Hukvaldy Castle, Castle ruins on Castle Hill in Hukvaldy, Czech Republic.
Hukvaldy Castle is a castle ruin set on a forested hill in the Moravian region of the Czech Republic, made up of six separate sections connected by individual gateways. It is one of the largest castle ruins in the country by area, with long stretches of walls running across the hilltop.
The castle was first documented in 1285, built by the Lords of Příbor as a replacement for Jičín Castle, which they lost between 1260 and 1270. In 1359 it was bought by Jan Očko z Vlašimi and donated to the Olomouc bishops, who made it the administrative centre of their Hukvaldy estate. A lightning strike set it on fire in 1762, after which it was abandoned and left in ruins.
Each year, the castle grounds host a music festival honoring Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer who came from the nearby village of Hukvaldy. Visitors can attend classical concerts performed among the old walls, which gives the event a setting found nowhere else.
The castle occupies the top of a long ridge, with a circuit of about 800 m and walls 2 m thick reinforced by nine towers. The second gate, beneath the 34 m Kulatina tower, is today's main entrance. The site is divided into six successive sections, each reached through its own gate, so allow time to walk the whole length.
The castle grounds contain a game reserve that dates back to the 16th century, where fallow deer and mouflons roam freely among old oak and lime trees. This reserve is still active today, making it one of the oldest of its kind in Central Europe.
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