Zámek Hluboká

The mornings are quite eerie in the Czech Republic as fog engulfs the land. They say 11 o'clock will tell you how the rest of the day will be; either the fog stays for the remainder of the day, or the sun breaks through and it's lovely outside. Mom and I patiently waited for 11 o'clock to come as we walked across town from my flat to the train station in Strakonice (about 25 minutes). As we rode the train, there was zero visibility outside. It seemed like we were taking part in a horror film and passing ghost towns along the way. 

Originally, we were taking the train to Ceske Budejovice, where we would then board a bus to Hluboka nad Vltavou, but the tracks were under construction that day. We had to get off the train at one stop, then board a shuttle bus to bypass the construction, and return to the train at a further stop. Fortunately, that train stop was Hluboka nad Vltavou, so our trip was made shorter! However, the train station is much further away from the centrum than the bus stop, so I asked an old man how to get to the castle. He said it was about a 3km walk, or almost 2 miles, but he offered to drive us up to the centrum in his car. Now, normally, I would never go in a car with strangers, but this is the Czech Republic, and this was a small town with a very nice old man, so I told my mom to get in the car. It's strange how I've adapted to this culture. I mean, I've let down my guard considerably since arrival, and it makes me feel anxious yet relieved simultaneously. As Dorothy would say, "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore".

You may be asking why we ventured to Hluboka nad Vlatavou. The reason would be because my colleague recommended that we visit Hluboka Castle, one of the most famous castles in the country. We immediately noticed why upon arrival. Here is the view of the town as we walked uphill to the castle.

Hluboka nad Vltavou

The castle grounds were especially breathtaking this time of year.

As were some more of the views.

The best part about visiting the Czech Republic at the end of October is that it isn't peak tourist season. This means we received private tours in English for the price of a regular tour admission at every attraction we visited. It was actually pretty awesome!

Mom Admiring the Foliage

The castle was originally built in the 13th century as a guarding castle for the Kings of Bohemia (a region in the Czech Republic). Several aristocratic families took turns owning it over the centuries, but the last, and most prominent, family was the Schwarzenbergs. This name should sound familiar to you because the family owned Orlik Castle (see previous post: Zamek Orlik) in addition to various other properties in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.

Castle Door Handle

Castle Courtyard

As with most castles, you cannot take pictures inside, but here are some from the castle's website gallery to give you a little taste of the decor. Most royal families did not buy furniture, but merely inherited it over time. Thus, most of the decor dates back to even the 13th century. It was not unusual for families to utilize various pieces of old furniture to create something more modern either.

Stained Glass Windows

This next picture is of the dining room. Actually, it's quite fascinating. In this picture, the table looks like it only fits about ten people, but you can extend it to the length of the entire room so that it fits 72 people! Also, many of the ceilings in the castle are made of wood and intricately carved into beautiful designs. It must have taken years to complete by one artist, but it is such a beautiful work of art!

This is a sitting room for guests and entertaining. 

This is the porcelain room. It has lovely blue, hand-painted plates hung on the walls. Again, all of the wooden walls in this room have intricately carved designs made by hand.

This is the lady's sitting room. Another fascinating aspect of the castle is the wallpaper. They didn't have sheets of wall paper like we do these days. Each wall is actually hand painted with designs to make it look like the wall paper we know today. Again, a very time consuming and expensive aspect of the castle, but absolutely gorgeous!

This was the last renovation to the castle; a Neo-Renaissance balcony. It's quite gorgeous. There was a newlywed couple taking wedding pictures near the castle while we were visiting, which is quite common here!

Neo-Renaissance Balcony

Also, during its last renovation, Hluboka was designed after Windsor Castle in England.

Hluboka Castle

Mom Pretending to be Royalty

You know when you get to the end of the tour, and the guide asks if you have any questions, and if not they will show you the way out, but secretly they do not want you to ask any questions. Well, yeah, I'm that annoying tourist. I was curious to know why Orlik Castle was returned to the Schwarzenbergs after the Velvet Revolution and demise of Communism, but Hluboka remained a property of the state. I bet you're curious now, too! 

So, the Schwarzenberg family was split into two branches; one branch owned Orlik castle while the other branch owned Hluboka castle. Basically, it comes down to an ancestor having two sons, so the inheritance was split and each son gained one property. Well, before Communism came to the Czech Republic, there was Fascism under Hitler from Germany. Apparently, Hitler was not a fan of the Schwarzenbergs. The last owner of Hluboka, Dr. Adolf Schwarzenberg, emigrated overseas to the United States to escape the Nazis. You see, when you're a wealthy aristocrat, you really have no choice but to support Hitler (and later Stalin), or they will kill you. Dr. Adolf came up with another alternative: fleeing the country. Unfortunately, he died childless and Hluboka was turned over to the state in 1947. One year later, Communism was in full effect in the Czech Republic until 1989. So, why can't Schwarzenberg descendants have their property back? Wasn't all private property supposed to be returned after Communism ended? Why, yes, of course, except the law only stated that property confiscated from 1948-1989 would be returned to its original owners. Hluboka was state owned one year too early! The Schwarzenbergs continue to fight to gain back their property to this day.