zámek Příseka

Příseka Chateau is a modest three-storey building standing at the southern edge of the village of Příseka, now part of the town of Brtnice in the Vysočina region, Jihlava district. Its core is a late-Renaissance fortified manor house, later rebuilt into a small Baroque residence. Today the building houses the Toy Car Museum, home to one of the largest collections of car models in the Czech Republic.

Who founded the original fortress?

The fortress on the site of today's chateau was built by Volf Beránek of Petrovice, who moved his seat here from a now-vanished stronghold in nearby Petrovice. The building first appears in written records in 1568, though some accounts place the transfer of Příseka from Jan of Lipá to Volf Beránek as early as 1535. Like many small Renaissance strongholds of the period, it served as the residence of a minor noble managing his own landed estate rather than a grand aristocratic seat.

How did ownership change over the centuries?

In 1579 the village passed to Hynek Brtnický of Valdštejn, which brought Příseka under the Brtnice estate. Following the Battle of White Mountain, the property changed hands again: from the 1620s (variously dated 1623 or 1627) it belonged to the Collalto family, an Italian noble house that held Příseka right up until the early twentieth century. It was under the Collaltos that the building underwent its most significant architectural transformation.

When did the fortress become a chateau?

At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, the original fortified manor was converted into a small Baroque chateau. Before that conversion, the building had suffered considerable damage during the Thirty Years' War, particularly during the Swedish occupation of Jihlava and its surroundings in 1645. By the end of the 17th century, Příseka was likely being used to billet troops, adding further strain to an already weakened structure.

What happened to the chateau in the 20th century?

Following the land reform of 1926, the former manor farmstead together with the small chateau was transferred to Václav Bém. In the following decades the building was used mainly for agricultural purposes, and its condition gradually deteriorated as a result. It was placed under heritage protection in 1973, although meaningful restoration did not begin for many more years.

What can visitors see at the chateau today?

Restoration work started in 2014, and by October 2015 the chateau had opened its doors to the Toy Car Museum. The exhibition presents a near-complete collection of car models and toy cars manufactured in Czechoslovakia throughout the 20th century, ranging from tin and plastic toys to collector's miniatures that many older visitors recognize from their own childhood. This pairing of modest but historically layered architecture with an unusual, family-friendly attraction sets Příseka apart from other chateaux in the Vysočina region.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Příseka Chateau located? At the southern end of the village of Příseka, administratively part of the town of Brtnice, in the Jihlava district of the Vysočina region.

Who built the original fortress at Příseka? Volf Beránek of Petrovice, who relocated his seat here from a stronghold in nearby Petrovice; the building is first documented in 1568.

Which family owned the chateau the longest? The Italian Collalto family, who held Příseka from the 1620s until the early 20th century.

What is housed in the chateau today? Since October 2015 it has been home to the Toy Car Museum, featuring a large collection of car models produced in Czechoslovakia during the 20th century.

Is the chateau a protected heritage site? Yes, it has been listed as a protected cultural monument since 1973.