Rožmberk, Gothic castle in Rožmberk nad Vltavou, Czech Republic
Rožmberk Castle is a medieval fortification in Rožmberk nad Vltavou, in the South Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, built on a rocky spur directly above the Vltava River. It consists of an upper and a lower section joined by walls and walkways, and holds the status of a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
The castle was founded in the 13th century by the Rosenberg family, who developed it into one of the most powerful noble seats in Bohemia. After the family line ended in the early 17th century, ownership changed several times and the complex was gradually altered over the following centuries.
Ownership passed from the Rosenbergs to the Schwanbergs and then, after 1620, to the Buquoy counts, who held the castle until their expropriation in 1945. The anglophile Georg Johann Heinrich von Buquoy refurnished rooms such as the Kreuzgalerie, the armoury and the Rosenberg Rooms, and the family gallery also dates from his time.
The castle is reached by climbing paths and stone stairs cut into the rock, so sturdy footwear is recommended. The two sections sit at noticeably different heights, so allow enough time to move between them without rushing.
The castle's oldest surviving structure is the Gothic round tower Jakobínka, about 9.6 metres in diameter, on the upper castle; the surrounding residential and utility buildings date from the 19th century. The lower castle, rebuilt as a Renaissance château in the 16th century, was remodelled in Neo-Gothic style between 1840 and 1857.
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