Zámek Horní Chlum

Horní Chlum Castle is a small manor house in the village of Horní Chlum, part of the municipality of Hartmanice in the Klatovy district, on the edge of the Šumava region in western Bohemia.

When and why was it built?

The manor was founded in the first half of the 18th century by Jan Antonín Vidršpergár z Vidršpergu, who built it on land that had once belonged to peasant farms — plots that remained abandoned for decades after the Thirty Years' War because no one could be found to resettle them. The first written record of the building dates to 1757, which makes it a fairly late addition to the Czech landscape of noble residences: a Baroque-era manor rather than a medieval fortified castle.

How did ownership change over time?

The estate's history is well documented from the 19th century onward. In 1836 the Chamutice estate, of which Chlum was part, was divided, and the property passed to Vít and Marie Spirek; by 1840 it was again listed as part of the larger Chamutice holdings. In 1864 Václav Prokop became the new owner, buying it at public auction for nineteen thousand gold coins. The next recorded owner, from 1906, was Zdeněk Schönborn. His sister Terezie Schönbornová took over the property in 1923, and in 1940 it passed to her daughter Kristýna Benigniová, who held it until 1945.

After the Second World War the manor became the property of the State Farm Šumava. It was not until after 1990 that it was purchased by the Trantírek family, who restored the building and still live there today, maintaining both its structure and its historical character.

What does the building look like?

The manor has a rectangular floor plan and a distinctive mansard roof covered with wooden shingles, its slopes decorated with oxeye (bull's-eye) dormers set into brick gables. The main façade has seven window axes, while the shorter sides have only three — proportions typical of a modest gentry residence of the period, without heavy fortifications or elaborate ornamentation.

Since 1964 the building has been protected as a cultural monument, a status that reflects its historical and architectural value despite its relatively small scale.

Can visitors go inside Horní Chlum Castle?

Because the manor is privately owned today and serves as a residence, it is not set up for tourism in the way larger Šumava castles are — there are no regular guided tours. For travelers exploring the area around Hartmanice, its appeal lies mainly in the chance to see its distinctive silhouette from the outside while walking through the surrounding hills and forests typical of the Šumava landscape.

Frequently asked questions

When was Horní Chlum Castle built? The manor was founded in the first half of the 18th century, and its first written mention dates from 1757.

Who was the original owner? It was built by Jan Antonín Vidršpergár z Vidršpergu on land once occupied by peasant farms left abandoned after the Thirty Years' War.

Who owns it today? Since its purchase after 1990, the manor has belonged to the Trantírek family, who restored it and live there permanently.

Is the building a protected monument? Yes, it has been listed as a protected cultural monument since 1964, valued for its rectangular plan, shingle-covered mansard roof with oxeye dormers, and characteristic window-axis arrangement.