Vintířov Castle

Vintířov Castle is a castle complex in the small village of Vintířov (German: Winteritz), part of the Radonice municipality in the Chomutov district, in the Ústí nad Labem region of northwestern Czechia. The site combines two adjoining buildings — a Renaissance Old Castle and a Classicist New Castle — together with a former farm courtyard and a landscaped park.

What will you see?

The older of the two buildings, the Old Castle, dates back to the mid-16th century and stands on the site of two earlier fortified residences that already existed here before 1400. Count Albrecht Šlik built a Renaissance water castle here, defended by three round corner towers, a moat and a drawbridge — a fairly typical fortified layout for the period, although little of that original defensive character is visible from the outside today.

The New Castle came much later. A subsequent owner, Adam Filip Losy of Losinthal, halted further building work at Vintířov once his own residence in nearby Radonice was finished, and moved his household there instead. After he died in 1781 without heirs, a lengthy inheritance dispute followed, and in 1785 the estate passed to Joseph Nicholas Windischgrätz. It was the Windischgrätz family who, between 1817 and 1823, finally completed the New Castle in Classicist style and restored the surviving wing of the Old Castle. The work was carried out by local builders Václav Fuhr of Kadaň and Josef Siech of Mašťov, following designs by the Paris-based architect Charles Moreau — an unusual detail for a rural Bohemian estate.

In 1868, Prince Weriand Alfred Windischgrätz sold the whole property to Joseph Lobkowicz, who had the castle remodeled in Neo-Gothic style and enlarged the surrounding park. Since 1963 the complex has held protected cultural-monument status, though both buildings are currently in poor structural condition with extensive damage — this is a place for visitors drawn to overlooked, slowly fading estates rather than a fully restored tourist site.

How to get there?

Vintířov sits along the road connecting Radonice and Kadaň, in the Ústí nad Labem region, close to the border with Saxony. Travelling by car is the most practical option, with Kadaň and Chomutov as the nearest larger towns feeding into local regional roads. The castle stands at the edge of the village, so it's worth setting your GPS to the coordinates 50.3060 N, 13.2741 E. Because of the buildings' poor condition, visits are currently limited to viewing the castle and its park from the outside.

When to visit?

Since the interiors aren't open for regular tours, spring and summer are the best times to come, when the park is in full leaf and the longer daylight hours make it easy to walk the whole grounds. Autumn suits anyone interested in architectural photography, as thinning foliage reveals the outlines of both buildings more clearly. In winter, road conditions in this part of Czechia can make reaching the village less comfortable.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Vintířov Castle? Not at present — both buildings are in poor structural condition and are not regularly open to visitors. The facades and park can be viewed from the outside.

How many buildings make up the castle complex? Two: the 16th-century Renaissance Old Castle and the Classicist New Castle completed between 1817 and 1823, along with a former farm courtyard and park.

Who built the New Castle? The Windischgrätz family completed it, following designs by the Paris architect Charles Moreau, with construction carried out by local builders from Kadaň and Mašťov.

Is the castle legally protected? Yes, the entire complex has held protected cultural-monument status since 1963.