On a rocky promontory above the Vltava stands one of the most beautiful Czech castles, captivating the eye both with its external Gothic forms and the exquisite decoration of the interior and rich collections - medieval castle of the Czech Republic Orlik nad Vltavou.
STORY
The first written mention of Czech medieval castle Orlik nad Vltavou dates back to 1253, when, by order of King Wenceslas I, a small wooden fortress ("gradek") was built here to guard the ford across the Vltava and collect fees from those crossing the river at this point. And already at the beginning of the 14th century, a stone Gothic castle was built on the site of a wooden one, which remained royal property until 1357, when Charles IV granted the medieval Orlik castle to his chancellor Detrschich of Portice as a reward for faithful service (in particular for a successful mission in Rome, after which Charles was also crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
Over the next century and a half, this medieval Czech castle changed its owners quite often, witnessed the battles of the Hussite wars, was badly damaged by fire in 1508, and in 1514 was purchased by Pan Kryštof Švamberk, who completely restored the medieval Czech castle of Orlik nad Vltavou and partially rebuilt in Renaissance style. After the Battle of White Mountain (1620), when the rebellious Czech nobles were defeated by the emperor's troops, this Czech castle was taken by the imperial army, plundered and partially destroyed. And only in 1717, when this medieval castle was purchased by the famous Czech family of Schwarzenberg, a new bright streak began in the history of the Czech castle Orlik nad Vltavou.
After a fire in 1802, the then owner Charles I Schwarzenberg completely renovated all the interiors of the Orlik nad Vltavou castle in the Empire style and added a fourth floor. And in 1849-60. The last reconstruction took place under the leadership of the famous Czech architect Bernard Gruber, after which this medieval Czech castle took on its current neo-Gothic appearance. After the establishment of Soviet power in the Czech Republic in 1948, Orlik Castle was confiscated from the Schwarzenberg family, to whose ownership it was returned during restitution. The current head of the family, Karl VII Schwarzenberg, currently often lives on his family estate.
LEGENDS AND TRADES
The Legend of the Castle Builder
Once upon a time, in the dense forests of the southern Czech Republic, a gang of robbers operated. Their chieftain was called Old Man. He was a very brave, but cruel and merciless man. Many killed and robbed travelers were on his conscience. But he had one weakness - affection for his little son, who was left half orphaned after the death of his wife. While the robbers were doing their dirty deeds, a nanny was looking after the child.
But then one day, returning from another raid, Batko did not find either the child or the nanny in their lair. The ataman’s despair was great; all the time remaining before sunset, and then at night, by the light of torches, he and his robbers searched for the child in the surrounding area. Finally, overcome by fatigue, the robbers fell asleep. And in the morning, with the first rays of the sun, the ataman was awakened by a child’s cry as if coming from somewhere above. He climbed onto a high rock and saw his boy in an eagle’s nest next to the chicks of a mountain eagle, where a strong bird had brought him, kidnapping him from his sleeping nanny.
The chieftain rejoiced greatly and became thoughtful. And after thinking about it, he decided to give up his career as a robber. He told his henchmen about this, but they did not want to leave the ataman and decided to return to an honest life with him. They built a small fortress on the rock on which the boy was found, called it Orlik and began to live in it and guard the ford across the Vltava. Today's Czech castle Orlik originates from this fortress.
Family of Schwarzenbergs
The Schwarzenbergs - one of the most glorious families of the Czech Republic, dates back to the 12th century from Siegfried of Seinheim, a knight in the service of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. One of the most prominent representatives of this family was Marshal Karl I Schwarzenberg, marshal of the Austrian army and diplomat. During his service for the good of the empire, this outstanding nobleman collected a whole collection of awards from all European rulers of that time. These are the Orders of the Golden Fleece and St. George from the Russian Tsar Alexander I for the victory over Napoleon, the golden saber from the English Queen for the same victory, the French Order of the Holy Spirit.
What is most interesting is that Marshal Schwarzenberg fought all these years in the forces of the anti-Napoleonic coalition, but maintained friendly relations with the great Frenchman himself. Napoleon even visited him in the castle and loved to play chess with his friend Karl. In memory of this friendship, crystal chess pieces donated by the great French emperor are kept in the collection of Orlik nad Vltavou Castle.
Today's head of the family and owner of the medieval castle Orlik, Karl VII Schwarzenberg (pictured on the right) is a man of no less interesting fate. At the age of 12, he was forced to emigrate to Germany with his parents after the communist victory in the Czech Republic. Since 1968, Karl Schwarzenberg took an active part in political life, created a center to support Czech emigrants in Germany, and in 1984 was elected chairman of the International Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, and remained so until 1990. In 1989, for outstanding services in the field of human rights, Karel Schwarzenberg was awarded the Council of Europe Prize.
After the fall of the communist regime, Karl Schwarzenberg returned to his homeland and took an active part in political life, serving as chief of staff of President Vaclav Havel from 1990 to 1992. Then he left politics for a long time, but in 2007 he triumphantly returned to parliament with the Green Party and took the post of Foreign Minister. Currently, Karl Schwarzenberg alternates between living in the Schwarzenberg family castle in Bavaria, a palace in Vienna and the Czech castle Orlik nad Vltavou and, as they say, may be planning to run for president of the Czech Republic.
January 11, 2013 - today is the first round of the first general presidential election in the Czech Republic (before this, the president was elected by members of parliament. Karel Schwarzenberg takes part as a candidate. We are following the events! January 12 - contrary to the results of all pre-election sociological polls, which promised him only 4-5 place, Prince Schwarzenberg is confidently in second place, gaining 23.25% of the vote, just 1% behind the leading former Prime Minister Zeman, and advances to the second round of elections, which will take place on January 25-26.
WHAT TO SEE
Inside this medieval castle there is a large exhibition dedicated to the history of the Schwarzenberg family with a collection of weapons and personal awards. In addition, you can see archaeological finds found in the vicinity of the Czech castle Orlik nad Vltavou, ancient dishes, examples of wood carvings, and Renaissance stained glass windows. The castle's library contains more than eighteen thousand books, including the rare set of books "Le Musée Francais" (there are only four copies of this rare edition in the world).
Outside the castle there is a picturesque park in the English style, where you can often see peacocks spreading their tails. Also on the territory of the castle there is an aquarium and a mini-zoo, which will be of interest to the youngest guests.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
To get to the Czech Orlik Castle by car, drive from the medieval town of České Budejovice along the highway E49(20) in the direction of Pilsen, Pisek ( Plzen, Pisek), after 55 kilometers, at a fork, choose the road R4(4) direction to Prague. After driving 13 kilometers along this road, turn right following the road sign 19 Tabor, Lety ( Tabor, Lety) and after another 8 kilometers, remembering to look at the signs, you find yourself in Orlik nad Vltavou. The last 500 meters from the parking lot to the castle will have to be walked along a beautiful alley lined with centuries-old trees.
Getting to Orlik nad Vlatovy Castle by public transport is a little problematic - you will need at least one transfer in the town of Pisek ( Pisek)
Visiting the Czech Republic and not seeing its fairytale castles is simply an unforgivable oversight! Don't believe me? Come on, join our exciting virtual journey!
Today we will visit the medieval Orlik nad Vltavou, which is one of the six of this wonderful country.
Address: Zámek Orlík nad Vltavou 112, 398 07 Orlík nad Vltavou, Czech Republic.
GPS coordinates: 49.512778,14.169722.
Telephone: +420 362 841 101.
Official site: zamekorlik.cz
Orlik is one of the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic.
Orlik - a point on the map
The Gothic Orlik Castle, whose name translated into Russian means “eagle’s nest,” is located on a rocky cliff washed by the waters of the Orlik Reservoir on the Vltava River. It is located only 82 kilometers south of Prague, which makes it even more attractive to tourists.
Opening hours and visiting times
You can visit the famous Czech fortress only during a certain period and at a strictly designated time.
The main tourist season falls on -.
In April and October, Orlik is open to tourists from 9:00 to 16:00.
In May and September - from 9:00 to 17:00.
Throughout the summer, the fortress is open from 9:00 to 18:00.
It is especially beautiful in autumn.
Internal tours of the fortress are available. A standard excursion program in Czech lasts approximately 60 minutes. It costs 200 Kč for adults and 140 Kč for children, students and pensioners. The last round starts one hour before the end of the working day.
But when ordering an excursion in any other language, its cost almost doubles.
However, it is not necessary to take a tour; you can get inside by simply purchasing an entrance ticket. Its cost:
- for adults - 120 Kč;
- for students and pensioners - 80 Kč;
- for children from 6 to 15 years old - 60 Kč;
- for children under 6 years old - 30 Kč;
- family ticket (2 adults and no more than 3 children) - 340 Kč.
Tariffs for entrance tickets and excursions.
You will also have the opportunity to take a half-hour boat trip along the Orlitsky Reservoir - the best photos will be taken from there.
If you don't sail around the castle on a boat, you won't forgive yourself!
Prices are 100 Kč for adults and 50 Kč for children under 15 years old.
Welcome to the boat tour!
How to get to Orlik Castle?
The easiest and most logical way to get to Orlik is to take a group excursion from Prague. You will be driven there and back. And the guide will tell you everything in detail. Here is one of the offers - in addition to the castle, it also includes a visit to the Velkopopovice Kozel brewery - can be booked online:
By bus
To get to Orlík nad Vltavou Castle on your own by bus, you need to come to Prague station “Na Knizeci” and take a bus that goes to the town of Pisek. He stops in Orlik while passing through. Cost ≈ 370 rubles. There are about 10 flights daily. Carriers: Arriva StČ, Busem, RegioJet. Tickets are sold on the website bussystem.eu or at the station.
The bus will take you to the village of Orlik.
Orlik is not only a castle, but also a settlement.
You must exit at the main square and look for the sign to the castle. Less than a kilometer of walking separates you from your final goal.
In addition, on Fridays at 15:45 the carrier Jan Kukla (apparently this is the name of an individual entrepreneur) has a direct flight Prague - Orlik. Price ≈ 270 rubles. Tickets can also be purchased on bussystem.eu, but when searching please note that the departure date must be a Friday.
Travel time is 1 hour 10 minutes.
Bus station "Na Knizeci".
Alternatively, you can take the bus from the Florenc bus station (stop no. 25). The total travel time will be just under an hour. The cost of a one-way ticket is 50 CZK.
By car
For those who like to travel in comfort, we suggest getting to Orlik by car.
You need to leave Prague along the fourth highway in the direction of the town of Mníšek pod Brdy. After passing Milín and Dobříš, you will reach Mirovice. After 8 km, turn onto highway No. 19, cover another couple of kilometers in the direction of the Vltava River.
The length of this driving route will be about 80 km, but the time spent is worth it, because you will get vivid impressions.
There is paid parking approximately 300 meters from the castle.
Paid parking near the fortress.
You need to walk from there.
Path to the castle. Some are there, and some are already returning.
If you stop and park your car even earlier, you won’t have to pay for parking.
Vitaly, Tambov:
“We traveled with friends in two cars. We parked in a paid parking lot near the castle. Price 60 CZK - regardless of time. Everything is equipped - barriers for entry and exit, a cafe for a snack, and a toilet. We saw that local guys stop in the village, a hundred meters short of the parking lot, and walk. There was a temptation. But we, Russians, are a cultured people. They didn’t disrupt the order.”
For 60 Kč you can leave your car for at least a whole day.
History of Orlik nad Vltavou Castle
There are a lot of exciting legends about the origin of the castle. According to one of them, Orlik owes his appearance to the leader of local robbers, from whom the eagle stole his little son. Having discovered the child alive and unharmed in the eagle's nest, the grateful father built a fortress and named it in honor of this proud, majestic bird.
True, restless historians insist on their version of what is happening! They claim that Orlik Castle was built by the Czech king Přemysl Otakar II back in the 13th century. Then the Vltava River could be forded. It was precisely to protect this ford that the king ordered the construction of a one-story fortress made of wood, which soon turned into a symbol of the strength and power of the Czech monarch.
During its existence, Orlik nad Vltavou Castle has experienced many transformations and managed to try on several architectural styles.
So, at the beginning of the 14th century, a ten-meter observation tower was built on the western side of the fortress, a chapel and a hunting hall appeared on the southern side, and a stone wall grew around Orlik. The interior of the fortress was made in the Gothic style.
In 1508, Orlik survived a terrible fire. Seven years later, it was bought by Kryštof Švamberk, who not only rebuilt the fortress, but also gave it Renaissance features.
In 1620, during the battle on White Mountain, the castle experienced its second destruction and third reincarnation, now in the Empire style.
But even after this, architectural experiments within the walls of Orlik did not stop! In 1860, Bernard Gruber, the famous Czech architect, carried out the last reconstruction, as a result of which the ancient castle became an example of the neo-Gothic style. In fact, he remains that way to this day.
It is worth noting that after the construction of the reservoir, the water level in the Vltava River increased significantly, thanks to which the castle sank from a high cliff directly to the water.
Anyone reading this article is either a connoisseur of beauty or a lover of medieval architecture.
Stories about the most majestic examples of castle construction in central Europe are presented on our website: - find out a little about them too.
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What will we see inside?
Only the Louvre can compare with the number of historical treasures stored in Orlik nad Vltavou! This is a real paradise for history lovers and connoisseurs of antiquity!
Here you can admire a rich exhibition that introduces everyone to the history of the noble Schwarzenberg family. An entire room is dedicated to the awards and medals that members of this noble family have won for three hundred years! And to house a collection of hunting trophies and firearms dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, the “Cannon Corridor” was erected! This home gallery features more than 300 weapons and more than 2,000 antlers from a wide variety of animals. Each gun shows how many animals were killed with it. There are even guns presented to the owner of the castle by Russian Tsar Alexander I and French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte!
Gun collection.
The castle is also famous for its library, which has collected more than 18 thousand unique publications. Some of these books are so rare that only two or three copies exist!
We move to the Armory Hall and see in front of us an ancient fireplace and the coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg family, made from a single piece of linden.
It is impossible to pass by the fabulous Teskov Hall. It is entirely made of expensive wood and decorated with high-quality carvings by Jan Teska. The painstaking work on Tesk Hall lasted six whole years, but the result exceeded all expectations! Nowadays archaeological exhibits found in the vicinity of Orlik and brought from near Troy are stored here.
You can’t ignore the Hohenfeld Gallery, which displays portraits of all Schwarzenberg’s relatives. These portraits are unique in that the eyes of the nobility depicted in them always look directly at you, no matter where you are.
The interior of one of the rooms. Perhaps the hostess's boudoir.
The outside of the castle is also very nice! A magnificent English park, peacocks walking along the paths, a magnificent view from the water... Having visited Orlik nad Vltavou once, you will not be able to forget this beauty for the rest of your life!
You can walk around, you can even carefully look from the cliff into the Vltava.
Curious facts about the castle
Like any historical place, Orlik Castle has its own zest, and not just one, but six!
- At one time, namely in 1422, the famous Hussite leader and national hero of the Czech Republic, Jan Žižka, visited Orlik.
- Almost all the living rooms of the castle have huge column-shaped stoves with vases on top. Previously, these vases were filled with flower petals and various incense. When the stove was lit, their aromas drowned out all other smells. This was a vital necessity, because people in those days did not wash for several months!
- Since the water level in the river has risen, fish can be caught directly from the windows of the castle.
- In one of Orlik’s rooms there is a bust of Napoleon with an olive wreath on his head, donated by the emperor himself.
Bust of Napoleon. It was given to the owner of the castle by Napoleon himself.
- There is also a very interesting painting in the castle! Initially, the man on it was drawn wearing French boots that completely covered his knees. But for some reason, after some time the artist was returned and ordered to redraw the ill-fated French boots with Austro-Ugric ones, which were several centimeters lower! The artist, without thinking twice, covered his knees with white paint. This “masterpiece” catches your eye, but the customer seems to be satisfied.
- Orlik Castle is still inhabited to this day. Now its owner is one of the descendants of the Schwarzenberg family, who was so kind that he allowed tourists from all over the world to visit his estate.
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Orlik can be called, without exaggeration, one of the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic. Agree, the title is worthy, considering that there are almost a dozen castles per square kilometer in this country. And yet Orlik deserves it: located on a low, graceful rock that fearlessly crashed into the deep Vltava, it really resembles a ruffled and very picturesque eagle’s nest. The funny name, like many things in the Czech Republic, is explained by a romantic legend.
In ancient times, when beautiful ladies did not even wear corsets, and beer was brewed exclusively in monasteries for the needs of monks, there lived a robber in the Czech Republic. He would have been an unremarkable scoundrel if not for his little son, who was once carried to the top of his rock by an eagle. The inconsolable father, having forgotten about his trade, went in search, not hoping to see his son alive. But, having climbed onto the rock, he found the child alive and unharmed. The ending of the legend differs: either the robber changed his way of life, or he set to work with increased zeal in order to rebuild an impregnable house where the eagles could not reach. For example, we believe in the first one. And that area has since been called Orlik.
What to see
However, these are all lyrics and stories, but there are also interesting real facts in relation to Orlik. For example, the word “nest” is not accidentally applied to the castle: from the 19th century to this day it has been considered the residence of the influential Czech family of the Schwarzenbergs. Its most prominent representative is Charles I of Schwarzenberg, about whom you can learn more, whether you like or not, from the museum collection of the castle. It displays honorary orders and awards of this nobleman, who lived a bright and rich life. For example, the Order of the Golden Fleece, which Charles I was awarded in 1809, acting as ambassador to the court of Tsar Alexander I. In addition, here you can see the Order of St. Stepan, one of the few surviving examples of the knightly Order of the Holy Spirit, the Russian Order of St. Yuri (obtained after defeating Napoleon) and much more.
It is noteworthy that in addition to the order for the victory over Bonaparte from the Russians, Charles also at one time received a silver chess as a gift from the shortest emperor. Despite participating in battles with Napoleon, the French emperor was his friend.
Situated on a low, graceful rock that fearlessly crashed into the deep Vltava, Orlik Castle truly resembles a ruffled and very picturesque eagle’s nest.
It must be said that the interiors of aristocratic Orlik amaze the unprepared tourist. This is a knight's hall with traditional hunting trophies, and a room with a magnificent collection of weapons, and a family portrait gallery, and a luxurious library founded by the same Charles I, and the famous Teskov Hall, and even, sorry, a family crypt in the park - all equally impressive the impression is noble.
Coordinates
Address: Zámek Orlik, Orlik nad Vltavou. Phone: +420 362 841 101.
Opening hours: April and October 9:00-16:00, May and September 9:00-17:00, June-August 9:00-18:00.
How to get there: buses run from Na Knížecí bus station in Prague to Orlik; the journey is only 85 km and approximately 1.5 hours.
Finally got around to visiting the castles of the Czech Republic. The first to be chosen for this Czech castle Orlik above the Vltava and went there in January. This castle was built on a cape that juts deep into the waters of the Orlitsky reservoir on the Vltava.
It seems that the history there is that it was built in the 13th century as a small fortress to guard the ford across the Vltava, which is nearby. Things apparently went well. These people walked through the ford in columns and carts. Warriors and artisans, children and dogs - everyone walked through the ford and it was decided to take money from all these citizens for the crossing, and put this money into the royal treasury.
History of Orlik Castle.
Rumor has it that Orlik Castle It was one-story, but in the 16th century a wall was built and further construction began. By the way, they found some remains of a 13th century settlement underneath it. In the middle of the castle there was a tower 10 meters in diameter, from which the secret police watched to see who was approaching the ford and to ensure that they did not pass freely. And on the other side there was a residential sector, as they say now. Later a chapel and a hunting hall were built.
In 1508, a fire, as often happened then, engulfed Orlik Castle, but then it was restored again. And later the king gave the castle to the Schwamberg nobles. They began to finish building it again and built another floor. And somewhere after 1620, as often happened then, everything was confiscated from them and the castle passed to another noble family. In 1719, Schwarzenberg inherited it from his aunt. But the whole thing didn’t end there, then the Nazis took it away, made some kind of headquarters there, and after the Soviet invaders liberated the country, the castle was confiscated again, but by the Communists.
After the construction of the Orlicka Dam on the Vltava, the castle lost some of its grandeur. Originally, the castle was surrounded by a battlement and stood on the edge of a cliff. Now, the waters of the river, having risen several tens of meters and, having flooded the nearby lowlands, came close to the foot of the castle.
In 1989, after the split, the Schwarzenbergs said that “it’s time to know the honor” and return the aunt’s property to its rightful hands. It is worth saying that they had more than one castle. Yes, the government said: “Take it, it’s too expensive for us to maintain.” Well, now the descendants don’t know how to drown it and maintain it. The castles were returned to them, but there was no money for all this beauty. Therefore, the paint has already peeled off in places, as can be seen in the photographs. Due to the lack of firewood and coal, Orlik Castle is closed in winter. But, since the keepers of the castle are simple people, if not local villagers, you can always reach an agreement.
The lady, who apparently lives not far from the castle, in the village, is a tour guide. The excursion costs 180 Czech crowns, which in rubles will be approximately 330 rubles “each”. If you throw another 50 crowns on top, the lock will be opened in winter. But this is if your guide, with whom you came to negotiate with her. Our Alex has agreed. They also report that this current owner of the castle is some kind of official in the government and seems to visit the castle sometimes.
By the way, this trip was carried out through a decent office "Schweik Tour", about which, and the excursion is called “Orlik and Cesky Krumlov” for 55 euros (without ticket prices).
We arrived at Orlik Castle on such a comfortable bus. On the right, in a black cap, driver Vitya. Cool man, Moldovan and just a good person. According to Alex von Furlet (this was our guide, not a resident of the castle), Vitya is a former winemaker in Moldova, he had a factory there (and who doesn’t have a factory in Moldova??). Now lives in the Czech Republic, works as a driver and guide on alcohol excursions. We had a group with a guide - 10 people.
If anyone thought that this minibus comes straight from Moscow, say from Red Square, then they were mistaken. We arrived on it on an excursion from Prague. As I already said, these excursions are sold there by Russian-speaking guys on the streets, they assemble a team and go. First they take you to Orlik Castle (or sometimes Hluboka nad Vltavou), then to Cesky Krumlov, I’ll tell you about it later, it’s about 180 km from Prague, it seems. At the end of the excursion, hot wine is poured in Orlik (for 30 crowns, I think). After two or three glasses, the road becomes more fun and calmer. True, it remains a mystery to me whether our guide Alex von Furlet drank there, or whether he is always so cheerful.
As I already said, next to Orlik Castle There is a village that is quiet and calm. The houses are partially dilapidated, but the village is alive. There are simple cars standing there and it is clear that there is life. The roads are asphalt. There is snow here and there. It's January.
The terrain is a bit hilly. Everything is well maintained and clean. There is a small hotel next to the castle, but as I understand it, it is not open in winter.
Despite the winter, everything is green, and you might think it’s spring. The path goes from the parking lot to the castle. At that time, only our group was there. Rumor has it that in the summer, during the “hot season,” dozens of buses bring people there.
Well, now we are approaching the castle. As I said, the paint is peeling a little, but overall the giant is beautiful and not criminal. Why isn't it criminal? Yes, because our guide Alex has been knocking on doors and ringing the bell for about 5 minutes, but no one opens. He tells us that the castle is closed and we won’t be able to get into it. We decide to go around it from all sides and at least look there and take pictures.
On the left of Orlik Castle there is a platform with a view of the water.
Since the castle is closed, we go around it to the right. Where there are also beautiful views.
View of Orlik Castle behind. What interesting architecture and unusual windows. By the way, while we were walking, the keeper of the castle woke up, heard us and already shouted to us from that balcony, so we returned joyfully and went to the castle!!
There is a parking sign on the other side :) Probably for boats.
Around the castle there are massive stones covered with moss, or it’s part of the rock - it’s hard to tell. The paths and stone steps are also overgrown but well maintained.
The massive rock gives the castle an even more powerful appearance.
These stones have probably seen a lot. There is already water at the foot of the castle. It is quite humid and moss and conifers grow in full force. Previously, the castle was on a rock, but as I already wrote, after the construction of the platinum, the water came close.
Castle courtyard. We have already bought tickets and are now entering the castle.
As you remember, in the first part of the story about visiting the Czech castle Orlik We settled on the fact that the caretaker shouted to our group of tourists from the window of the castle and invited us to go inside. We headed to the main gate of the castle, where 20 minutes ago we had unsuccessfully knocked and rang. We were greeted by a good-natured woman and a taciturn cashier who was selling tickets to the castle and commemorative coins.
Login Orlik Castle I think it cost about 200 Czech crowns. It was said that you can only take pictures in the first room, and in other “kakbe” it is prohibited, but if you really want to, you can take a couple of shots. Naturally, for a group of Russian tourists who were also promised wine at the end of the tour of the castle, these words spoken in Russian were just as incomprehensible and meant nothing as if they were spoken in Czech.
Our small group of 8 people took out their cameras at once and began to take pictures of everything, sometimes also asking the guide “You move away, otherwise I need to take pictures.” Well, I didn’t pretend to be cultured either and started taking photographs whenever possible.
The tour takes place in this format: a woman, the keeper of the castle (well, that’s what I’ll call her, in fact, I don’t know who she is) opens a room - the group enters there, she closes the room, tells in Czech some fragments from the history of the room, furniture and the like, our guide translates it all into Russian, and the keeper agrees and nods her head understandingly and smiles. Then he opens the next room and the guests enter there. When there is a season and there are a lot of groups, there are always groups coming one after another. So it’s better to go in the off-season. During our visit to Orlik there was no one else there at all.
The first room may seem rather poor; at the entrance you are greeted by a skillfully forged washbasin and a massive carved cabinet. The walls are without wallpaper, painted white and quite cool. It’s expensive to heat a castle in winter, so the temperature here is 10 degrees.
In the next room or the next one, I don’t remember, there is a collection of awards from the ancestors of the current owner of the castle. Awards of the highest standard, such as the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Cross of St. George or the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Awards with ribbons are in flimsy wooden cabinets that wobble from the movement of tourists on the parquet floor. I don’t know if these are originals or copies of the awards, but in one of the photographs you can see small shards of glass on the awards.
The keeper of the castle drew attention to this and said that they had recently broken into the castle and stolen several awards, in this spirit: “some little thing, the Order of the Golden Fleece and some others were stolen from the Russian tsars, our cabinets don’t close, and the alarms and not at all, they climbed in from the street through a window and stole it, but it seems like the police are already working there and it seems they have already found some exhibits, you see, even the glass is still crumbled.” Whether this is all true, whether these were originals and whether these awards were even there will remain a mystery. Although there is information on the Internet that two robbers made their way into Orlik Castle at 5 am and in two minutes stole “antique weapons and armor, the approximate value of which is several hundred thousand crowns.” Why only two or three of all the awards were taken also remains a mystery. But the fact that for half a year they didn’t even bother to clean the glass from the display case is, of course, yes...
On the left photo is the couple's room. The wife's room is far away and the entrance to it is through the husband's room. Those were the times...
The interior of one of the rooms. Bust of Napoleon, donated, it seems, by Napoleon himself to the owner of the castle. The socket is modern.
In the same room hangs a portrait of Carl Philipp Schwarzenberg (1771-1820). This comrade and his portrait are remarkable for this reason. At first she fought on the side of her friend Napoleon, even commanding an Austrian corps of 30,000 people during the campaign against Russia, and later he commanded the VII (Saxon) Corps. His corps crossed the Bug and stopped at Pinsk. After the defeat of the main army of France, he had to retreat to Warsaw. Then near Gorodechno (Kobrin district of the Grodno province, now Pruzhany district, Brest region) he attacked units of the 3rd Army of General Andrei Petrovich Tormasov. For this battle, Napoleon I petitioned the Emperor of Austria, Franz I, for the Prince to receive a marshal's baton. The Prince's army was considered the largest of the allied armies, and he himself was the commander-in-chief of all allied forces. After a little time, everything changed and the recent allies - Austria and France - became enemies and Schwarzenberg was appointed commander of the Austrian army on May 8, 1813.
Afterwards, out of discord with Napoleon, Schwarzenberg ordered his portrait, painted during the time of their alliance, to be slightly corrected. The boots in the portrait changed from those worn in the French army to boots in the Austrian army. The artist covered the top of the boots with white paint. Schwarzenberg also ordered another order to be painted for himself - for the victory over France. This is all quite noticeable in the portrait.
Other rooms contain interesting items.
The ceiling is skillfully carved and appears to have taken six years to complete. Tiled Swiss fireplace from 1672. The furniture nearby is around 1650.
The hunting room has a large collection of weapons and a massive fireplace. In the center, above the fireplace, is the coat of arms.
Orlik Castle still belongs to the Schwarzenberg family, but the owners welcome tourists to see it. The exhibition includes collections of weapons and awards, dishes and candlesticks from the 15th-17th centuries, and ancient books. The energy of this place is unimaginable. You sit on a bench and enjoy the view of the castle, lake, rocky shore, and peacocks walk freely nearby.
Orlik nad Vltavou Castle (Czech: Orlík nad Vltavou, German: Burg Worlik) was erected in the 13th century on an 80-meter cliff above the Vltavou. Its main purpose was to guard the ford across the river. The castle housed a royal garrison, which, in addition to guards, also charged a fee to the royal treasury for passage through the ford. The castle survived several fires and reconstructions. Its current appearance acquired its features over the course of twenty years, from 1849 to 1869. From the previously Romanesque fortress, Orlik turned into a snow-white four-story building in the neo-Gothic style.
We managed to visit there in the golden autumn. The spectacle is amazing. The energy of this place is unimaginable.
The 50s of the twentieth century radically changed the appearance of the surrounding area. The created Orlitskoye Reservoir flooded the coastal cliffs on which eagles nested. Moreover, the water is practically already approaching the very walls of the structure. And now the castle is not on a cliff, as it was originally, but on a cape cutting far into the lake.
Orlik is privately owned. From 1719 to this time it belongs to the noble family of Schwarzenberg. Even though the family lives in the castle, it is open to the public. And it's worth a visit. A lush setting, an ancient library with unique books...
Orlik has a small archaeological collection, some of the exhibits of which were found in the local area, and some were brought from the legendary Troy. The weapons gallery houses more than 300 types of weapons. There are guns donated by Alexander I and Napoleon. Under each there is a sign with the number of animals killed from it during the hunt. Nearby there are also trophies - stuffed animals and horns of animals, the number of which already exceeds 2 thousand.
Orlik Castle is surrounded by a picturesque park designed in the English style, and handsome peacocks are happy to spread their tails in front of tourists.
Lock opening hours
In April, May, September, October – Monday is a day off.
Tickets
Full – 150 CZK;
preferential (children over 6 years old, students and pensioners) – 100 CZK;
family (2 adults + 3 children) – 400 CZK;
children under 6 years old – free.
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