Buchlov

Buchlov (German: Buchlau) is a royal castle in Buchlovice in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic It is located on an eponymous hill with an elevation of 508 metres (1,667 ft) within the Chřiby mountain range.

The castle was built approximately in the first part of the 13th century, but archaeological finds suggest that the area around Buchlov was settled in the oldest periods of civilization. The function of the castle was defensive, agricultural and administrative as well.

The first form of the castle had a similar ground-plan as buildings of that era. It was created by two massive prismatic towers situated on opposite parts of a rocky plateau. A high palace on the southern part of the yard was built at the same time and it was surrounded by a wall. The second construction period occurred in the 1370s. Another tower was built and on the second floor of this tower there was a chapel that held the most valuable objects of early Gothic architecture of the day.

There is an opinion that a model for this chapel was one of French royal chapels. Unfortunately, during later capturing of Buchlov Castle by armies of Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus in the second half of the 15th century, the chapel was destroyed to the point that it was abandoned. It was replaced by two large rooms serving as store and depository. And although the castle was a permanent possession of a king until the 16th century, it was often pawned to nobility. Lords of Cimburk owned it at the end of the 15th century. At that time a representative chivalric hall was built. In the year 1511 the castle was sold permanently to a private holder, and from the 16th to 18th century it belonged to various Moravian noble families.

The most important were the lords of Žerotín, Zástřizl and Petřvald. Constructional work continued in Renaissance style. Some parts of the castle were added in Baroque style. However, in 1701, the Buchlovice Castle was finished and after 1751 the owners, the Berchtold family, possessed it for almost two centuries.

A family museum was built in the castle thanks to the brothers Leopold Berchtold and Bedřich Berchtold. Leopold Berchtold, who was foreign minister of Austria-Hungary at the beginning of World War I, was buried at Buchlau after his death in November 1942.

Text adapted from “Buchlov” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Buchlov ranks #1,743 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #39 of the 200 mapped in Czech Republic. Founded 1300, it is older than 63% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 825 atlas entries founded in the 13th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 2,401 times in the last 60 days, more than 70% of the atlas. Wikidata records about 48,000 visitors in 2022. 6 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Brno, 52 km away. See how Czech Republic compares in the castle statistics.

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