Chateaux
STATE CHATEAU ZÁKUPY
One of the most important monuments of baroque architecture and the creative arts in Mácha’s region is Zákupy castle, situated 15km to the northeast from Doksy in a village whose name it shares.
The adornments of the castle include early baroque garden terraces with connecting staircases, balustrades, niches and sculptures composed as a water cascade.
Zákupy also has royal connections because Emperor František I (Franz I) included the village in the estate of a dukedom and devoted the castle to Orlík, the son of Napoleon, and Orlík’s son. Interestingly, Orlík never visited his dukedom.
Important changes to the castle interior were made when Emperor Ferdinand V Dobrotivý (Ferdinand V the Benign), the last of the Czech kings, decided to make the building into one of his residences.
In addition, another part of the royal history of Zákupy, František Ferdinand d´Este (Franz Ferdinand d’Este) and Žofie Chotková were married in the castle chapel.
STATE CHATEAU LEMBERK
Two kilometres to the north from Jablonné v Podještědí, in the little village of Lvová and built on a rocky promontory on which there used to be a fort, there is now a baroque castle called Lemberk. The castle was founded in the 13th century near a route to the town of Žitava (or Zittau as it is known in German) by part of the Markvartici family (the Markvartics), which started to write its history in Lemberk (or Löwenberg as it is known in German).
The first time the castle was mentioned was in 1241 as a possession of Havel z Lemberka (Havel from Lemberk) and his wife Zdislava, who through canonisation entered into the European church tradition. The castle was rebuilt in renaissance style in the 16th century and in the 17th century was noticeably remade in a baroque style which still gives Lemberk its appearance today.
There are three parts: the historical interior, the museum of St. Zdislava and a permanent exhibition of modern art glass-making.
1) The castle itself – Contains an exhibition devoted to the historical development of the castle and of the furniture and interiors from the gothic period through the renaissance and baroque era right up to the classical period.
2) Museum of St. Zdislava – Details the history of the castle and its founder Havel z Lemberka (Havel from Lemberk) and his wife Zdislava, Zdislava’s room, local legends and pictures from the life of St. Zdislava.
3) Crystalex – A permanent exhibition of modern glass art. It is a unique collection of glass exhibits which were created during the final years of the Crystalex Nový Bor factory under the direction of glassmakers and designers for the world exhibition of Glass.
THE CATEAU IN DOKSY
Originally a one storey castle in the renaissance style, today’s design dates from the beginning of the 20th century. It is situated in an English-style park next to an agricultural area. The most valuable part of the building is the western wing with its renaissance details in both frontages. The interior of the castle was restored over recent decades. Today it uses Střední odborné učiliště (Vocational Secondary School) and is not open to the public. Its hall is from time to time used for cultural activities.
The English park, with trees and plants from the 19th century, is accessible to the public.
BĚLÁ POD BEZDĚZEM CATEAU
Bělá pod Bezdězem castle was built on the place of a formal fortress in the years 1582 to 1615. At the end of the 17th century it was restored in the baroque style. And in the 19th century there was a famous higher forest school, where Dr. Emanuel Purkyně (the son of famous Czech natural scientist Jan Evangelista Purkyně) taught.
In 1941 the museum collections from a near-by Augustine monastery were moved into the castle. Today the castle a museum displays the history of the Podbezdězí area.
