zámek Přestavlky u Chrudimi

Přestavlky Castle is a Neo-Renaissance residence in the village of Přestavlky, in the Chrudim district of the Pardubice Region in the Czech Republic, built in 1872 on the site of an earlier stronghold and a later Baroque manor house. Together with its surrounding landscape park and farm buildings, it forms a complex protected as a cultural monument.

From a medieval stronghold to a castle

The site's story goes back to the early 15th century, when a fortified stronghold stood in Přestavlky. Once it had fallen into disrepair, Hynek Talacko of Ještětice had a new fortified seat built in 1567, which was later remodeled into a modest Baroque manor. Ownership changed hands repeatedly over the following centuries until 1860, when the estate was bought by Josef Keller, a cloth manufacturer from Brno. Keller had the old building torn down and replaced with the Neo-Renaissance castle seen today, completed in 1872. That decision gave the residence the character it still carries — a stately 19th-century building that stands apart from the more modest structures that preceded it.

Architecture and grounds

The castle is a single-story building topped with a flat hip roof, from the center of which rises a low, prism-shaped tower crowned with a viewing terrace. This layout — a restrained main volume with an accented central tower — was typical of landed estates built around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, designed for comfortable living rather than defense.

The estate also includes an extensive landscape park and a set of farm buildings, among them a two-story granary dating from the late 19th century. The whole complex — castle, park, granary, and remaining outbuildings — has been listed as a cultural monument since 1958, which reflects the historical and architectural value of the entire estate, not just the main building.

The 20th century and today's use

After the Second World War, the owners at the time, the Ragensdorfer family, emigrated, and the estate passed into state ownership. Over the following decades the building served a string of institutional purposes: it housed a military school for non-commissioned officers, later a political school, and from 1954 it was used by the hospital in Chrudim.

Today the castle is home to a children's home with an attached school, along with a center for educational care for children. This unbroken chain of institutional uses — from a military school, through a hospital facility, to today's care and education role — makes Přestavlky an example of a castle that, despite the political changes it lived through, has continuously served a social purpose rather than standing empty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Přestavlky Castle located? The castle stands in the village of Přestavlky, in the Chrudim district of the Pardubice Region in the Czech Republic.

When was the current castle building built? The present Neo-Renaissance castle was built in 1872 for the cloth manufacturer Josef Keller, after the earlier Baroque manor on the site was demolished.

What stood on the site before the castle? A stronghold had stood there since the early 15th century; it was rebuilt in 1567 by Hynek Talacko of Ještětice and later turned into a simple Baroque manor house.

Can the castle be visited? The building currently houses a children's home with a school and a center for educational care, so it serves an institutional rather than a tourist function. The estate — castle, park, and farm buildings — has been listed as a cultural monument since 1958.