Liechtenstein heritage

Plumlov Chateau

Built in the Early-Mannerism style, the six-storey chateau looms over Podhradský Pond. Especially impressive is its inner façade with huge columns.

The chateau stands at the site of the former castle from the 13th century; remains are still visible in the courtyard. The construction was ordered by Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein, in 1680. Only one of the proposed four wings was ultimately built. In its final form, the chateau is very unusual in appearance, as its dimensions were chosen with respect to the originally projected, monumental four-wing structure. The Liechtensteins owned the chateau until 1931, when all possessions of the Liechtensteins in Plumlov were seized in the first land reform and the chateau passed into the ownership of the State Land Office.

Tips in the environs

• Romantic landscape in Nové Zámky – the area is dominated by the two-storeyed Empire-style chateau built by the Liechtensteins. They also ordered landscaping changes to the surroundings, turning them into a natural English park with several small romantic structures.

Accommodation tips

• Apartmány a ubytování Mlýnice, Litovel
• Penzion Ve Mlýně, Plumlov

Restaurant tips

• Restaurant of Hotel Plumlov
• Restaurace U Coufalů, Loštice

Úsov Chateau

A Gothic castle was built on the site in the early 13th century. The chateau gained its Baroque form in the late 17th century under the rule of the House of Liechtenstein. In 1852, the chateau housed the first school of forestry in Moravia. The Liechtensteins owned the Úsov domain until 1945 when their assets were nationalised, and their extensive collections were turned into a museum.

Today, the chateau is home to the Hunting and Forestry Museum, a unique collection of hunting trophies and natural science items. The collection has been preserved in virtually the same condition as when it was installed at the chateau by Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein, at the turn of the 19–20th centuries. The animal trophies come from Liechtenstein expeditions around Europe, Asia, America, and Africa.

Šternberk Castle

One of the oldest castles in northern Moravia, the cradle of the Moravian branch of the House of Šternberk. In the 16th century, the castle was redeveloped in Renaissance style, which also included the construction of service and administrative buildings. In 1699, the castle was transferred to the House of Liechtenstein. But it was unused for a long time and began to deteriorate. It was not until 1886 that a complete overhaul in the Romantic historicism style was ordered, giving rise to a luxurious residence meeting the requirements of Johann II, a modern aristocrat who equipped it with historical furnishings, paintings, furniture, reliefs, and rare tapestries. The House of Liechtenstein owned Šternberk Castle until 1945.

Accommodation tips

• Hotel Aldo, Uničov
• Hotel Perk, Šumperk

Restaurant tips

• Rybářská restaurace U Horáků, Uničov

Kolštejn Chateau

Kolštejn (Branná) is located on a rocky cliff above the Branná River. The castle initially guarded the trade route from Silesia to the capital of Moravia – Olomouc. The reconstructed Renaissance chateau together with preserved remnants of the original Gothic castle have now come back to life in the form of the historic Chateau Goldenstein Hotel.

Over more than 700 years, the castle was owned by 11 noble families, including John of Luxembourg. The longest ruling noble family were the Liechtensteins, who owned the chateau between 1622 and 1941. However, the chateau lost its residential and representative function under their rule and never became a noble household again, as the House of Liechtenstein had a number of other seats.

Velké Losiny Chateau

The chateau was built in the last quarter of the 16th century by John the Younger of Žerotín, who was also instrumental in the development of the local spa and founded the handmade paper mill, still in operation. The Losiny domain was spared the events of the Thirty Years’ War, due to which the chateau has been preserved in its original form including some furnishings.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the House of Žerotín were forced to sell the indebted domain with chateau to the House of Liechtenstein. They later adapted part of the “lower” chateau in the Biedermeier style and arranged the park into its present-day form. All these conversions were meant to turn the old chateau into a romantic summer residence. In 1945, the chateau was confiscated from the Liechtensteins based on the Beneš Decrees.

Tips in the environs

• Handmade Paper Mill and the Museum of Paper – Europe’s oldest paper mill still in operation presents the origins of paper.
• Velké Losiny Spa – Founded in 1592, the spa is sought-after especially due to the therapeutic effects of the warmest springs in Moravia.

Accommodation tips

• Chateau Goldenstein Hotel
• Villa Aurelia, Velké Losiny

Restaurant tips

• Motorest Permoník, Sobotín
• Restaurace Losín, Velké Losiny