Nové Hrady

Nové Hrady can be explored through several clearly distinct facets: defensive architecture, family history, sacred spaces, parkland and traditional craftsmanship. This creates a destination where historical sightseeing can be combined with nature and cultural themes, without any single highlight defining the character of the place.

Nové Hrady Castle and the Buquoy Legacy

Nové Hrady Castle was designed as a passage castle. Two gates facing each other and a deep moat define its fortified structure. It was founded by the Vítkovci in the second half of the 13th century. Those interested in medieval castles will therefore find here not merely a historic name, but an understandable architectural feature: the complex was designed for passage between two gates.

Following reconstruction, the castle's Buquoy interiors, with numerous family portraits and memorabilia commemorating the family's military glory, can be visited. The residence of the estate official offers a different view of the past. It shows bourgeois living around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Thus, two different worlds of life stand side by side within the castle: the representative family history and the everyday life of an official's household.

Buquoy Tomb and Church of St. Peter and Paul

The Buquoy Tomb consists of a crypt on the ground floor and a chapel on the upper floor. It still contains eight coffins with the mortal remains of members of the Buquoy family, including three married couples, as well as relatives from the Cappy family. The tomb is open to the public during the designated visiting hours. It therefore complements the castle with a place where the focus is not on defensive architecture, but on the memory of a noble family.

The Church of St. Peter and Paul preserves early Baroque furnishings from the third quarter of the 17th century. The presbytery also contains a late Gothic net vault, considered the finest in South Bohemia. The church is open to the public during regular services. Guided tours of the church and monastery are possible only during the summer tourism season or by prior arrangement. This distinction is important for your planning: public access during a service and a guided tour do not follow the same conditions here.

Parkland and Traditional Craft Culture

Terčino údolí is a national nature monument covering an area of 139.29 hectares. Its parkland was laid out from 1765 onward. The site thus adds a landscape dimension to the trip that is clearly different from the castle, crypt and church. Those who want to experience designed parkland alongside historic interiors will find an independent focus here.

Another special feature is Novohradská kovárna. It is regarded as a valuable example of a smithy founded by Ferdinand Grössinger in 1719. Since 2003, the Rožmberk association has organized various events, courses and activities there. These include traditional Easter gatherings, Bramborování na kovárně at the end of October and Čertovské kování at the beginning of December. These dates show that the smithy is interesting not only as a historical example, but also remains connected with traditional and event-related themes.

Further Places for Your Travel Planning

If you would like to compare other places around your stay, you can also take a look at Srubec, Hwozdetz, Vidov, Dehtar, Branisovice, Kvítkovice, Kronfellern and Pasinovice.

For the higher-level travel overview: Okres České Budějovice.