Rybniční zámeček, Neoclassical hunting lodge in Lednice, Czech Republic.
Rybniční zámeček is a neoclassical hunting lodge and salet on the northern slope of the Prostřední rybník pond near Lednice. Its simple rectangular plan has symmetrical facades, a roof hidden behind an attic and balustrades, and two triangular-gabled entrances, one facing the pond and one the road. Inside, a wide horseshoe staircase leads to a first-floor hall with a balcony overlooking the water.
Prince Johann I of Liechtenstein commissioned the lodge, built in 1814–1816 to a design by Vienna architect Joseph Kornhäusel. In the 1820s, openwork arcade walls were added on both sides but demolished in the 1840s. From 1922 part of the building was rented to the Biological Station of the Brno Agricultural College, and from the 1950s an ornithology station occupied it.
The lodge's German name, Jägerhaus, recalls its use for occasional duck hunts and fishing parties by the Liechtenstein nobility. The upper floor held the family's rooms, while a gamekeeper and later a gardener lived on the ground floor, where a cow stable was also housed at first.
The best way to reach the lodge is by following marked paths through the surrounding ponds and gardens. It is advisable to wear comfortable shoes since the paths often run along the water and can be slippery in wet weather.
The building is more a villa than a castle: the upper floor held the princely rooms, while a gamekeeper, later a gardener, lived on the ground floor, where a cow shed was also housed at first. In the 1820s, openwork arcade walls were added on both sides but demolished in the 1840s.
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