Roztoky Castle

Roztoky Castle - Zámek Roztoky, Roztoky, Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic.

A fortified manor—featuring circular walls and a central prismatic tower—was built on the banks of the Vltava River in the late 13th or early 14th century. Towards the end of the 14th century, the Prague burghers and brothers Eberhard and Reinhard of Reims constructed a new palace with a chapel on the site of the older fortifications; a painted oriel window from this chapel has survived to the present day.
At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Boryně of Lhota family of knights had the manor rebuilt into a Renaissance château, which acquired its current appearance following 18th-century modifications. Arcades were added around the entire perimeter of the courtyard, a small tower was erected above the oriel window, and a farmyard complex—featuring a malt house, barn, and stables—was established (parts of which remain today).
In the 19th century, an English-style park featuring rare and exotic trees was laid out around the château; between 1965 and 1974, it was enriched with sculptures dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and later with works by the sculptor Hedvika Zaorálková. Today, the medieval stronghold is recalled by the moat, the pulleys and counterweights of the original drawbridge at the gate, and the stone door and window surrounds in the courtyard.