Volanice Castle, Baroque-Classicist château in Volanice, Czech Republic

Volanice Castle is a two-storey Baroque-Classicist château in the centre of Volanice. Above the entrance a balcony is carried by Baroque caryatids of two giants, moved here from the demolished Jesuit château in nearby Sběř. The roof is mansard, and a small, now unkempt park adjoins the building at the rear.

A medieval fortress stood on the site, held in the 16th century by the Volanský family; in 1631 the estate was confiscated and taken by Albrecht of Wallenstein. Around 1757 Bernard Zumande of Sendberk bought Volanice, and in 1780 Tobias Grätzel Gränzenstein had a late Baroque château built on the fortress site. The Gränzensteins held it until 1841; after 1870 Karel Paar installed estate offices and officials' flats, and from 1949 to 1997 it served the local collective farm.

The name Volanice comes from the Volanský family, who held the medieval fortress on this site in the 16th century. The château is now owned by the Vitvar family and, by agreement, open to the public. Look for the two giant atlantes supporting the balcony above the entrance.

The château stands in the middle of Volanice, with the entrance balcony above the door; the small park behind it is unkempt. It is privately owned by the Vitvar family and opened to the public by arrangement, so contact the owners in advance rather than a tourist office.

The two giant caryatids supporting the balcony above the entrance were moved here from the demolished Jesuit château in nearby Sběř. The château was confiscated in 1949 and used by the JZD Volanice collective farm until 1997, serving as offices, flats and a staff canteen. It now belongs to the Vitvar family and is open to the public by arrangement.