krakovský z Kolovrat, Grand Prior of the Johannite order.

How long did the Johannites hold Varvažov? The order controlled the village and its surroundings from the 13th century for nearly eight hundred years, administering it from their commandery in Strakonice.

Does the castle have any film connections? Yes, in 1998 it was used as a location for the film "Je třeba zabít Sekala."

Since when has the building been a protected monument? It has been listed as a cultural monument since 1963.