Schlettau Castle, Schlettau, Germany

Schlettau Castle dates probably from the 13th century. In the 14th century the castle was extended to a Gothic-style castle palace by the Schönburg-Crimmitschau family.

From 1413 to 1536 Schlettau belonged to the Cistercians. After the secularization in 1536 it became the property of the Saxon Electors, who used it as a hunting lodge. The still existing stuctures consist of a Renaissance section (about 1620) and two Baroque wings (early 18th century). Today it is restored and hosts a museum.

User Reviews

Werner Lehmann (2 months ago)
Super kann ich jedem empfehlen auch mit Kindern. Essen gibt es auch, es geht schnell.

Matthias Weigel (2 months ago)
Nettes kleines Schloss wo man mit Kindern die Ausstellung besuchen kann. Alles ist schön hergerichtet.

Jörg Jevlasch (3 months ago)
Heute hat es, wie die ganze vergange Woche geregnet. Also was tun? Am besten was mit Dach drüber. Also ab zum Schloss ? Schlettau. Da wir die ersten Gäste des Tages waren musste ich in fast allen Zimmern das Licht anschalten. So sind wir durch alle Räume des Schlosses gewandert. Für mich interessant. Um noch mal auf den Regen zurück zu kommen: wir wären gerne durch den Schlosspark gegangen - leider zu nass. Das ist ein Grund mal wieder zu kommen. Also: gerne wieder!

Karsten Hess (3 months ago)
Schönes Schloß und schöner Garten. Ist ein schöner Ausflug gewesen. Das Restaurant im Schloß sah sehr gut aus. War leider nicht drin. Immer wieder gerne.

Corinna John (3 months ago)
Können nur den Schlosspark bewerten. Der Besuch des Schlosses blieb uns leider verwehrt.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Ana Paula Hirama

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The Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc is a Baroque monument built in 1716–1754 in honour of God. The main purpose was a spectacular celebration of Catholic Church and faith, partly caused by feeling of gratitude for ending a plague, which struck Moravia between 1713 and 1715. The column was also understood to be an expression of local patriotism, since all artists and master craftsmen working on this monument were Olomouc citizens, and almost all depicted saints were connected with the city of Olomouc in some way. The column is the biggest Baroque sculptural group in the Czech Republic. In 2000 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

The column is dominated by gilded copper sculptures of the Holy Trinity accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel on the top and the Assumption of the Virgin beneath it.

The base of the column, in three levels, is surrounded by 18 more stone sculptures of saints and 14 reliefs in elaborate cartouches. At the uppermost stage are saints connected with Jesus’ earth life – his mother’s parents St. Anne and St. Joachim, his foster-father St. Joseph, and St. John the Baptist, who was preparing his coming – who are accompanied by St. Lawrence and St. Jerome, saints to whom the chapel in the Olomouc town hall was dedicated. Three reliefs represent the Three theological virtues Faith, Hope, and Love.

Below them, the second stage is dedicated to Moravian saints St. Cyril and St. Methodius, who came to Great Moravia to spread Christianity in 863, St. Blaise, in whose name one of the main Olomouc churches is consecrated, and patrons of neighbouring Bohemia St. Adalbert of Prague and St. John of Nepomuk, whose following was very strong there as well.

In the lowest stage one can see the figures of an Austrian patron St. Maurice and a Bohemian patron St. Wenceslas, in whose names two important Olomouc churches were consecrated, another Austrian patron St. Florian, who was also viewed as a protector against various disasters, especially fire, St. John of Capistrano, who used to preach in Olomouc, St. Anthony of Padua, a member of the Franciscan Order, which owned an important monastery in Olomouc, and St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a patron of students. His sculpture showed that Olomouc was very proud of its university. Reliefs of all twelve apostles are placed among these sculptures.

The column also houses a small chapel inside with reliefs depicting Cain's offering from his crop, Abel's offering of firstlings of his flock, Noah's first burnt offering after the Flood, Abraham's offering of Isaac and of a lamb, and Jesus' death. The cities of Jerusalem and Olomouc can be seen in the background of the last mentioned relief.

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