Zámek Pohořelice

Zámek Pohořelice is a baroque chateau in the village of Pohořelice, in the Zlín Region of eastern Moravia. Set within its own park, the building now serves as a retirement home, but its architecture and the story of its noble owners still make it worth a stop for anyone exploring the area around Zlín.

How did the chateau come to be?

The site was originally home to a manor fortress believed to date back to the 16th century. Over the course of the 17th century that older structure gradually fell into disrepair and was used only for practical, agricultural purposes as a granary. Everything changed near the end of the century, when the estate's owner, František Forgatsch of Gimeš, commissioned a completely new baroque residence on the spot. Construction ran from 1689 to 1699, and the result is essentially the building visitors see today.

What did Bishop Jakub Arnošt add to the estate?

A second major chapter in the chateau's history came when the property passed to Jakub Arnošt, Bishop of Olomouc. Around 1739 he had the residence renovated and laid out an English-style park complete with greenhouses and a small chapel. During the same period, a church dedicated to St. John of Nepomuk was built right next to the chateau. The two buildings were linked by a covered, raised walkway, so that together they read as a single, unified architectural composition.

What role did the Sternberg family play?

In 1804 the Pohořelice estate, together with the nearby Malenovice property, was bought by Count Leopold Sternberg (1776–1858). The Sternberg family kept ownership of the chateau until 1950, when it was confiscated by the communist state. It was during their tenure, in the 19th century, that the façade received a classicizing makeover, and a cast-iron porch with a terrace was added on the south side of the building.

What happened to the chateau after 1950?

Once the state took over, the building was repurposed several times. It housed a regional political school, later hosted training courses for firefighters, part of it was used by the local agricultural cooperative, and for a long stretch its largest space served as a medical supply warehouse. Ownership passed to the municipality of Pohořelice after 2001, and between 1997 and 2010 the town carried out a full renovation, converting the chateau into a retirement home. Since 2020 the chateau has again been listed as a protected heritage site, together with its surrounding park, the chapel of the Virgin Mary, and a roadside cross bearing a figure of Christ.

What is worth seeing on site?

Visitors to Pohořelice can take in the baroque chateau itself, the 18th-century English-style park, the chapel of the Virgin Mary, and the neighboring church of St. John of Nepomuk, still connected to the main building by its distinctive covered walkway. Together, the chateau, the church, and the park form the coherent historic ensemble that earned the site renewed heritage protection in 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can visitors go inside the chateau? The building currently functions as a retirement home, so access to the interior is limited. It can still be admired from the outside, and the surrounding park is open for a walk.

Who owned the chateau over the centuries? The Sternberg family held the estate from 1804 until it was confiscated in 1950. Before them, the chateau was built by František Forgatsch of Gimeš and later renovated by Jakub Arnošt, Bishop of Olomouc.

How does the current building relate to the earlier fortress? The baroque chateau seen today was built between 1689 and 1699 on the site of an older, medieval fortress that by the 17th century was used only as a granary.

When was the chateau granted heritage protection? The chateau, along with its park, chapel, and cross, was re-listed as a protected heritage site in 2020.