Mlázovy Castle, Baroque château in Mlázovy, Czech Republic

Mlázovy Castle is a Baroque building erected in 1721 by Jan Vilém Bernklau of Schönreith on the site of an older fortress, of which two cellars survive outside the present structure. Its original form was rectangular, covered by a hipped roof and topped by a small square turret; the main entrance in the west facade led into a central passage, with barrel-vaulted rooms on the ground floor and flat ceilings above. A classicist north wing, barns, a granary and a farmyard complete the complex.

A fortress stood here by the 14th century; only two cellars outside the present building survive. In 1694 the site included a farmyard, brewery, hop garden and orchards. Jan Vilém Bernklau of Schönreith built the baroque château in 1721. Dušan Zachystal sold it to the village in 1947, which held it until 2001, when it passed to a private owner.

The castle area is a protected cultural monument of the Czech Republic. The nearby Church of St John the Baptist, from the early 14th century, was later remodelled in baroque style following the château and served as the castle chapel into the 20th century. The château now houses an exhibition on the history of the estate.

The castle stands about sixteen kilometres from Klatovy in the foothills of the Šumava, in the village of Mlázovy. Three visiting circuits are open: the historical exhibition in the baroque château, the agriculture museum in one of the farm buildings, and the English park with its restored wooden skittle alley and giant board games. One building serves as a pension. Repairs continue step by step, so parts of the grounds may be closed.

Two cellars survive from the medieval fortress that stood here before the château; they lie outside the present building. The 1721 château was built by Jan Vilém Bernklau ze Schönreithu, owner of that fortress. In the grounds, a restored wooden skittle alley and giant board games are open to visitors.