Friedland Castle is the guardian of the northern borders of the Czech Republic. Medieval Gothic Czech castle Frýdlant Castle Friedland how to get from Prague

Frýdlant castle- a unique architectural masterpiece, towering on a 60-meter cliff in the Czech town of Liberec.

sights

Today on the territory of Friedlant there is a museum dedicated to Albrecht von Wallenstein and the history of the Thirty Years War.

The art gallery contains canvases by Czech masters Václav Vavřínc Rainer, Karl Škreta, Petr Brandl, and others.

The rooms of the castle house collections of smoking pipes, weapons, as well as a children's room with unique toys of the late 19th century.

Castle history

The castle is made in the Renaissance style and was first opened to visitors in 1801.
Translated from German, the name of the castle means "keep the land." Legend has it that a local resident once bequeathed these lands to his sons. , a cult writer of the last century, wrote the novel "The Castle" under the impression of Friedlant.

The owners of Frýdlant changed very often, which is traditional for all Czech castles.
For 3 centuries, the owners of the castle were the Biberstein family, the Redern family and even Přemysl Otakar, the king of Bohemia. All of them were great connoisseurs of beauty.

During the 30-year war, Frýdlant passed into the possession of Albrecht von Wallenstein, Generalissimo of the Imperial Army, and for a long time served as a warehouse for ammunition. After his death, Frýdlant passed to Count Matthias Klam-Gallas.
The castle was rebuilt several times after the fires.

At the end of the 18th century, a neo-Renaissance Castellan wing was added to it.

Castle opening hours

• In April - from 9:00 to 15:30 seven days a week;
• In May, June - from 9:00 to 16:00 seven days a week;
• In July, August - from 9:00 to 16:30 seven days a week;
• In September - from 9:00 to 16:00 seven days a week;
• In October - from 9:00 to 15:30 seven days a week.

Ticket prices

• Adults - 150 CZK;
• For children and students - 100 CZK;
• Family ticket - 400 CZK.

How to get to the castle

The address: Zámecká 4001, 464 01 Frýdlant, Czech Republic
Telephone: 482 312 130
Stop: Frýdlant v Čechách
GPS: 50.914722,15.083611

By car
First you need to get from Prague to Liberec. You can get to the city with your own car along the R10 highway through Mladá Boleslav. Travel time - 1.5 hours

From Liberec, head north along the road 35 (E442). After three kilometers, take road number 13 in the direction of Strazh nad Nisou, Liberec Makhnin, Frýdlant. On this road you drive about 20 km and arrive at the castle grounds. The parking lot is located 100 meters from the Frýdlant gate.

By bus
A bus leaves every 30 minutes from the Black Most bus station. Travel time is approximately 2.5 hours, 125 km. One transfer at. Direction city Frýdlant.

From the bus station to the castle there is a tourist trail marked with red signs.

By train
You can take the train. Trains leave almost every hour. The journey takes approximately 4 hours. Most cheap ticket 113 CZK. Direction city Frýdlant v Čechách. On the way there are 2 transfers, in Turnov and Liberec.

As you can see, the castle is easily accessible, which means that Frýdlant Castle is a must visit!

There are a lot of beautiful castles in the Czech Republic, and in my blog I will show you the most interesting of them and tell you how to get to them and what interesting things you can see in them. And my first story will be about Czech castle Friedlant.

Frýdlant Castle (Zámek Frýdlant) is a castle and castle, which became the first castle, which was opened for tourists already in 1801.

The castle is located 130 km from Prague and 20 km from the city of Liberec, almost on the border with Poland. The castle was built on a 60-meter rock and due to the complexity of building the castle in width, it was built in height.

You can independently reach the castle or public transport... We first took the Studentagency bus to the city of Liberec, and then made a change in the city to a train to the city of Frýdlant, which is the most optimal route in time.

On the server of the Czech Republic, there is now a train replacement program sponsored by the European Union and now there are new comfortable trains running there.

From the castle you can see the Jizera Mountains, which are a 40 km long mountain range on the border of the Czech Republic and Poland. Coniferous forests grow on the slopes of the mountains and after a cold I breathed well in this place.

You can only get to the castle with a guide, you won't be able to walk around the castle just like that. On the day we went to the castle, the excursions were in Czech, Polish and German... If you buy an excursion in Russian travel agencies, then the excursion will be in Russian. But you can easily join any group, because at the box office you will be given a booklet in Russian, which contains all the information that the guide tells.

The castle is open from April to October, in winter time it is closed, like most Czech castles.

The downside of most castles is the ban on photographing interiors in the castle. There is really a lot to see in Friedlant and the tour lasts 2 hours!

What can be seen in the castle:

• Gothic castle and Renaissance castle;
• Many well-preserved rooms displaying antique porcelain, glass, furniture;
• A rich collection of weapons from the Hussite wars to the 19th century, as well as hunting trophies;
• An art gallery with works by Baroque artists and a unique collection of smoking pipes;
• The kitchen, which has preserved old dishes and utensils, by the way, this collection of utensils is the largest in the Czech Republic.

The main exposition of the castle is devoted to the history of the 30-year war and historical events associated with the owner of the castle, Duke Albrecht Wallenstein.

There is a legend that Franz Kafka was so impressed by this castle that he later wrote the novel "The Castle". Although it is known that he began work on the novel in popular Czech ski resort Spindleruv Mlyn.

Friedland Castle opened its doors to visitors back in 1801. Its exposition tells about the medieval life and life of aristocrats of the 18th-19th centuries. In the museum you will see how the Czech noble family lived.

Frýdlant Castle (Hrad a zámek Frýdlant) is located in the Liberec Region, about 145 km from Prague. It rises on a massive basalt rock above the Smneda River in the Jizera Mountains. Friedland is a whole architectural complex, its buildings and adjacent buildings are made in different architectural styles... It consists of medieval fortress XIII century and the Renaissance castle, built on the border of the XVI-XVII centuries.

The oldest castle museum

The castle was first mentioned in a document from 1278, where it is said that King Přemysl Otakar II transferred it into the possession of Pan Bieberstein. From 1558 to 1620 the castle was owned by the Raedern family. The residence was expanded into a representative Renaissance palace. An octagonal stair tower appeared. The facades of the new buildings were sgraffito painted. Raedern took part in the uprising of the Czech estates. For this, Emperor Ferdinand II confiscated the castle and sold it in 1622 to Albrecht Waldstein. In 1634, after the assassination of the Generalissimo, Frýdlant was presented to Gallas, and from 1757 it belonged to the hereditary nobleman Klam-Gallas, who served in the diplomatic and military service of the emperor. His descendants were the last owners. In 1945, the castle became the property of the state.

The castle towering on a 60-meter cliff makes a strong impression. Franz Kafka was so impressed by the majestic view of Friedland that he wrote a whole novel about him, called The Castle.

Friedland is the first castle museum in Europe to open its doors to visitors. It became possible to get inside it and see how the owners live in 1801.

Museum exposition

Today, the castle exhibition introduces the medieval life and life of the noblemen of the 17th-19th centuries. These are men's and women's chambers, different in their decoration; ceremonial rooms and utility rooms. An impressive exhibition dedicated to Albrecht Wallenstein and an arsenal of 1000 different types of weapons from the 12th century to the 1st world war... In addition to the exposition of antique furniture and castle equipment, there are collections of paintings, porcelain, glass, smoking pipes and children's toys.

6 tours of the castle are organized for visitors.

I. Frýdlant Fortress and Castle (main tour)
(fortress, chapel, Renaissance chateau, private quarters, representative premises)
Tour duration is 90 minutes.

A full ticket costs 180 Kč;
concessionary - 130 Kč;
family - 490 Kč;
children under 6 years old - free.

II. Arsenal
III. Frýdlant fortress
IV. Frýdlant castle
V. Children's excursion
Vi. Frýdlant treasure

Before visiting the castle, check the opening hours and ticket prices on the official website.

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Once upon a time, in a century that way, at 11, a man named Zagvozd lived in these parts. He had seven sons. When the children grew up, the father, the father allocated each of them a plot along the Smeda River. So a village called Friedland arose, which in translation from German, keep the land. The brothers fulfilled their father's order as best they could, building a large tower 50 meters high. Every night on the roof, they kindled a fire, which served as a beacon for travelers who often drove by the village. The history of the castle began from this tower, although reliable information about the castle appeared only in the 13th century. This tower still stands in the Gothic part of the castle.

Like many castles, Frýdlant changed owners. This often happened after wars or due to the ruin of the owners. The greatest contribution to the current appearance of the castle complex was made by the Biberstein family, who owned the castle for three centuries. Under their strict guidance, the Gothic part of the castle was erected.
At the end of the 16th century, Melchior Redern and his wife Kateřina not only restored the old part of the castle, but also built a new luxurious Renaissance palace nearby.
In 1801, when the castle belonged to the Klam-Gallas family, the first castle museum in Europe was opened within its walls. In it, the Clam-Gallases demonstrated an extensive collection of weapons and antiques related to history. medieval castle Czech Republic Frýdlant.
Along the Knights' Trail, fully armed to inspect the museum, I come to the ticket office. Having received a ticket, a booklet and a complete ban on photos, I wait in the wings to visit the castle. This waiting has something to do. Panoramic photos, a souvenir shop and an inspection of the defensive wall with a moat - this is not a complete list.
The X-hour comes imperceptibly. The guide unlocks the gate with an old key and through wooden bridge I and a group of companions enter the territory of the castle. The first courtyard of the castle makes you gasp and groan with admiration. Before us is a younger Renaissance palace. Its walls are covered with numerous sgraffito drawings. This courtyard is called Swedish, because in 1648, when the Swedes took over the castle, they built a large horseshoe-shaped wall and hung a plaque with the inscription in Latin "The world is stronger than war, I go where it leads my destiny. Swedish captain Benjamin Magnus Northmann. There is also a 300 year old yew, planted at the same time.
We climb the stairs to the old part of the castle, erected on a basalt rock. A small courtyard and here we go into the holy of holies of this institution in the old part of the castle. The tour is structured in such a way that, passing from room to room, the visitor learns the history of the castle and its owners from the original source to the present day. To the left of the entrance is the coat of arms of the first owners of the castle of the Ronov family. It has two crossed branches.
In 1278 the castle was sold to the nobleman Rulek of Bieberstein. This family owned the castle for 300 years. Their antler coat of arms can also be seen in this room. Under the coat of arms there are plaster casts of the heads of the knights of this family.
The following paintings are dedicated to the owners of the castle, Melchior Redern and his wife Kateřina, who built the Renaissance palace. More precisely, they depict Katezhina, who, after the death of her husband, zealously undertook to restore the power of the clan. As usual, the peasants and working people suffered from such agility. In all the surrounding affairs, she found her benefit. Even introduced a monopoly on brewing beer. The people called her the Evil Catherine. The money earned went not only to the palace, but also to the trips of Krishtof's son abroad. This was necessary to maintain the image of the nobility. From the old master, there are only remains in the room. An epic of this kind ended sadly. The younger Raedern took part in the mutiny on the wrong side. In the battle at White Mountain, they were defeated. Krishtof flees abroad. The castle is confiscated by the government.
The next room and again the new owner. This time Albrecht from Wallenstein. This gentleman was able to buy the confiscated castle. Under him, there was no new construction in the castle. But in terms of the interior, Albrecht did a great job. His Majesty's subject acquired his piece of glory and closeness to the king of Bohemia by courage in the battle at the White Mountain. The battle on the side of the emperor allowed him to amass a large fortune, which he subsequently multiplied through various machinations. In the end, the desire to be at the top, that is, to be a king, led to a disastrous result. The conspiracy with the Swedes against the Habsburgs was discovered, and the conspirator was killed.
In the next room, called Knightly, we were greeted by a new branch of the Clam-Gallas owners who received the castle. Each portrait of a nobleman is accompanied by a portrait of his wife. The picture epic continues in the room called At the Piano. It was not put here by chance. The owner of the castle at that time Iosifina and her husband loved and supported theater and music very much and were personally acquainted with Beethoven. Their portraits hang over the piano.
The next generation of owners is represented by their son Edward. The man went to the military path. He took part in many battles in the Austro-Prussian War of 1868. In his office, you can see the highest European order - the Order of the Golden Fleece.
The excursion flows through the utility rooms like a river. Stretcher, targets, hunting trophies, canteen. So we are slowly moving towards the Armory Hall. It houses the oldest display of weapons dating back to the 16th century.
This is where the tour of the Gothic wing came to a logical end. We go across the street into the Renaissance wing. There are ladies' and men's rooms, rooms for children and servants. They are located along a long corridor. By the second hour, the excursion had already begun to puff up a little and my attentiveness had decreased to a minimum. A small sketch from what we managed to shoot will complete the tour of the castle.
The way back went along the hill and opened the castle in all its glory.

• The address: Zámecká 4001, 464 01 Frýdlant, Czech Republic
• Telephone: +420 482 312 130
• Site: zamek-frydlant.cz
• Working hours: 9: 00-16: 00, Mon - closed

In the very north, the amazing old castle Friedland (Frýdlant) rises. The history of its existence is more than 700 years old, which will undoubtedly interest any history buff. Despite the fact that popular tourist routes cover the southern regions of the state, it is Friedland that often makes travelers change their course and go to the north of the country.

Friedland Castle Legend

According to ancient legends, the castle got its name from the lands on which it stands. One nobleman, bequeathing them to his seven sons, proclaimed: "Keep the land!"

Building

Originally on the site of the present castle there was a watchtower 50 m high. Every night a fire was lit on it, which served as a guide for travelers, since this area is located just at the intersection of the main trade routes from the Czech Republic to Poland. It happened in the XI century. Later, other buildings of the castle complex began to appear around the tower, but it still differs markedly against their background.

Friedland Castle was completed several times. Around the watchtower, the early part (grad) gradually emerged, built in the Gothic style, and then the left wing was added in the Renaissance style. The late castle was completed already in the 19th century. The majestic structure is located in one part on a cliff 60 m high, gradually descending into the plain.

Castle Chronicles

The first owners, or rather the founders of the castle, were Ronovtsy, a noble Czech family. The growing influence of the family alarmed the royal power, and soon the family fell out of favor, and Friedland Castle became the property of the crown. Subsequently, it was owned by such famous names as Bieberstein, Redern, Wallenstein. The last owner of Friedland was Clotilde Glam-Gallas, who lived there until 1945.

Interior decoration

Around Friedland Castle - this is an acquaintance with its rich history and admiration for the luxurious setting. For a while (if you wander around the castle corridors, halls and boudoirs for a long time), you can feel like a regal person. Places worth visiting such as:

How to get to Friedland Castle?

The first castle in Europe to open its doors is located near the city, so getting here is not difficult. You can go by train or bus, which leaves every hour, the journey will also take 1 one hour. The shortest way here is by car. Moving along the highway number 13, you can get there in just half an hour, and leave the car in a paid parking lot.