Chudenice - Lázeň castle
Vrch Žďár near Chudenice has been a place of worship for Celts, Slavs and Christians since ancient times. The springs below it were considered sacred and healing. After the pilgrimage church was built on this hill, this place enjoyed increasing popularity, not only among pilgrims. So it was only a matter of time before the place of springs would receive more attention from the count family of Czernin from Chudenice.
In 1786, we first encounter the name "Badhaus" in written sources, i.e. a bath house, which was only a wooden building. In the years 1792-1794, under Jan Rudolf, Mr. Czernina from Chudenice was rebuilt into a brick spa building and five years later the surrounding area was enhanced with a garden. This garden was expanded between 1823 and 1826 and an English landscape park was established. The author is gardener Jan Kristián Thumstängler. The new castle was especially popular with the count family, who used it as their summer residence.
After many reconstructions and modifications, the Lázeň castle acquired its present form in 1870. Many spa guests and well-known personalities came here. For example, the national revivalist and linguist Josef Dobrovský, who was a great asset to Chudenice and the surrounding area, stayed here towards the end of his life. His stay is commemorated by a memorial in the linden alley near the castle. The historian František Palacký and the writer J.E. Vocel also lived here. Botanist and university professor Ladislav Čelakovský, who was a great helper of Mr. Czernin during the founding of the English park and arboretum, the botanist Kašpar Count Šternberk, and other important personalities. The first chapters of Antonín Zápotocký's novel Rozbřesk also take place in the castle area.
Today, the Lázeň castle is once again owned by the Czernin family from Chudenice. Inside, it has been completely repaired and modified to its original form, when the Czernins from Chudenice lived here before the confiscation. After the roof covering has been repaired, the facade will also be repaired, which is probably the last thing missing from the castle. In 2013, the English park in front of the Lázeň castle was restored, and the count family, following the example of their ancestors, uses the castle not only as their summer residence. The castle is not accessible to the public, but the English park around the castle invites the public to a beautiful walk. However, even that is currently limited due to falling trees.
Source: town of Chudenice
