Vranov Castle
Vranov Castle is considered by many as one of the most important baroque structures in the territory of Central Europe. Vranov is an intriguing medieval fortress in the central southern part of the Czech Republic.
It is located in South Moravia, in which the castles and palaces look as though they are sprouting from every hill. Some of the others are, Milotice Castle, Straznice Castle, Lednice Castle and others.
The handsome Vranov Castle stands prominently above the title chech little town, which passes through, Thaya river, also known as Dyje. The very small town and its castle Vranov are situated near the northern border with Austria, which is only three kilometers. Vranov borders with Hardegg castle which is 22 km away from the historic town of Znojmo.
The foundations of the castle Vranov were laid in the 12th century, assuming that the fortress was completed by 1100. During this earliest period of existence of the palace, it was a corps of a defensive system along the river Dyje.
For the village itself, Vranov is first mentioned in 1323 when it was a local market town. The site of the medieval castle itself was chosen in a perfect defensive precision.
According to experts, who judged by the scratches and the rain on the stone wall buildings within the castle Vranov was mostly constructed of wood in the Middle Ages.
This is the reason that the cellars carved into the rocks are still preserved. Once next to the main castle Vranov was two fortified gates that you had to pass through to enter Vranov and over the whole fortress was a wooden dominating tower.
During 1421 Vranov was owned by the Lichtenburg family. They made only minor adjustments to the building itself and in 1618, under the new division of property the fortress falls under the management of the Althan clan.
The Althan family totally retooled the Vranov Castle in the 17th century when in 1684 the Vienna architect Jan Bernard Fischer set out to become the architect of the medieval castle and turn it into a baroque palace.
Then appears on the hall of the palace - the Hall of ancestors, as has the castle Milotice. This room in Vranov has an oval shape and is decorated with many interesting mythological ornaments made by Jan Michael Rottmayr.
Tobias Kracker was the handyman who made the beautiful statues of the owners at the time who were the Alhtan family.
Today the Vranov Castle is open for public visits from April to October. The area is located on the popular lake in the Czech Republic of Vranov, which is the largest reservoir of warm water in the country.
This natural landmark attracts many tourists mainly because of the beach and various outdoor activities such as windsurfing, yachting and fishing.
