Bike trip to Orlík Castle and Chateau Herálec

● I went on a bike trip to Orlík Castle and then to the chateau in Herálec. And I am showing various interesting places along the way.
Orlík Castle
● The beginnings of Orlík Castle date in the end of the 14th century. However, the settlement of the castle hill may be much older. The first written document about the castle dates from 1404 in connection with its conquest by Jindřich of Rožmberk, at that time the castle belonged to the family of the lords of Dubé. Not long after that, the owners let the castle and its forecourt be surrounded by a new stone wall. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the castle and the adjacent estate were owned by important families - the lords of Leskovec, the Trčkovs of Lípa and the lords of Říčany. The castle is being expanded with new residential wings, old buildings are being rebuilt and the complex is being newly fortified. The area reached its greatest development in the second half of the 15th century under Arnošt from Leskovec and his children, when it grew almost to its current form. This development boosted the owner in prestige among the most influential men of the kingdom. In the second half of the 16th century, the area was rebuilt by the lords of Říčany. In 1601, the new owner, Kryštof Karel from Roupov, transferred the manor to the Herálec chateau, and Orlík was used only for economic purposes. As early as the beginning of the 18th century, there was a gamekeeper's dwelling here, and the castle is in good condition. In the course of the following years, however, interest in Orlík declined so much that the castle's equipment is gradually being sold off, and since the 19th century the castle has been dismantled in order to obtain building material. The once mighty castle thus turns into ruins. The castle awakens from oblivion at the beginning of the 20th century, when the castle is in danger of falling apart. With the help of donations from local people, businessmen and state subsidies, the ruins were secured in 1913. The work continued until the 1930s. In the years 1939-1941, the castle ruins were secured by the Club of Czech Tourists. The entire core of the castle and the outer fortifications are excavated from the rubble and the exposed masonry is secured. In the post-war period, interest in the monument declines and the castle slowly starts to fall apart again. Various folk festivals were held here until the 1970s. Since 1989, the ruin has been taken care of by a small group of enthusiasts who carry out maintenance of the area and small repairs. This is the basis of today's building manager - the general benefit company Castrum o. p. s. Humpolec. Between 1992 and 1997, the first phase of modern securing works took place. In 1997, part of the area was made available to the public. From 1999 to the present, other security works are ongoing. Since the end of 2014, the castle tower has also been made accessible as a lookout tower.
Dobrá
● In 1233, Dobrá is mentioned in the purchase contract. It is sold by the order of Teutonic Knights to the Želiv monastery. In 1371 it was sold to the town of Humpolec. In December 1421, the village, including the chapel of St. Catherine was destroyed by King Sigismund's troops during his crusade to Bohemia. In 1666, the church of St. Wenceslas was built on the ruins of the chapel. In 1735, due to ownership disputes, the church fell into disrepair. The influence of time has completed the destruction of the church. Today, only the cross with St. Wenceslas reminds us of the defunct church and village. And the place is still called Saint Wenceslas.
Kamenice pond natural monument
● The pond is included in the network of protected areas Natura 2000. The most significant natural phenomenon of the pond is the vegetation of the bare bottom. It was registered on the Site of Community Importance list due to the occurrence of the Coleanthus subtilis.
Chateau Herálec
● The first mention of Herálec dates from 1226, when it belonged to the Želiv Monastery. After 1307 the chateau owned Trčkovs of Lípa. In 1601, Kryštof Karel from Roupov had the chateau rebuilt into a three-wing, one-story building with round towers. In 1708, the estate was bought by Michal Achác, who had built a chapel. In 1838, on the instructions of Jan Nepomuk from Trauttmannsdorf, the chateau was transformed into a neo-Gothic style, i.e. into the current romantic form with battlemented towers and a facade. In 1861, it was Gothicized by the architect B. Waschmann. From 1951 there was a textile school in the chateau. After 1958, the building was used by a special boarding school. Since 2004, the chateau has been owned by the Kasper family, who had the devastated chateau completely repaired. The chateau was thus given a decent chance to continue life as a luxurious five-star hotel. The chateau is surrounded by an English-style park.
Thanks for watching.
#kukla #adventure #adventures #bike #biketrip #castle #chateau #forest #woods #video #nature #landscape #history #trail

[@rudilmj1619]

Cycling to stay healthy