Chateau at Kamenice nad Lipou, Neoclassical chateau in Kamenice nad Lipou, Czech Republic
The Chateau at Kamenice nad Lipou is a four-winged building around a rectangular courtyard, with Renaissance arcades and a garden. Its entrance tower dates from 1744, and the Neoclassical appearance was given by the Geymüller family in 1839–1842. The east wing contains a large Renaissance hall, and the cellars hold a Gothic hall.
The site began as a castle in 1248. In 1580–1583 it was rebuilt as a Renaissance mansion with an arcaded courtyard and garden, and the entrance tower dates from 1744. F. Rilke, grandfather of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, had it modified in the early 19th century, and in 1839–1842 the Geymüller family gave it its present Neoclassical appearance.
The town's name, 'nad Lipou', refers to the old linden tree in the castle park. Since 2006 the castle has hosted Hračkobraní, a summer toy festival with wooden toys, designers and workshops, continuing the local toy-making tradition. The town museum in the south wing is called Museum for the Senses.
The chateau stands in an English park with the old linden tree; the permanent exhibitions are on the ground floor of the north wing, the town museum and wedding hall in the south wing, and the cellars with the Gothic hall are also open to visitors.
The linden in the English park is estimated at 700–800 years old, which means it was already growing when the original castle was first recorded in 1248. The castle cellars also hold samples from the Museum of Decorative Arts' garden ceramics collection.
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