Zámek Víceměřice

Víceměřice Castle is a small, unassuming manor house tucked into the quiet Hanakian countryside on the northern edge of the village of Víceměřice, in the Prostějov district of the Olomouc Region. Standing beside a small pond and surrounded by a park with rare tree species, it is not open to visitors, yet its layered history and modest Empire-style facade still make it worth a stop for anyone passing through the area.

How far back does the site's history go?

The village of Víceměřice itself is first mentioned in writing in 1317. A fortified stronghold on the site is documented from 1409, but it fell into disrepair during the Hussite Wars. It was rebuilt only in the 16th century, marking the start of the structure that, after further rebuilding, survives today.

Who turned the stronghold into a Baroque castle?

At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Žalkovský family of Žalkovice rebuilt the old stronghold into a small Baroque castle. This is when the site took on the character of a proper aristocratic residence, though it kept the modest, rural scale typical of the Haná region.

What did the Metternich family change?

In 1840, under the ownership of the Metternich family, the castle was redesigned in the Empire style. That renovation gave the building its current appearance: a single-storey structure with a mansard roof and a simple, elegant yet unpretentious facade that fits naturally into the surrounding Hanakian landscape.

How did the castle become a care institution?

A major turning point came in 1924, when the castle passed to Dominican sisters, who established a facility for people with intellectual disabilities on the site, combining its residential character with a social-care function. From 1969, the institution operated exclusively as a facility for boys. In 2005, the entire property was transferred to the municipality of Víceměřice, which set up a contributory organization to run it. At that point, the facility was also expanded to include a home for senior citizens.

What does the castle look like and how is it used today?

Today, Víceměřice Castle serves as a home for people with disabilities and a home for the elderly. Because of this function, it is not open to the general public. It can still be admired from the outside: a single-storey building with a mansard roof, set beside a pond and enclosed by a park of old, rare trees — a quiet, picturesque scene typical of rural manor houses in the Haná region.

What legend is tied to the castle?

Local legend tells of a White Lady said to appear at the castle carrying a staff and a set of keys — supposedly the ghost of a miserly former owner. According to the story, the apparitions stopped only once her wealth had been distributed among the poor, a folk motif often read as a symbolic settling of accounts for wrongs committed in life.

Frequently asked questions

Can Víceměřice Castle be visited? No. The building functions as a home for people with disabilities and a home for seniors, so it is not open to tourists. It can only be viewed from the outside, from the surrounding park and pond area.

Where exactly is the castle located? On the northern edge of the village of Víceměřice, in the Prostějov district of the Olomouc Region, next to a small pond and surrounded by a park with rare tree species.

What architectural style does the castle represent today? Its current appearance dates from an 1840 Empire-style remodeling commissioned by the Metternich family, built on top of an earlier Baroque castle raised by the Žalkovský family around the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries.

What is the oldest recorded history of the site? The village was first mentioned in 1317, and a fortified stronghold on the site is documented from 1409 — destroyed during the Hussite Wars and rebuilt in the 16th century.