Horky nad Jizerou Castle Audio guide

A castle with a long building history

Horky nad Jizerou Castle stands on elevated ground at the eastern edge of the village, not far from the right bank of the Jizera. Its present form is the result of a long development that began in the 14th century with the fortress of Brodce. In the 16th century it was rebuilt as a Renaissance residence, and in the first half of the 18th century it took on a Baroque appearance.

The current building is two stories high and has two wings, with a massive square tower added to the front. In 1762, the Chapel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was established in the castle, which fits the period when noble residences served not only as homes but also as places of display and administration.

Owners and changes in the estate

After the confiscation of the property of Václav Kaplíř ze Sulevic after 1620, the estate was acquired by Mikuláš Hartmann z Klarštejna. After the Hartmann family died out, it passed by inheritance to the Desfours family, and later it was bought by Kristián Filip Clam-Gallas. In 1838, through the marriage of Karolína Clam-Gallasová and Jan Václav Nostitz-Rieneck, the castle came into the hands of the Nostic family.

After the founding of Czechoslovakia, the property passed into state hands as part of the land reform. In the 1930s it was bought by Josef Hegr, and after the Second World War the castle was confiscated again and used for educational purposes from 1950 onward. Today it houses the Secondary Vocational School and the Secondary Vocational Training School of Horky nad Jizerou.

The castle is especially valuable as a reminder of the changes in a rural noble residence, from a medieval fortress through a Renaissance residence to a Baroque complex with a modern function.