"There is evidently no more fairytale a castle in the Czech Republic than Bouzov"

The woodland at Litovel is over looked by the romantic castle Bouzov

I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again, and I'll probably say it a hundred times more...I love castles.  In the Czech Republic you can spend every day of the year visiting one and you still won't see them all.  Splendid!

Today let's visit a castle that has been called a "fairytale" castle and a "true medieval" castle...today let's visit Bouzov.

 

  

Bouzov Castle is an early 14th-century fortress first mentioned in 1317.  Since the middle of the 14th-century until 1695 the castle has changed hands many times.  In 1695, Bouzov was obtained by an order of German knights, but they didn't take proper care of it over the next 200 years.  It wasn't until the order of Grand Master Archduke Eugenius that radical reconstruction took place between the years 1896 and 1901.  

Bouzov at the beginning of the 19th century

Bouzov today

Bouzov's present appearance was only given to it at the turn of the 20th-century, but despite this, it is still known to many people as a true medieval castle.  The new structure, representing the late German gothic style, abounds in projections, little towers, as well as other unusual elements.  Because of Bouzov's fairytale-like structure, it has been used in many films and fairytales such as Arabela, Princess Fantaghiro, and the story of Princess Jasnenka and the Flying Shoemaker.

Bouzov's a fun castle to visit because it truly brings you back to a time long ago...

The smell of gunpowder hangs in the air and the boom of cannons can be heard throughout.  The castle's entertainment complex offers you a chance to try your hand at archery and view the 15-meter high Trojan horse, apparently the largest construction of its kind in the world.

Magnificent interior

Bouzov Castle is situated in Bouzov, a village and municipality in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic.  It lies approximately 28 km (17 miles) northwest of Olomouc and 183 km (114 miles) east of Prague.