Zámek Vlčice, Classicist château in Vlčice, Czech Republic
Vlčice Château is a classicist manor house near Trutnov with a balanced facade and rectangular windows. The building sits elevated above the landscape and displays a central entrance portal with clean geometric lines.
The village of Vlčice was founded in 1248 by the locator Vrocivoj; the first known owner was the knight Albert Schoff in 1371, under whom a fortress protected by a moat and pond was probably built, first mentioned in 1475. At the end of the 16th century Albert of Maltitz had it rebuilt in Renaissance style, and it was first called a château in 1665. Count Josef Schaffgotsch gave it its Empire form in 1829.
The château has served as a hotel and accommodation facility since the 1990s, when it was privatised and reconstructed after decades of use by the local authority and a breeding institute. Visitors today stay overnight in the Renaissance building rather than tour it, and the grounds belong to the accommodation facility.
The château now serves as accommodation, so the building and its grounds are not freely open to walkers; access depends on the guests' use. The 40-hectare landscape park laid out in 1844–1845 by František Schaffgotsch surrounds it, but do not count on strolling through it. Views of the three-winged exterior with its mansard roof are from public paths in Vlčice.
The surrounding natural park was created in the 19th century by František Schaffgotsch and covers about 40 hectares with local landscape features. The park was then an example of English-style park design, which was rare in Bohemia.
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