Letovice

Would you leave habitual glittered chateau mirrors, inlaid jewel boxes, silk or pink wall papers. You will be surprised: rusty tank is to be found in the middle of courtyard. Welcome in South Moravian Chateau of Letovice, and you will be shocked with special furnished interiors! Frankly speaking, just from Middle Age, this outstanding dominanta of aristocracy seat is a decoration of this town. The building undergone several changes during its historical development, when originally Gothic castle was modified into Renaissance and later into chateau in Baroque style, successively added with arrangement in Neo-Gothic style. Nevertheless, it was not lacking in many time, in order Letovice chateau could become a ruin. All the complex was held together with peripehry walls only. Moreover, compensation disputes did not brought a benefit to the building. Last property transfer was effected in 2004. Nevertheless, new owner brought fresh impulse and the chateau was open for public.

From a distance, nothing gives evidence that this chateau would be beyond standard conditions, we are used in case of other chateau buildings. The roof as well as rough-castings gleam with innovation and even adjoining green is very well arranged. Anyway, you will be stopped in courtyard, where you see a barrel of a tank, just mentioned above. Subsequently, you pass carefully renewed chapel and wine cellars, containing several lines of barrels. The second cellar starts to be little diverged: from depth, you can hear groaning of tortured unfortunates, muffled illumination as well as drastic scenes remind directly horror atmosphere. Moreover, special offer is available for indifferent visitors: they can spend the night in the bottom of dungeon. At the border of nice courtyard and the entry into former inhabitating spaces, the guide brings last instructions, and the sightseeing starts. In the rooms, you can see a mixture of retired school devices, trash sacred pictures or obscure historical objects. All is installed into most absurd combinations. The furniture was obviouisly transported there from dusty shelters or from waste lands. So, behind scraping piano-wing, a photo of Gustav Husák is to be appeared, surrounded with diplomas of „Socialist Labour Brigade“, and close to this, you can admire instructive picture of plant-eating beetle inside trash Alps countryside. From walls, arranged with superficially coats in „roller“ style, you can see wire bunches. Nevertheless, this survey of scratched pianos, decorated with stuffed of penniferous animals presents a corridor a stamp of passed dignity. It is a chaotic review of destruction, where great creative energy was signed. All this is characteristic with mixture of lumber, dumping place and surrealism. Nevertheless, imaginary top of our sighseeing arrives in the highest floor of the chateau. So, here, inside spacious hall, you can see extensive statue of Jesus Christ and freckled armchairs, placed at his legs. Sound coolisse will be looked after rustling plastic folio pannel windows as well as cry of birds, around circling birds.

And if the visitors follow the sights carefully, so they can leave this absurd scene, along winding staircase, directly to bar of chateau restaurant. Inside addded agriculture building, you can see the exhibition of agricultural technics. Before you finish the sightseeing, you can pass through two rooms, which could be proud on clean painted walls and smell of new wooden parquetted floor. Close to this, jewelled bedroom is to be found, where fresh married couples could spend their honeymoon, completely in romantic spirit, similarly as it is in another chateaux. So, except this fresh-husbands´ appartement, chateau owner made the reconstruction of the courtyard, chapel, dungeon as well as chateau cellars. Provided you wish to enjoy such original atmosphere, which cannot be found in another castles and chateaux, do not hesitate, and visit Letovice! It is worth to do it!

Text: Denisa Arvajová

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, che, č.2, č.3, č.4, č.5