Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Cesky Sternberk castle

Cesky Sternberk (Český Šternberk) is one of the best preserved medieval castles in the Czech Republic. It is situated on a high cliff above the Sazava river and the village of the same name, about 45 Km South-east of Prague.

The castle was founded in 1241 by Zdeslav of Divišov and it keeps its early Gothic look and feel up to these days. It was conquered by Jiri of Podebrady in 1467, damaged in 1627 and reconstructed in the second half of 17th century. Its current interiors are designed in the late gothic and early baroque styles, and are richly decorated with stucco works.

The Sternberk castle is still owned by the Sternbergs family and offers an interesting exposition of castle-living style.

Photos

The photo above was taken in April 2008 and shows the northern part of the castle above the Sazava river. The photo below includes a part of the Šternberk village and was also taken in April 2008.

In the next photo there is an old tower that is located east of the castle outside its walls.

How to get there

The village of Český Šternberk is located about 45 Km South-east of Prague. If you go by car, follow the D1 highway and leave it on Exit 41. Bus connections are available from Prague and Benešov. There is also a scenic railroad from Čerčany (accessible by train from Prague or Benešov) to Šternberk or from Světlá nad Sázavou. The train ride along the Sázava river is quite slow (2 hours) but beautiful.

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