Hello friends! I suppose that Friedland Castle in the Czech Republic is not familiar to many of you. This is the northernmost tourist site in the Czech Republic, located outside the city of Liberec, and our compatriots are increasingly mastering the southern and western direction in this wonderful country as if made for travel.
Friedland (or Friedlant) has ancient history and is the first among the castles of the Czech Republic, open as an excursion object.
Even the photograph makes it clear that this object is extremely interesting. Imagine, while other gentlemen lived happily in their mansions, arranged balls and hunting entertainment in the area, Frýdlant Castle opened its doors for excursions since 1801. It was the decision of the owner Christian Glam-Gallas, and Friedland became the first castle museum in Central Europe.
Is Friedland far from Prague? No! Exactly the same distance as to Glubok nad Vltava, only in the opposite direction. And if it is unusually popular, and it can be called the southern flower of Czech architecture, then Friedland is the northern strict and respectable guardian.
I’ll tell you more about it, maybe you want to visit an old castle with authentic interiors of past centuries:
- Basic information about the castle
- Friedland Chapel
General description of Friedland Castle
Friedland is one of the oldest castles in the Czech Republic. The city was first built in the middle of the 13th century. For comparison, appeared a century later.
The variant of Frýdlant, which has survived to this day, consists of an early Gothic part, a Renaissance wing and a late castle, completed in the 19th century. The round tower stood for centuries, acting like the prow of a ship in front of the castle territory:
In the Middle Ages, the tower served as a lighthouse. A fire was lit in it, and it was a sign where the trade routes connecting the Czech Republic and Poland were located.
The upper part of the castle stands on a narrow basalt rock, nicknamed "Devil's Organs". The name is unsettling, but when looking at the layout of the city, it's impossible not to appreciate its elegant layout:
As you can see, the entire city consists of three levels. The middle courtyard is more spacious, the upper one is quite miniature. They are connected by flights of stairs, and this adds to the attractiveness of the entire architectural composition.
The castle was built by a noble family of Ronovtsy. The influence of the clan was so significant that it frightened Přemysl Otakar II. Therefore, the king found a reason in 1268 to take the castle from the Ronovtsy, after which he sold it to the Biberstein nobles. These nobles owned the Friedland estate for a long time and rebuilt the middle courtyard in the Renaissance style in the 16th century:
After 300 years of ownership of the castle, the Bieberstein family was left without direct heirs, and the royal chamber sold the castle again. This time the royal chamberlain Redern became the owner. The further arrangement of Fridlant was taken up by the son of Redern with his wife Ekaterina. They did a lot for the development of their possessions, and for the city, but the wife of Redern so diligently guarded only her own interests that she went down in history under the nickname "evil Catherine."
The castle has a round tower, beautifully decorated with Renaissance patterns on the outside, but its purpose was severe. This is a castle prison. There is a prison cell in the tower with 4 meters thick walls.
Not otherwise, as under the evil Catherine, this object appeared. The inhabitants of the small village of Friedland breathed a sigh of relief when Catherine Redern died and buried her secretly, without marking the place. This is the revenge of the locals.
The castle passed from one family to another, and the owners left impressive coats of arms. The symbolism was preserved both on the outer walls of the castle and inside the premises. This coat of arms is located in the upper courtyard of the castle:
In 1622, Friedland was acquired by Albrecht Waldstein, an outstanding and richest personality during the reign of Rudolf II. Under Prague Castle was built by Waldstein. But this was not enough for the imperial commander, and he ensured that Friedlant with the surrounding territories became a duchy, and Waldstein himself received the title of Duke of Friedland.
Fate in the person of the emperor punished Albrecht Waldstein for greed, and in 1634 the possessions again passed to the king. This time, Friedland was presented to Matthias Gallas (probably for loyalty to the emperor). A rather poor nobleman suddenly enriched himself by receiving both a castle and a palace in Prague, now known as Charles Street, as a gift.
The descendants of Matthias Gallas, both direct and Glam branches, owned the castle for the rest of the time and completed it in the 19th century. The last representative of the family, Clotilde Glam-Gallas, lived in the castle until 1945.
Tour inside the castle
The excursion in the castle starts from the Knights' Hall, which is equipped in the style of an art gallery, represented by portraits of the owners. However, almost every next room is decorated with portraits and coats of arms. Pay attention to the symbolism above the fireplace:
Most likely, this is the coat of arms of the Glam-Gallas - the last owners. The image seems to consist of a double coat of arms. When the Gallas clan was interrupted in the male line, the nephew Christian Philip Glam received the entire inheritance on the condition that he retain both the Gallas family name and the coat of arms.
Christian Glam fulfilled all the conditions under the will and, moreover, opened part of the castle as a museum. A curious fact is that his wife was Karolina Spork, the great-granddaughter of the great art lover Frantisek Antonin Spork, the founder of the resort. Friends, if you still don’t know anything about this resort complex, check it out at least in the article.
And the following photo shows another famous heiress of the family - Josephine Glam-Gallas:
Josephine had a passion for theater and music. She was personally acquainted with Beethoven, and the great composer dedicated two works to her.
During the tour, visitors after the large halls inspect a number of narrow-purpose rooms. The offices and service rooms are followed by the Hunting Salon and original premises, such as the Target Room (for storing targets), a room for storing gilded harnesses and silver collars, an office and others.
Of great interest is the Armory Hall, which was founded by the Rederns in the 16th century:
Therefore, the hall is called so - the Redern Armourer. Several collections of weapons are exhibited in the room. There are both seventeenth and nineteenth century. Guns, rifles, swords, shields, helmets and many other exhibits are on display that are of interest in terms of improving weapons and artistic value.
The Renaissance graphics on the vaults of the hall also attract attention. Coats of arms and medallions resemble story paintings:
But Frýdlant has not only such masculine interiors in abundance. The castle has several salons created exclusively for ladies. They are located in the new part of the castle and furnished in accordance with the traditions of the nineteenth century. The only exception is the ladies' dining room, sheathed in wood and equipped in the Baroque style, typical of the 17th century:
In the ladies' dining room, a collection of Delft ceramics is on display, the furniture is inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl.
The next salon is called the Floral Salon because its walls are covered with colorful floral wallpaper in the style of Louis XVI. The salon is richly decorated with floral motifs, porcelain vases and portraits.
There is no need to introduce all the offices and salons of Friedland. There are only three or four art galleries open in the castle. Large and small dining rooms, kitchens and guest rooms. Unless I also mention the Blue Salon, adjacent to the library:
This room was designed to showcase luxury. There are gilded wallpapers, wall paintings, a handmade Persian carpet.
Friedland Chapel
I will dwell separately on the chapel, which was built in 1598-1602 by Melchior and Ekaterina Redernov (yes, the same “evil Catherine”). The couple invited an architect to rebuild the watchtower into a castle chapel. In 1609, a Liberec carver created a Protestant altar in the chapel. The chapel has retained its original design, but subsequent owners added to it. So another baroque altar appeared:
In 1871, murals from the Berlin artist Dittrich appeared in the chapel, an organ was installed, and balconies for the nobility were equipped:
At the end of the virtual tour of the Frýdlant domain, I would like to show you what wonderful landscapes surround the castle. A similar view opens from almost any window of the castle:
Frydlant Castle is located in a very attractive natural region of the Czech Republic - in the Liberec Region. It is interesting both directly and its surroundings with such a castle as Frýdlant. Friends, get interested in this region, and it will charm you. How to get there, I have already described in detail. From the city, getting to the village of Frydlant and its castle is also easy, but I will present a step-by-step guide for your convenience.
Your euro guide Tatiana
Friedland Castle opened its doors to visitors in 1801. Its exposition tells about medieval life and the life of aristocrats of the XVIII-XIX centuries. In the museum you will see how the Czech noble family lived.
Frýdlant Castle (Hrad a zámek Frýdlant) is located in the Liberec Region, about 145 km from Prague. It rises on a massive basalt rock above the Smneda River in the Jizera Mountains. Friedland is a whole architectural complex, its buildings and adjacent buildings are made in different architectural styles. It consists of medieval fortress XIII century and a Renaissance castle built on the border of the XVI-XVII centuries.
The oldest castle museum
The castle was first mentioned in a document from 1278, where it is said that King Přemysl Otakar II gives it into the possession of Pan Bieberstein. The Redern family owned the castle from 1558 to 1620. The residence was expanded into a representative Renaissance palace. An octagonal stair tower appeared. The facades of the new buildings were painted with sgraffito. Redern participated in the uprising of the Czech estates. For this, Emperor Ferdinand II confiscated the castle and sold it in 1622 to Albrecht Waldstein. In 1634, after the assassination of the generalissimo, Fridlant was presented to Gallas, and since 1757 belonged to the hereditary nobleman Klam-Gallas, who served in the diplomatic and military service of the emperor. His descendants were the last owners. In 1945 the castle became the property of the state.
Towering on a 60-meter cliff, the castle makes a strong impression. The majestic view of Friedland impressed Franz Kafka so much that he wrote a whole novel about it, called "The Castle".
Friedland is the first castle museum in Europe to open its doors to visitors. It became possible to get inside it and see how the owners live in 1801.
Museum exposition
Today, the castle exhibition introduces the medieval life and the life of the nobles of the XVII-XIX centuries. These are men's and women's chambers, different in their decoration; front rooms and utility rooms. The exhibition dedicated to Albrecht Wallenstein and the arsenal, which includes 1000 different types of weapons from the 12th century to World War I, are impressive. In addition to the exposition of antique furniture and castle equipment, there are collections of paintings, porcelain, glass, smoking pipes and children's toys.
For visitors, 6 tours of the castle are organized.
I. Frýdlant Fortress and Castle (main tour)
(fortress, chapel, renaissance castle, private quarters, representative rooms)
Tour duration 90 minutes.
A full ticket costs 180 Kč;
preferential – 130 Kč;
family – 490 Kč;
children under 6 years old - free of charge.
II. Arsenal
III. Frýdlant fortress
IV. Frýdlant Castle
V. Children's excursion
VI. Fridlant treasure
Before visiting the castle, check the opening hours and ticket prices on the official website.
How to get there?
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Frýdlant Castle- a unique architectural masterpiece, towering on a 60-meter cliff in the Czech town of Liberec.
sights
Today, there is a museum on the territory of Friedlant, which is dedicated to Albrecht von Wallenstein and the history of the Thirty Years' War.
The art gallery contains paintings by Czech masters Václav Vavřinec Rainer, Karl Škreta, Petr Brandl, and others.
The rooms of the castle house collections of smoking pipes, weapons, as well as a children's room with unique toys of the late 19th century.
History of the castle
The castle is made in the Renaissance style and was first opened to visitors in 1801.
Translated from German, the name of the castle means "keep the earth." As the legend goes, one local once bequeathed these lands to his sons. , a cult writer of the last century, wrote the novel "The Castle" being impressed by Frýdlant.
The owners of Frýdlant changed very often, which is traditional for all Czech castles.
For 3 centuries, the owners of the castle were the Bieberstein family, the Redern family and even Premysl Otakar, the king of the Czech Republic. All of them were great connoisseurs of beauty.
During the 30 Years' War, Frýdlant passed into the possession of Albrecht von Wallenstein, Generalissimo of the Imperial Army, and for a long time served as an ammunition depot. After his death, Frýdlant passed to Count Matthias Clam-Gallas.
The castle was rebuilt several times after the fires.
At the end of the 18th century, the Neo-Renaissance Castellan wing was added to it.
Castle opening hours
- In April - from 9:00 to 15:30 seven days a week;
- In May, June - from 9:00 to 16:00 seven days a week;
- In July, August - from 9:00 to 16:30 seven days a week;
- In September - from 9:00 to 16:00 seven days a week;
- In October - from 9:00 to 15:30 without days off.
Ticket price
- For adults - 150 kroons;
- For children and students - 100 kroons;
- Family ticket - 400 kroons.
How to get to the castle
The address: Zamecká 4001, 464 01 Frydlant, Czech Republic
Telephone: 482 312 130
Stop: Frydlant v Czechach
GPS: 50.914722,15.083611
By car
First you need to get from Prague to Liberec. You can get to the city with your own car on the R10 highway through Mladá Boleslav (Mladá Boleslav). Travel time - 1.5 hours
From Liberec you need to head north along the road 35 (E442). After three kilometers, turn off onto road number 13 in the direction of Straž nad Nisou, Liberec Makhnin, Frýdlant. You drive along this road for approximately 20 km and arrive at the castle grounds. The parking lot is located 100 m from the Frýdlant gate.
By bus
Every 30 minutes a bus leaves from the Black Bridge bus station. Travel time is approximately 2.5 hours, 125 km. One change in Direction city Frýdlant.
From the bus station to the castle is a tourist route, which is marked with red icons.
By train
You can take the train on. Trains leave almost every hour. Travel time is approximately 4 hours. Most cheap ticket 113 crowns. Direction city Frýdlant v Čechách. 2 changes along the way, in Turnov and Liberec.
As you can see, the castle can be easily reached, which means that Frýdlant Castle is a must visit!
Friedland Castle is located in the north of our country, 25 km from the town, towering on a rock 60 meters high. Like others, it is an architectural masterpiece that never ceases to amaze with its originality. The date of its foundation is 1312, that is, two centuries older than the Liberec Castle, built in the 16th century. However, five years later it was captured and destroyed by the Lithuanians. Then Friedland returned to the control of the Teutonic Order. As a result, a fortress wall was erected around it, and the ditches were widened and deepened. The southwest and northwest crowned two powerful towers, and two small towers crowned the south side of the castle. The master's tower of the castle, that is, the donjon, which is the dominant feature of Friedland, has survived to this day.
The city gates in this fortress castle (12 km from it, for your information, the Libverda resort is located) were erected on the eastern and western sides, and served for defensive purposes. Moreover, the gates even had their own names. The western ones were called Domnautor and in 1895 they were bought for scrapping, while the western ones - Alletor - almost a century earlier, in 1793, were demolished. In the interval between these events, in 1862, the Mill Gate was also demolished - a double gate built on the north side at the beginning of the 16th century and having two different-sized towers. In the first half of the 1700s, the defensive structures in Frinland completely lost their original relevance, and as a result, the ditches were partially filled up, and residential buildings were attached directly to the castle walls.
Coming to Friedland, you will not only see the famous Jizera Mountains (the castle lies just under their crests), but also get acquainted with the sights of this medieval monastery itself. Here is a museum dedicated to such a famous person as Albrecht von Wallenstein and, in general, the history of the Thirty Years' War (during this war, it was the named commander who owned the castle). available in the castle and Art Gallery. It contains paintings by national masters of painting, such as Piotr Brandl, Vaclav Vavrynets Rainer, and others. As for the owners of Friedland, besides Wallenstein, there were quite a lot of them in the castle. Moreover, each of them - this is the Redern family, the Bieberstein family and even the Czech king - were true connoisseurs of beauty. Friedland Castle, built in the Renaissance style, was first opened to visitors in 1801. WITH German language its name translates as "keep the earth". The cult writer Franz Kafka wrote his novel The Castle under the impression of Friedland.
A great idea during your vacation in Prague can be a trip to Venice, where educational excursions are made directly from the Czech capital. This city on the water will enchant you with its canals, gondola rides, palaces, temples and bridges. In addition, during this trip you will have the opportunity to visit the city of Shakespeare's heroes in love, Romeo and Juliet, beautiful Verona. Your vacation with Prague, Venice and Verona will be unforgettable and admirable! More can be found in the section
Once upon a time, in a century that way at 11, a man named Zagvozd lived in these parts. He had seven sons. When the children grew up, the father gave each of them a plot along the Smeda River. This is how a village called Friedland arose, which means “keep the land” in German. The brothers carried out their father's orders as best they could by building a large tower 50 meters high. Every night they kindled a fire on the roof, which served as a beacon for travelers who often passed by the village. The history of the castle began from this tower, although reliable information about the castle appeared only in the 13th century. This tower still stands in the Gothic part of the castle.
Like many castles, Frýdlant changed its owners. Often this happened after wars or because of the ruin of the owners. The greatest contribution to the current appearance of the castle complex was made by the Bieberstein family, who owned the castle for three centuries. Under their strict guidance, the Gothic part of the castle was erected.
At the end of the 16th century, Melchior Redern and his wife Kateryna not only restored the old part of the castle, but also built a new chic Renaissance palace nearby.
In 1801, when the castle belonged to the Clam-Gallas family, the first castle museum in Europe was opened within its walls. In it, the Clam-Gallas demonstrated an extensive collection of weapons and antiquities related to history. medieval castle Czech Republic Fridlant.
On the Knight's path, in full armor to inspect the museum, I go up to the ticket office. Having received a ticket, a booklet and a complete ban on photography, I am waiting in the wings to visit the castle. This waiting is something to take. Panoramic photos, a souvenir shop and an inspection of the defensive wall with a moat - this is an incomplete list.
The hour of X comes unnoticed. The guide unlocks the gate with an old key and through the wooden bridge, I and a group of companions enter the territory of the castle. The first courtyard of the castle makes you gasp and groan with admiration. Before us is a younger Renaissance palace. Its walls are covered with numerous "sgraffito" drawings. This courtyard is called Swedish because in 1648, when the Swedes captured the castle, they built a large horseshoe-shaped wall and hung a plaque with the inscription in Latin "Peace is stronger than war, I go where it leads me fate.Swedish captain Benjamin Magnus Nortmann.There is also a 300-year-old yew, planted at the same time.
We go up the stairs to the old part of the castle, built on a basalt rock. A small courtyard and now we go into the holy of holies of this institution in the old part of the castle. The tour is structured in such a way that, moving from room to room, the visitor learns the history of the castle and its owners from the original source to the present day. To the left of the entrance is the coat of arms of the first owners of the castle of the Ronovtsy family. It has two crossed branches.
In 1278 the castle was sold to the nobleman Roulek from Bieberstein. This family owned the castle for 300 years. Their antler coat of arms can also be seen in this room. Under the coat of arms are plaster casts of the heads of the knights of this family.
The following paintings were dedicated to the owners of the castle, Melchior Redern and his wife Katerzyna, who built the Renaissance palace. More precisely, they depict Katerzhina, who, after the death of her husband, zealously undertook to restore the power of the family. Suffered from such agility, as usual, the peasants and working people. In all the surrounding affairs, she found her own benefit. Even introduced a monopoly on brewing beer. The people called her Evil Catherine. The money earned was used not only for the palace, but also for the trips of Krishtof's son abroad. This was necessary to maintain the image of the nobility. There are only remains from the old owner in the room. The epic of this kind ended sadly. The younger Redern took part in the mutiny on the wrong side. They were defeated at the Battle of White Mountain. Krystof flees abroad. The castle is confiscated by the government.
next room and again new owner. This time Albrecht from Wallenstein. This gentleman was able to buy a confiscated castle. Under him, there was no new construction in the castle. But in terms of the interior, Albrecht did a great job. His piece of glory and closeness to the King of the Czech Republic, a subject of His Majesty acquired courage in the battle at the White Mountain. The battle on the side of the emperor allowed him to amass a large fortune, which he subsequently increased through various frauds. In the end, the desire to be on top, that is, to be king, led to a deplorable result. A conspiracy with the Swedes against the Habsburgs was revealed, and the conspirator was killed.
In the next hall, called the Knight's Hall, we were met by a new branch of the Clam-Gallas owners, who received the castle. Each portrait of a nobleman is accompanied by a portrait of his wife. The picture epic continues in the hall called At the Piano. It was not placed here by chance. The owner of the castle at that time, Josephine, and her husband were very fond of and supported the theater and music and were personally acquainted with Beethoven. Their portraits hang over the piano.
The next generation of owners is represented by their son Eduard. The man went to the military path. He took part in many battles in the Austro-Prussian War of 1868. In his office you can see the highest European order - the Order of the Golden Fleece.
An excursion flows through the back rooms like a river. Stretcher, targets, hunting trophies, canteen. So we slowly move towards the Armory Hall. Here is the oldest exposition of weapons, starting from the 16th century.
On this tour of the Gothic wing came to a logical end. Across the street we go to the Renaissance wing. There are ladies' and men's rooms, children's rooms and servants' rooms. They are located along a long corridor. By the second hour, the tour had already begun to get a little fed up and my attentiveness had decreased to a minimum. A small sketch of what we managed to shoot will complete the tour of the castle.
The way back passed along the hill and opened the view of the castle in all its glory.
