The Castle of Nové Hrady

The Castle of Nové Hrady (trans. New Castles) was in all likelihood built in the first half of 13th century on the point above the little river of “Stropnice” and “Novohradský potok” stream nearby an important Vitoraz trade route from Austria to Bohemia. It is also probable that the Castle was from the beginning designed as a “pass-through castle” with two gateways. The dominant feature of the castle used to be the round tower (Bergfried or The Keep) situated inside the courtyard, which dissolved after a gunpowder explosion in 1573 as well as the oldest palace on the east side did. Among the oldest parts which have come down to present days you can see the peripheral fencing and the tower above the west gateway.

In late Gothic time the new fencing was built strengthened with several bastions built in it in order to protect the defenders as well as to make the flanking fire possible from the side loopholes – a new defensive element at that time. The fortification ward made the defence stronger and enabled the soldiers to move continuously. The new Renaissance palace in the west face of the castle was also built and the windows of the palace are one of the very first tokens of Renaissance in South Bohemia. Other buildings to emerge in the 16th century were the new tower above the north gate and the suzerain's brewery. A rebuilding by turn of the 17th century followed the mentioned gunpowder explosion that besides the tower damaged many other buildings of the castle. The castle was completely rebuilt and embattled with a mighty moat.

When in the first half of the 17th century the castle ceased to serve as a residence of suzerains (because it had ceased to meet the comfort standard request) other little reconstruction were undertaken to accommodate the building to the new usage – flats for clerks and farmsteading. The flats in the castle remained together with a little exhibition (opened in 1950s) until 1980s when a large reconstruction started.