Zámek Návarov

Zámek Návarov stands in the hamlet of Návarov, part of the municipality of Zlatá Olešnice in the Jablonec nad Nisou district of the Liberec Region. This baroque manor house, built in 1664–1666, remains privately owned to this day and forms, together with the ruins of an older medieval castle nearby, one of the most rewarding stops in the Jizera Mountains.

How did the chateau come to be?

The building you see today is not the same structure as the ruined stronghold on the neighboring rocky ridge. The original Návarov Castle, perched above the river Kamenice, was torn down in 1644 on the order of the Prague governor. Twenty years later, using stone and masonry salvaged from the demolished fortress, Marie Angela Nounkelová had a new baroque manor built on lower ground — the chateau now known as Zámek Návarov. The original complex included several buildings arranged around a working courtyard, a romantic park with a pavilion, a kitchen garden, and a chapel dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord.

What has survived the centuries?

The chateau's history has not been gentle. It was damaged during a peasants' uprising in 1775 and burned down in 1827. The first major reconstruction followed in 1895. In recent decades, private owners carried out an exemplary restoration that earned recognition from both the Liberec Region and the National Heritage Institute (Národní památkový ústav). In 2017 the chateau received the Liberec Region's Monument of the Year award, and it is now listed as a protected cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

Can visitors go inside?

Zámek Návarov is private property and is not open to the public on a regular basis. The one exception is its chapel, where a public mass is held once a month, offering a rare chance to see part of the interior. Otherwise, the chateau is best appreciated from the outside while walking through the surrounding countryside.

What else is there to see nearby?

A visit naturally pairs with the ruins of the original Návarov Castle, standing on a rocky spur high above the river Kamenice. A green-marked hiking trail connects the riverside with the chateau, and it's only about 200 meters through the forest from the Kamenice to the silhouette of the ruins. What remains of the old stronghold today is a stretch of perimeter wall and roughly half of the castle's core — enough to get a sense of how substantial the fortification once was. Combining the short walk to the ruins with a stop at the chateau makes for a natural detour on any hike through the Jizera Mountains.

When is the best time to visit?

Spring, summer, and early autumn are the most comfortable seasons, when the forest trail is dry and the greenery around both the ruins and the chateau is at its best. In winter, reaching the ruins can be harder, since the rocky ridge often gets snowy and icy underfoot.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Zámek Návarov? Not as a rule — it's a private residence. The chapel is accessible once a month during a public mass.

What's the difference between the chateau and the Návarov castle ruins? The chateau is a baroque manor built in 1664–1666 using material from the earlier medieval castle that stood on the neighboring rocky ridge and was demolished in 1644; those castle ruins can still be visited separately today.

How do you get to the old castle ruins? Follow the green-marked hiking trail from the river Kamenice — it's only around 200 meters through the forest to reach them.

Is Zámek Návarov a protected monument? Yes, it is listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic, and in 2017 it won the Liberec Region's Monument of the Year award for the quality of its restoration.