Fodor's Expert Review Hrad Orlík
The word orlík means "young eagle," and the castle Hrad Orlík, dating back to the 13th century, was always thought to be reminiscent of a young eagle in a nest far up on a rocky ledge. Though the builders of the original structure are not known, the current castle was built in the early Gothic style by King Wenceslas II. The castle housed important figures in Czech history such as Jan Hus, after whom the Hussites are named, and Jan Žižka, the Hussite military leader after whom Prague's Žižkov district is named. It became the property of the Schwarzenberg family in 1719. Communism nationalized the castle after World War II; then, after the Velvet Revolution, it was returned to the Schwarzenbergs in the early 1990s. The rather dramatic appearance today is mostly due to renovations in the mid-1800s in the neo-Gothic style. Castle tours, like those of Český Šternberk, help you appreciate the history of the castle and what you're looking at. Hour-long tours show you the portraits... READ MORE
The word orlík means "young eagle," and the castle Hrad Orlík, dating back to the 13th century, was always thought to be reminiscent of a young eagle in a nest far up on a rocky ledge. Though the builders of the original structure are not known, the current castle was built in the early Gothic style by King Wenceslas II. The castle housed important figures in Czech history such as Jan Hus, after whom the Hussites are named, and Jan Žižka, the Hussite military leader after whom Prague's Žižkov district is named. It became the property of the Schwarzenberg family in 1719. Communism nationalized the castle after World War II; then, after the Velvet Revolution, it was returned to the Schwarzenbergs in the early 1990s. The rather dramatic appearance today is mostly due to renovations in the mid-1800s in the neo-Gothic style. Castle tours, like those of Český Šternberk, help you appreciate the history of the castle and what you're looking at. Hour-long tours show you the portraits in the Small Empire Hall, the Napoleanic-era furnishings of the Great Empire Hall, and the incredible wooden sculpture by Jan Teska in the Teska Court.
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