Welcome to Orlik Castle
I. Museum
The rooms on the first floor are furnished like a museum, to provide some information about the history of this castle.
The castle was named Orlik - an eaglet (a little eagle) - because it was situated on a high rock by the river Vltava and looked like an eagle nest. The rock formation was about 60 m high but it is under water now. There was the dam built in 1960 and the level of the river Vltava rose by about 60m.
The pictures in the first room show us how the castle looked like originally. The earliest records of Orlik date from the 13th century, and to do with the collection of duties across the river Vltava. In that time the castle belonged to the King. Later, under the reign of Charles IV. (the Bohemian King) possession of the castle was transferred to the nobility. The first noble house to own it were the Zmrzliks (the old Czech noble family). After the fire in the 16th century they moved away and left the destroyed castle to its own fate.
The next owners were the Svamberks (another Czech noble house). At the beginning of the 17th century they reconstructed the building into the renaissance style. After them came the Eggenbergs, but the most important owner were the Schwarzenbergs.
The house of Schwarzenberg comes from Germany, they moved into this castle at the beginning of the 18th century. They kept it until 1948 when the communists seized power in Czechoslovakia. After that key year most of the castles and/or estates that belonged to the nobility were taken by the state, as Orlik was. In 1992 the Schwarzenbergs who had been living in Austria were given back this castle and its original estate (land and woods).
The contemporary owner of this castle in Charles VII. Schwarzenberg. He had served as a chancellor under our former president Vaclav Havel in 1992.
The exhibits:
II. Museum
In this room are displayed the family-trees of some members of the Schwarzenberg House. The one above the door belongs to the contemporary owner - to Charles VII. Schwarzenberg.
The largest coat-of-arms is that of the Schwarzenbergs. Motto of the Schwarzenbergs :NIL NISI RECTUM" (in Latin) - translated into English - "NOTHING BUT JUSTICE".
The other family-trees are of Schwarzenberg relatives. This means that there are two branches of that house: the older Hluboka - Krumlov branch (primogeniture) and the younger Orlik branch (secundogeniture). The founder of the second branch was Charles I. Phillip Schwarzenberg (1771 - 1820).
III. Museum
Charles I. was the first member of the House of Schwarzenberg to settle permanently in Orlik Estate and take care of the castle.
He become a famous soldier and marshal in Austrian Monarchy. At the beginning of the 19th century he was appointed commander of the Austrian army and during the Napoleonic Wars he fought against Napoleon. In 1805 the Austrians were defeated in the battle of Slavkov and therefore Austria tried to make peace with France. For that reason Charles I. was appointed as the Austrian ambassador in France and in that way Napoleon's friendship with Charles I. started. That Charles was entrusted with the mediation of Napoleon's marriage with Mary Louise (the daughter of the Austrian emperor Franz I. ensured even closer friendship. Although their friendship seemed to be everlasting, in 1812 Austria changed its policy and its armies joined the anti-napoleonic coalition again. The entire conflict between France and Austria ended with Napoleon's defeat in the battle of Leipzig (1813).
For that victory Charles I. was awarded all of the important European orders that are on display in the glass-case:
The arms above the orders are presents from:
The second show-case contains private belongings of Charles and his wife Mary Ann Esterhazy, born Hohenfeld.
Pictures in this room depict battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
Originally this room was the last one of the castle. The next rooms were annexed when the castle, having been damaged when it was held by the Svambergs, was completely reconstructed. Next to the door there are the remains of the original windows. Between this and the next room there is a thick wall - the original outside wall of the castle.
IV. Museum
Charles I. had three sons. In these glass-cases some of their private belongings are on display. Two cases on the right of the fireplace pertain to the oldest son Frederick (1800 - 1870). He become a famous soldier. Because of his strong convictions he was against every revolution. He called himself "The Last Lancknecht" after the medieval soldiers. This nickname was intended to express all his tendencies to adventure and dangerous life.
The second son was Charles II. (1802 - 1859). He had chosen a military career; in 1849 he was appointed to the Secret Council and as vice-regent, military and civil governor in Transylvania (today's Romania).
The youngest son was Edmund (1903 - 1873). He also became a soldier and took part in every important struggle against revolutions that broke up in Europe in 1848.
Through the door you can have a look into the "Blue Hall". It is furnished in the Second Rococo Style from the end of the 19th century. The floral patterns on the material are typical.
The tour continues on the second floor. The staircase leading there was intended only for servants. These steps were used to carry meals from the kitchen to preparatory rooms and it was served into the dining rooms from there.
THE TESCA'S HALL
The room you have just entered is called Tesca's Hall. Jan Tesca, the creator of the unique coffer ceiling, was a local joiner and wood-carver. This masterpiece he created all by himself in only four years (1885 - 1889). He used three kinds of wood: walnut-, pear-, and lime-tree (linden). Jan Tesca also paneled the walls and the floor and made some pieces of furniture. For that beautiful work he was given a Silver Medal during the Anniversary Exhibition in Prague in 1891.
The stove in the corner is a Haban and was made in 1671. On the upper tiles you can see motives from the Bible and under them are pictures inspired by Aesop's Fables.
Opposite in the next corner, there is a large candle-stick, a menorah, used to celebrate the Jewish holiday, known as Chanukah. Chanukah last eight days in December and one candle is lit each day.
On the right side of the door there is a photograph of Jan Tesca and next to it the copy of his Silver Medal.
The collection of vases come from china and France.
CHIVALRY HALL
This is the largest room of the castle and is furnished in Romantic style. Romanticism is an artistic style that appeared at the beginning of the 19th century in Europe. The architecture was inspired by the old medieval styles and mainly for that reason the Schwarzenbergs were moved to collect and purchase various pieces of furniture, pottery, arms and plates from every nook and corner of the world.
In the middle of the hall there are several pieces of baroque furniture upholstered with leather.
Another integral part of this room is the stove. It was made in the 17th century and is decorated with motives from the Bible - The Last Supper of Jesus Christ and part of The way of the Cross.
On each side of the stove is a collection of plates. Noteworthy are the so-called Italian Majolica plates (the painted ones) from the 16th - 18th century.
Above the fireplace is suspended a coat-of-arms belonging to the Schwarzenbergs.
The arms on the walls were used in the Thirty-years war and in other important conflicts.
An exceptional cassette made in Cheb is on display on the small table by the window. It was created in the 18th century by a special technique which combined wood-carving with inlaying one kind of wood into another. When it is opened there is a board for a social game called "backgammon".
This hall was constructed within the framework of the castle's reconstruction at the beginning of the 19th century. These building arrangements were realized by the famous architect Bernard Gruber who had the castle rebuilt into its Neogothic appearance.
RIFLES CORRIDOR
Around three hundred shotguns are displayed in this corridor. Most of them were made by famous Czech gun makers like F. Moravek, A. Lebeda, etc. Their names are usually engraved on the barrels.
Several butts of these shot-guns are inlaid with brassy signs that indicate the number of animals killed with that particular shot-gun.
On the right side of this corridor you can find some foreign guns (two American Winchester rifles) and some gifts that were donated to Charles I. by European sovereigns of that period.
THE GALLERY OF THE HONENFELDS
The family Gallery of the Hohenfelds was set up in honour of Mary Ann - the wife of Charles I. (Mary Ann came of the Hohenfeld's family).
Although the painter is unknown we know that he used a special technique in these paintings - wherever you are it looks like the pictured person is still looking at you.
The large picture called "The Boar-hunt" was painted by the English painter George Hamilton.
LITTLE ARMOURY
Upon the influence of Romanticism the Schwarzenbergs collected various types of antiques and medieval arms and put them on the walls. That is how this armoury was established.
The oldest guns are displayed on the left wall. They were used in the 16th and 17th century and were loaded from the front through the gun-barrel.
The first guns loaded from the rear are represented here by the Prussian needle rifles on the opposite wall. They were first used in the battle of Hradec Kralove in 1866. Owing to these rifles the Prussian army triumphed over the Austrians.
On the same wall there are two gunpowder cases and two Turkish guns.
Duel pistols were always made in doubles in order that the duel participants would have equal conditions for their fight.
Above this collection there is a portrait of Adolf Schwarzenberg. He was the victor over the Turks in the battle of Raab in 1598.
Through the little dining-room you can have a look into the library - one of the largest private collections in Central Europe. It contains more than 18,000 scientific works written in many languages. They deal with different branches of science (e.g. mathematics, medicine, history, botany, etc.). Behind the library were the private studies of the Schwarzenbergs.
CORRIDOR WITH TROPHIES
Hunting and the chase was considered to be an inseparable part of social life in the past. Woods around the castle were rich in deer and another species of wildfowl. Therefore we find more than 2000 trophies here. All of the animals were shot by the Schwarzenbergs and their guests.
On the trophy itself or under it they put down the name of the hunter, the place and the date of the hunt and the weight of the animal.
THE CHAPEL
Going on you will pass by the chapel. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary - especially the main altar made in 1905. It is used for worship only on festive occasions.
THE LAST ROOM
Through the door you can see the Chinese Hall. All of the pieces of furniture were made in France in the 19th century.
The copy of Claudian's map next to the door is the first printed map of Bohemia. By the rule followed by modern maps, it is upside-down: north is down, south is up, etc. The map was created in 1518 and in that time Rome, which is the centre of Catholicism, was considered to be situated in the middle of Europe and all countries had to be oriented with the north towards this city.
CONCLUSION
From this last room of our tour you will go out on the terrace and then down the stairs to to park.
At this moment we ask you that you return the guide book and we wish you a very nice day.
GOOD-BYE!!!
Translated from bad English into a good language by prof. Burnham Terrell in 2001