Vodní tvrz Jeseník, Water castle in Jeseník, Czech Republic
Vodní tvrz Jeseník is a water castle sitting on Castle Square in the center of Jeseník, built with thick stone walls and a water-filled moat as part of its defensive design. The structure follows the Piast castle style and combines living quarters with fortified sections.
The castle was built in the 13th century by the Silesian Piasts to serve as a stronghold along the route connecting Silesia and Moravia. Over the following centuries it changed hands several times and was gradually expanded and rebuilt.
The fortress houses a regional museum where visitors can explore displays about everyday life, crafts, and the history of the surrounding area. The objects on show come from the region and give a concrete sense of what life was like here over the centuries.
The entrance is right on Castle Square in the center of town, so it is easy to find on foot from most of the surrounding area. Guided tours of the interior are available and worth taking, as many details inside are hard to follow without explanation.
The museum holds documents and testimonies from the 17th-century witch trials in which over 100 people from the surrounding area were condemned. These trials were among the largest in Central Europe and took place almost entirely within this small region.
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