Horní Cerekev Castles, Cultural monument in Horní Cerekev, Czech Republic.
Horní Cerekev Castles is a castle complex in the Ceskomoravska Vrchovina region, sitting at 600 meters above sea level on elevated terrain. The ensemble comprises several interconnected structures with walls and multiple wings that form a layered arrangement across the site.
A fortress stood here from around 1300, built for Dobeš z Bechyně. Jan Leskovec had it rebuilt in Renaissance style, and in 1734 the Regal family converted it into a château. The Hohenzollerns owned it from 1842 to 1948, after which it was nationalised and divided into flats.
The name Cerekev comes from the Czech word for a small church, referring to the parish church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary beside the château. A covered passage links the château to the church oratory through the officials' house called Bašta. The château has been privately owned since 1994 and serves as a summer residence.
The château stands on the bank of Zámecký rybník, next to the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. It is not normally open to the public; interiors can be viewed on request from the caretaker. The building is a private summer residence, so visits depend on the owner's consent.
The Hohenzollerns held Horní Cerekev from 1842 to 1948, but never lived there: the château housed their officials. After the 1948 communist takeover it was nationalised and divided into flats, and since 1994 it has belonged to the Přenosil couple, who carried out a general reconstruction.
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