Chateau Žinkovy

My husband’s relatives visited us last weekend and we took them out for a dinner. On our way to the restaurant we were passing by a pond, at whose end we could see a chateau together with its shiny reflection. What a beautiful view… I knew the chateau as I had already been there before and I decided to come back there as soon as possible to check on its present condition and perhaps take a few photos. I did as I had decided and yesterday we (i.e. I and my family) spent 3 interesting hours enriched with a few surprises in the area.

When we arrived at the pond, sky was full of clouds and we couldn’t see any shiny chateau reflection I was hoping for. Never mind, I didn’t give up and here is another reflection we met along the way:

When we approached the chateau, I was quite surprised to see new buildings there. They were a restaurant and a hotel and obviously there has been some reconstruction work in process on the premises.

Later I got to know that the chateau had been bought by a foreign company intending to change it into a tourist and congress centre. If realised, it might be a good solution. The chateau is in bad condition (well, to say awful would be more appropriate here) and whatever is done to restore it is good. I have to admit that I wasn’t able to shoot those battered and dirty walls which repelled me and so I won’t show you the front face of the chateau. But take a look at this detail of the roof, isn’t it charming?

And this is the back part of the chateau:

There is also a large park belonging to the chateau. I’ve never seen it and it was closed this time so I’m looking forward to see it in its new cloths. These trees are decorating the edge of the pond:

To mention some of the chateau’s history, I have to start in the 12th century when a water castle was built at the edge of the pond. The castle was rebuilt in the 17th century in a baroque style but a dramatic change came about at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries when it was bought by an Austrian architect. In accordance with French architecture, he let the castle change into a pseudo-renaissance chateau.

Unfortunately, after the end of WWII communists seized power in the Czech Republic and confiscated the chateau (as well as other private possession). It was used as a trade-union recreation facility then and the buildings were slowly falling into disrepair. What a shame. After the “velvet revolution” in 1989 the political situation changed and the chateau was offered for sale. The foreign company I’ve already mentioned bought it, invested some money in it and hopefully the chateau will find its beauty again…