Olomouc Castle

Olomouc, Czech Republic

The first written mention of the castle in Olomouc is included in the Cosmas Chronicle in 1055. The king Wenceslas III, the last Přemyslid, also stayed at the castle and was assassinated here in 1306. In 1767 the young Mozart stayed in the house of the Chapter Provost on the castle grounds and composed Symphony No. 6 in F major here. Some of the recent celebrities who have visited the site are Mother Theresa or Pope John Paul II.

After being partially damaged during the Thirty Years’ War, the medieval castle grounds were reconstructed in the Baroque style over a period of almost one century. Today, there remains little visible evidence of the significance and power of this castle. As time went on, the castle was overbuilt with religious buildings and the Wenceslas cathedral.

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Václavské náměstí 3, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Czech Republic

More Information

tourism.olomouc.eu

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Holy Trinity Column (0,9 km)
St. Maurice Church (0,8 km)
St. Wenceslas Cathedral (0,1 km)
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Hradisko Monastery (0,9 km)


Kromeriz Castle and Gardens (34,6 km)
Bouzov Castle (29,3 km)
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Buchlov Castle (54,7 km)

User Reviews

Petr Hopjan (2 years ago)
Zajimava vystava
George O´Harek (2 years ago)
Významné místo dějin českého státu z doby Přemyslovců. Zachovalé kamenné pozůstatky pův. hradu z 11. st. jsou dnes přístupné při návštěvě Arcidiecezního muzea. Postupně ( od r. 1141 ) toto místo bylo především novým sídlem moravského biskupství ( obnoveného r. 1063 ). Z tohoto období pochází nejcennější románské stavební památky. Gotickou dobu vedle katedrály prezentuje hlavně křížová chodba s pův. obrazovými výjevy a kaple sv Jana Křtitele.
Josef Maňas (3 years ago)
Nádherná stavba viditelná už z dálky.Druhá nejvyšší věž v republice.Za zmínku stoji úžasné nástěnné malby,vnitřní zahrada.Je zde toto samozřejmě mnohem více.Zastavte se při cestě do Olomouce,nebudete litovat.
vilana marta (3 years ago)
looks lovely in night.
Fulvio Flamini (5 years ago)
Hidden from the main road, looks like a treasure to discover. Beautiful and dense of history.
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Historic Site of the week

Glimmingehus

Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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