CZ, Blansko – The Heart of the Moravian Karst II

The greatest sight of Blansko is its chateau - Blansko. You can find it near the town hall. Its Renaissance glamor will strike you when you go there from the main road. Blansko chateau was founded on the place of former early Gothic stronghold (a type of rural medieval settlement). In this case the stronghold was administered by bishops from Olomouc. They leased it to Czech, Moravian, or foreign noblemen.

In 1604 the chateau saw Renaissance renovation. The original parts of the chateau are southwest tower’s cylindrical torso and chateau’s façade. During the years 1870 and 1883 there were done interesting adjustments which gave the chateau a Renaissance revival gable and wooden staircase in the interior as well as walls and ceilings were covered with wooden boards.

Blansko is a four-wing, one-story chateau today operating a museum. You enter the museum by going through a portal in its western façade. Above is a stone board which was hung up there in 1593. It documents the then owners of the dominion. Right to the portal is a Renaissance clock tower. When you get to chateau’s courtyard you find yourselves in square-shaped square, a point form where you can start exploring the chaetau. You walk through pink, musical, and red saloon and green study room. The coffer ceiling is amazing. Amazing is also a lecture which local guid tells you while going through the chambers. She tells you on chateau’s history, former owners, precious guests who have visited the chateau such as archeologist Jindrich Wankel, writer Ferdinand von Saar or Karolina Meineke. Next you can see the display of Blanensko cast iron displaying large and small items. Also, you can dive deep into the exploration of caves and castles around Blansko. Of course, this is hardly everything you can see around here. But we will leave the exploration up to you. What we can tell you is that there is a park where is also a lake, cast iron statues displaying motives from the antiquity, or wonderful cast iron fountain with reliefs on it.

We walked through the chateau in two hours and continued in our journey. We set off to church of St Martin . The parish is one of the oldest in Moravia, the legend has it the parish was founded in 882. Then Cyril and Method traveled across many settlements in Moravia. However, the first written evidence comes from the year 1136.

Tatars and the Hussite wars were catastrophes that the church had to face throughout the centuries. This Romanesque church was later rebuilt in the Baroque style. A tower was built in the years 1707 to 1710. Inside is one 13th century bell and then two other. The belfry is readjusted as a observation platform. Inside the church there is a stone altar, the way of the Cross built in 1889, or an organ. The Rozmital family have their tomb here. Despite the church is very stark it is charming.

We encountered the memorial to Karolina Meineke, the first wife of Wilhelm II standing near the church, and her son-in-law Karel Teubner. Standing on a hill we enjoyed the panoramic view of the town. In distance we spotted a timbered structure which caught our attention. We went closer to it but how we found it is the matter of the next week’s article.

GPS: 49°21'49.8"N 16°38'45.4"E

Text and photo: Oskár Mažgút