Zámek Stárkov

Stárkov Chateau is a modest Renaissance-turned-Baroque manor house standing in the small town of Stárkov, in the Náchod district of the Hradec Králové Region in northern Czechia.

How did a chateau end up in a small town like Stárkov?

The estate's story begins in the first half of the 16th century, when a Renaissance manor house was built here under Bernard Žehušický of Nestajov. Unlike many Czech castles, Stárkov was never conceived as a defensive stronghold — it served purely as the administrative seat for the surrounding agricultural estate, a residence for its noble owners rather than a fortress.

Which noble families shaped the building we see today?

After 1625, under new owner Hertvík Čertorejský of Čertorej, the manor underwent its first significant extension. The decisive transformation, however, came later in the century: in 1673 the estate passed to Jan František Kaiserstein, and in 1681 he began replacing the older Renaissance building with an entirely new, early Baroque chateau. Construction was completed in 1691 under Helfried Kaiserstein. A further round of alterations, this time in the late Baroque style, followed near the end of the 18th century while the estate belonged to František Kaiserstein the Elder.

What happened to the chateau in the 20th century?

The Kaiserstein family held onto Stárkov for close to three centuries, right up until the first Czechoslovak land reform in 1927, when the property was sold to the Pejskar family, industrialists from nearby Police nad Metují. After the communist takeover following World War II, the chateau — like many manor houses across the country — was repurposed, becoming a retirement home that operated for decades. Following the fall of communism in 1989, the property was formally restituted to the descendants of its pre-war owners, though the actual handover only took place in 2001, once the retirement home was finally closed down.

Who owns the chateau now, and can visitors go inside?

Today the chateau complex — the main building, its adjoining park, and two outbuildings converted from the former farm structures — remains private property, held jointly by fourteen descendants of the original owning family. Because of this divided ownership, neither the chateau nor its park is open to visitors or organized tours. The whole complex, park included, is listed as a protected cultural monument under Czech heritage law, which grants it legal protection even though it brings no public access.

What else is worth knowing before visiting the area?

Stárkov itself is a small town first documented in the mid-13th century, and its historic core is protected as an urban heritage zone. The chateau, though closed to visitors, still shapes the town's skyline and stands as a physical record of its noble past — from a modest 16th-century Renaissance manor, through the Kaiersteins' Baroque rebuilding, to its 20th-century life as an institutional care home.

Frequently asked questions

Can Stárkov Chateau be visited? No. The property belongs privately to fourteen descendants of its former owners and is not open to tourists or organized visits — this applies to both the main building and the surrounding park.

Who built the chateau in its current form? Its present early Baroque shape comes from the Kaiserstein family: Jan František Kaiserstein began the rebuild in 1681 on the site of an older 16th-century Renaissance manor, and Helfried Kaiserstein completed it in 1691.

What was the chateau used for under communism? After World War II it was converted into a retirement home, which continued operating until 2001, when the building was finally handed back to the descendants of its pre-war owners.

Is the chateau a legally protected monument? Yes. The entire complex, including the park, is registered as a protected cultural monument in the Czech Republic, guaranteeing it formal heritage protection despite being closed to the public.