Januv Castle

Januv Castle - Hrad Janův,  Podivin, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic.

Janův hrad (John’s Castle) was built near a game preserve, on a site surrounded on three sides by the Dyje River. It served as a hunting lodge—a gathering point for the nobility before a hunt and the location for the final stages of the drive. Following the hunts, lavish banquets were held here, during which the "King of the Hunt" was proclaimed. The structure also served as a residence for the princely gamekeeper.
Construction, based on a design by Joseph Hardtmuth, began in 1801 at the behest of Alois I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein. However, he passed away in 1805, and the completion of the project in 1808 was overseen by his younger brother, Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein.
Hardtmuth’s original design for the castle was far more ambitious, but the project was scaled back at the Prince’s request. Nevertheless, it remains a unique structure in the Czech Republic, featuring four corner towers—each with a distinct ground plan. On three sides, these towers are connected solely by perimeter walls, with first-floor galleries running along their outer face. The fourth side of the courtyard is enclosed by the main lodge building itself.
The first floor contains three formal reception rooms and two smaller lounges for relaxation. The main "Knights’ Hall"—where banquets and hunting celebrations took place—was reserved for the gentlemen, while the ladies utilized two formal lounges located in the adjacent towers. Only the southern tower features a second floor, complete with a balcony from which a gallery leads to the western tower. The third level consists of an observation point atop the southern tower.
Because the ground in the floodplain forest was unstable, it had to be reinforced with wooden beams; the structure was then built upon this foundation using stones brought from the Pálava region and the nearby Great Moravian hillfort of Pohansko. In his effort to create a realistic imitation of an actual castle, the architect paid close attention to every detail—incorporating features such as clockwise-spiraling staircases, projecting latrines (*prevéty*), and arrow slits.
Since 1945, Janův Hrad (John’s Castle) has been state property; it is administered by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic through the National Heritage Institute (Prague), via its regional specialized office in Kroměříž.
Janův Hrad is part of the Lednice-Valtice Area, which spans 2,200 hectares. In December 1996, the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural landscape.